Joseph Abruzzo

2021-2025

Joseph Abruzzo served as the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Palm Beach County from January 2021 to August 2025, when left office following his appointment as County Administrator for Palm Beach County.

During his first term as Clerk, he launched customer-focused initiatives to save people trips to the courthouse, including an online chatbot and an online platform for people to buy electronically certified court documents and official records. He also oversaw a significant expansion in the office’s free Property Fraud Alert system, bringing on more than 20,000 subscribers in less than a year through an outreach program to new homeowners in Palm Beach County.

As the Comptroller for Palm Beach County, he is responsible for ensuring the proper investment and legal use of billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Under Clerk Abruzzo’s leadership, the county’s investment portfolio managed by the Clerk’s office earned a record $230 million in investment income during Fiscal Year 2024 to benefit Palm Beach County taxpayers. To increase transparency of county finances, Clerk Abruzzo launched OpenGov, an online platform that provides detailed information on government spending.  

Prior to his election in November 2020 as Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Clerk Abruzzo served in Florida Legislature for a decade, serving in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.

In the Senate, Clerk Abruzzo was appointed by the Senate President to serve as the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee Chairman, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission Nominating Council, the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Tax, the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Tourism, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Conservation, and by the Senate Minority Leader as the Minority Whip of the Florida Senate.

In the Florida House, Clerk Abruzzo served as the Democratic Ranking Member on the Ways and Means Committee, the PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee, and the Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee. He was also appointed by the House Minority Leader to serve as the Minority Whip of the Florida House.

Clerk Abruzzo authored and led the passage of 50 bills that were signed into law, including the Florida Silver Alert, the Florida Grandparents Bill of Rights, Nicole’s Law, the Yellow Dot Traffic Safety Program, and the termination of parental rights for rapists.

Clerk Abruzzo proudly served in the United States Coast Guard Reserves as a Port Security Specialist from 2005 to 2013 and is the recipient of numerous awards, medals and outstanding performance citations.

Clerk Abruzzo is a graduate of Lynn University, a Certified Florida Clerk and Comptroller (CFCC), and is pursuing a master’s degree in Legal Studies from Pepperdine University. He is married to Abigail and has one son, Joseph Abruzzo II. 

Sharon R. Bock, Esq.

2005-2020

Sharon R. Bock, Esq., served as Palm Beach County’s Clerk and Comptroller from November 2004 to January 2021. During her tenure, she built a reputation as a tireless advocate for innovation, public access, transparency and technology to promote continuous government improvement and efficiency in Palm Beach County.

Before serving as Clerk, Ms. Bock had nearly 25 years of experience in the private sector as a financial consultant, real estate lawyer, title company owner and corporate manager. She joined the Clerk's office in 1998 as Chief Deputy before becoming Clerk in 2004. 

Her awards and honors include Member of the Year from the National Guardianship Association, Civic Leader of the Year from the American Jewish Congress, the Joanne Otto Distinguished Service Award from the National Adult Protective Services Association, and one of the Top 20 Women in Law from the Daily Business Review.

Under her leadership, the Clerk’s office has also received national awards including the Harvard Ash Center’s 2018 Innovations in Government, which recognized the “Court Compliance Program” as a Top 25 Program in the U.S., while CIO Magazine recognized her office with its Digital Edge 50 award for it groundbreaking use of Artificial Intelligence in the processing of court documents. 

Dorothy H. Wilken

1992-2004

Milton T. Bauer

1992

John B. Dunkle

1965-1992

Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County

J. Alex Arnette

1940-1965

George O. Butler

1913-1920 & 1933-1940

Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County

Hutson B. Saunders

1911-1912

Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County

Fred E. Fenno

1909-1910 & 1921-1932

Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County