Bernard Wagner is the current two-term Mayor of Belize City. He won the mayorship in 2018 and in 2021.
He is the son of the late Joseph Wagner Sr., renowned music composer and cabinet maker and Filomena Wade. He attended Queen Square Anglican Primary School, and thereafter attended St. Michael’s College. He then studied Engineering at Belize Technical College and then later St. John’s Junior College where he attained an Associate Degree in Business Administration. He also studied Banking and Finance at the University of the West Indies.
Mayor Wagner has over thirty years’ experience in the banking and finance sector, having worked at Atlantic Bank Ltd for six years and serving as Manager for Belize Bank Ltd, the largest bank in the country for over 24 years. He is a highly detail-oriented individual who consistently met and exceeded bank’s goals.
Professionally, he has participated in many seminars both locally and internationally in the areas of Anti-money laundering, Credit Risk, Trust management, Performance management and Change leadership.
He is currently the principal owner of JBW Finance Co. Ltd., a duly registered micro-finance company that offers small loan facilities to individuals as well as small business start-up.
He is a leading sport personality, organizing basketball competitions in Belize City while having once served as President of the Belize District Basketball Association, the Belize Basketball Federation, and Semi-pro basketball.
He served as Chairman of the National Sports Council and was a sports columnist in Belize’s leading newspaper, the Amandala.
He currently serves as Chairman of Belize City Trade Licensing Board, and Belize City Liquor Licensing Board, as well as Belize’s Central Building Authority. Internationally he has served for the past four years as Board member for the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), a London-based group that promotes local government agendas globally. He also serves a member of the Steering Committee for the Caribbean Sustainable Cities Network (CSCN)
He is married, a father of five, family-man, and likes to spend his spare time organizing youth sports. Bernard is goal-oriented, friendly, approachable, team player, analytical and strong team builder.