MIAMI — Nancy Metayer Bowen was a politically ambitious trailblazer for a new generation of Haitian Americans in South Florida before her tragic death, which is being criminally investigated, was announced Wednesday.

A twice-elected member of the Coral Springs City Council and the town’s current vice mayor, Metayer Bowen, 38, made history in 2020 by becoming the first Black woman and first Haitian American elected to represent the city of roughly 141,000 residents.

It was a historic victory that was notable not just because Coral Springs is only 24.8% Black , according to Census data from July 2025, but because of what she represented: the possibility of a community gaining a foothold in places where it had not traditionally been represented.

“She was a breath of fresh air. People trusted her,” said Santra Denis, executive director of the Miami Workers Center, a movement-oriented organization that serves as a community mobilization hub. “She was a beacon of what is possible in Haitian politics.”

Denis met Metayer Bowen in 2017 during a New Leaders Council Broward County fellowship program. As they spoke about their common Haitian backgrounds, the two women discovered something unexpected: they were related and soon realized they had unknowingly crossed paths at some of the same Metayer family funerals and weddings.

Both of their families are from Anse Rouge, a rural town in Haiti’s Artibonite region.

“She was a community organizer, an environmentalist,” Denis said, adding that the councilwoman also was involved in environmental issues in Haiti. “She loved her family, and really thought about service through modeling integrity as a civic leader. She was honest.”

On Wednesday morning, Coral Springs police officers found Metayer Bowen’s body inside her home. They had been asked to do a wellness check by one of her friends when she failed to show for a meeting. It is still unclear how she died, but her husband, Stephen Bowen, was arrested, and the incident is being treated as a domestic violence case.

Though Metayer Bowen and her husband had only been married for a few years, they were described by friends as high school sweethearts.

Metayer Bowen served as board member of the Coral Springs Charter School, which she chaired. Metayer Bowen previously served as Florida Caribbean Vote director for former President Joe Biden and later former Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaigns.

She was expected to launch a congressional run soon, Rep. Jared Moskowitz said on social media Wednesday. Two sources familiar with her plans said the announcement was planned for Thursday. She was expected to run in the Democratic primary for the seat held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is facing federal charges related to alleged theft of disaster relief funds.

Family, friends reeling from loss

In a note about the tragedy, Metayer Bowen’s family reflected on her role as a daughter, aunt and friend.

“While many knew her as a leader and advocate, we knew her as a daughter, a sister, an aunt and a friend whose warmth and laughter filled every room,” the family said in a statement. “Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape, but in the countless lives she touched.”

In December, Metayer Bowen’s 26-year-old brother, Donovan Metayer, died by suicide. He was a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 people. She announced her brother’s death in a post on Facebook, and was still grieving the loss, friends said despite her positive demeanor.

“She was just so bright even with the darkness going on with her brother, even with the pain,” said Wanda Tima, the founder of L’union Suite, a South Florida based social media platform that promotes the Haitian community.

The two had just recently seen each other at an event in Miami. Metayer Bowen was among several successful women Tima featured last May at her Caribbean women, “GIRLfriends In Business,” empowering brunch.

“I am going to be a little selfish and say, ‘Hey, I’m looking out for all the Black little girls who often are not given those opportunities,’” Metayer Bowen said as she participated in a panel discussion at the event, where she reflected on her career.

“She had so much to live for, so much she wanted to do,” said Tima, who helped the councilwoman with her election campaign. “It just feels like she got cheated.”

Haitian political trailblazer

An environmental scientist, Metayer Bowen held a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins University.

Her passion for environmental issues was reflected in the causes she championed. But she was also passionate about her Haitian roots.

“She always, always showed up for the Haitian community from which she hailed,” said State Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami.

Joseph described Metayer Bowen, who also served as vice chair of the Haitian Outreach in the Florida Democratic Party, as a “tireless advocate for her community and a public servant who genuinely cared about people” and who “fought and cared for the residents” of Coral Springs.

She recently demonstrated this in her advocacy on behalf the roughly 350,000 Haitians who are at risk of losing deportation protections under President Donald Trump. She recently joined other Haitians and immigrant rights leaders in advocating for Temporary Protected Status on behalf of Haiti and was among the first to cheer when a federal judge in February paused the termination.

“We celebrate, but we do not stop,” she said at the time. “What we need are real pathways to citizenship for people who work hard, pay taxes and follow the rules.”

While Haitians have been winning elected offices in South Florida as far back as 2000 when Philippe Derose became the first Haitian American elected to mayor in the United States when he was elected by residents in the Village of El Portal, Bowen’s victory in Coral Spring was a reflection of the community’s expansion north and into non-Haitian enclaves.

That wasn’t lost on Wednesday as former and current elected officials reflected on her passing.

“I witnessed her passion, brilliance and commitment to public service firsthand,” said Mike Gelin, a former Tamarac commissioner from 2018 to 2022. “Her historic leadership as the first Black and Haitian American woman elected in Coral Springs will never be forgotten.”

Metayer Bowen served as his legislative aide during his time as commissioner, Gelin said, adding that he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by her death.

“My prayers are with her family and the Coral Springs community during this difficult time,” he said.

North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme, who sometimes served as a mentor and listening board for Metayer Bowen, was equally saddened by the tragedy. The two met shortly after Metayer Bowen won her first election.

Metayer Bowen, he said, was a pillar of her community, a dedicated advocate, and a tireless voice for those who too often go unheard.

“I can tell you firsthand what those who worked with her already know: she brought an energy and a moral clarity to every room she entered,” Desulme said.

--------

—Miami Herald reporter Douglas Hanks contributed to his report.

©2026 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.