About Jacqueline “Jackie” Rocha
Raised in Davie. Running for Davie.
Meet Jacqueline
At 32 years old, Jacqueline Rocha has called Davie home for nearly her entire life.
A proud second-generation Floridian, Jacqueline has spent the past 11 years on the road as a long-haul truck driver, covering nearly three million miles across the United States and Canada. She founded her own small trucking company to create opportunities for other drivers, the way someone once gave her a chance. Her advocacy in the trucking industry has earned her national recognition, awards, media coverage, and speaking engagements at truck shows across the country.
But Jacqueline's work has never stopped at the road. From serving as class president in the Women of Tomorrow program, to organizing a school-wide walkout for teachers' rights, to leading community petitions right here in Davie, she has always believed in the power of people to make change.
She and her partner of 13 years share a home with five rescue pets, all adopted from county shelters. They love this town. They are raising their family here. And Jacqueline is running for Town of Davie Mayor to empower the next generation, restore a strong voice for residents, and protect what makes Davie home.
In Her Own Words
My name is Jacqueline Rocha and I am proudly running for Town of Davie Mayor. I have been a resident of the town for almost 30 years and only have a deepening love for my home.
See, I grew up poor here in Davie, "amongst the slum and blight", as the CRA deemed my neighborhood to be. Where what could be said held some truth, because there were times that we had to skip holidays at our home. Ramen and 99 cent frozen burritos were a few of my favorite meals, and the $7 pizza special on Wednesday at Delvatentura was a treat.
Actually, my very first job was at the age of 12, washing dishes in the kitchen of the Delaventura, just so I could pay my phone bill at the cell phone store on Davie Road, one of the few old downtown Davie businesses still standing today...
"My very first job was at the age of 12, washing dishes."
We'd attend mass on Sundays at St. David, the same church I had my first communion and attended catechism. Then as a teenager, Army Navy became a safe haven for myself and our neighborhood kids, as it was one of the few places we were welcomed to hang out after school and kept us off the streets.
Then next to this small strip of businesses, was a field, that was more weeds than grass, and only offered a broken slab of concrete from the foundation of an old Davie bar, but it also offered us that same semblance of safety. It was just a small patch of grass, that I fought for so many years ago.
Growing up here allowed me to be the humble woman I am today; where I tip well at every turn because my single mother who made sure we survived in a home of love, was able to do so as a bartender in neighboring Dania.
"Growing up here allowed me to be the humble woman I am today."
Growing up poor in Davie, enabled me to grow the business I have today, where we focus on being a hand up to every age, race, and religion, regardless of knowledge or experience.
So understand, growing up in Davie only made me strong and resourceful. It allowed myself and my neighbors to cultivate, to share what we had, and do what we could for eachother. Where the answer was never no, because there was always something that could be done and there was always someone who could help. That's one of beautiful things about our Davie residents, is that regardless of what our town threw at us, we persisted, we organized, and we overcame. So while our town has changed immensely, the leaders in our town hall have remained the same, and our community has gone long forgotten.
So note that I'm not a politician, nor will I treat this election, my neighbors, our town, or the seat of mayor as one.
"I'm not a politician, nor will I treat this election, my neighbors, our town, or the seat of mayor as one."
To my neighbors and the residents of our beautiful town; I look forward to restoring the respect and integrity our town hall deserves, to rebuilding our community, and strengthening it at its core. Where my mood will not reflect how I deal with an issue or a concerned resident, and where my door will always be open. I look forward to not only introducing myself to all of you, and actually earning your vote, but to making you proud of our town again, making you proud to be a resident here, previous, current, or prospective.
"My door will always be open."
Thank you