Pinecrest
Father of the Village of Pinecrest.
Gary helped lead the resident campaign for self-government, chaired the five-member commission that drafted Pinecrest’s charter, and was sworn in as the Village’s second mayor in 2004.
1948–2024
Gary C. Matzner
Husband and father · Healthcare lawyer · Pinecrest’s second mayor
Gary C. Matzner was Veronica’s husband, father to Ryan, Alex, Eric, and Ethan, a healthcare lawyer, president of Temple Judea, and the Father of the Village of Pinecrest. He helped turn a neighborhood campaign into a municipality and the former Parrot Jungle into Pinecrest Gardens.
Explore
Gary’s life and work.
His public record spans the founding of Pinecrest, the preservation of Pinecrest Gardens, a long career in healthcare law, and leadership at Temple Judea.
Public places
Pinecrest Gardens and Gary C. Matzner Park.
Gary led Preserve the Jungle as residents, donors, Village officials, and public grants secured the 13.38-acre Parrot Jungle property. In 2021, Pinecrest named a new 3.76-acre park on North Kendall Drive for him.
Healthcare law
More than fifty years in healthcare law.
Admitted to The Florida Bar in 1973, Gary advised hospitals, health systems, managed-care organizations, physicians, and other healthcare businesses. Executive and board roles gave him firsthand experience in operations and governance.
Temple Judea
President of Temple Judea.
Temple Judea of Coral Gables elected Gary president for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2018. His closing report records how the congregation moved worship, learning, meetings, and outreach online in spring 2020.
November 3, 2004
Gary Matzner takes office as Pinecrest’s second mayor.
His life
A short chronology.
Born in Stamford in 1948, Gary studied at the University of Connecticut, Temple University, and the University of Miami. He and Veronica were married for forty-one years and raised Ryan, Alex, Eric, and Ethan in South Florida.
- 1948
Stamford, Connecticut
Gary Matzner was born October 2, 1948, in Stamford, Connecticut. He studied at the University of Connecticut, Temple University, and the University of Miami before beginning a Florida legal career that lasted more than fifty years.
- 1994
The living-room campaign
On March 9, 1994, neighbors gathered at Gary and Veronica’s home to talk about incorporation. Six months later, six hundred residents filled Palmetto Middle School. Pinecrest began in living rooms before it ever reached a ballot.
- 1996
A village, chartered
On March 12, 1996, voters adopted the charter drafted by the commission Gary chaired, and Pinecrest became Miami-Dade County’s 29th municipality — with a Citizens’ Bill of Rights at the heart of its founding document.
- 2004
Second mayor of Pinecrest
Evelyn Langlieb Greer, the village’s first mayor, administered Gary’s oath of office on November 3, 2004. His first act as mayor: making Pinecrest Gardens free to the public. He served through 2008 — years that built much of the public Pinecrest residents know today.
- 2018
President of Temple Judea
Gary began a two-year term as president of Temple Judea of Coral Gables, bringing decades of legal, nonprofit, and municipal leadership to his congregation.
“Sometimes you do something and it turns out better — a lot better — than you ever thought it would be.”
Gary Matzner, reflecting on Pinecrest · Village of Pinecrest oral history, 2016