Biography
Flora Howie, M.D.
Dr. Howie is a pediatrician who retired in 2025, specialized in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, and devoted her career to providing excellent care to children, youth and families for over 40 years.
Dr. Howie focused much of her career on children and youth with neurodiversity such as, reading disabilities, behavior problems, autism, and intellectual disability.
Education includes a B.S. degree at City University of New York in 1981, and M.D. degree at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. in 1983. Dr. Howie completed her residency, serving as chief resident, at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City in 1987.
Dr. Howie’s career took her to Mayo Clinic Rochester in 2017, and with an outstanding team, she served as division chair of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. Prior to joining Mayo Clinic, Dr. Howie was proud to serve as medical director, of the Autism Center and Pediatric Developmental Medicine at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida.
Dr. Howie has a long career of community advocacy. She has earned:
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The Mayo Clinic Bronze Award for assisting with patient education information on Down syndrome. (2020).
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The Outstanding Community Partner Award, University of South Florida (2011).
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The Certificate of Recognition for Service Excellence from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (1996).
Involvement with Rochester Public Schools was a constant for Dr. Howie while providing care for children with neurodiversity. Dr. Howie consulted with educators, therapists, and attended Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she formed and facilitated, Virtual Community Collaboration. This was a forum of community stakeholders, including the schools. This group met by video to collaborate on ways to best support children during the pandemic.
Today, Dr. Howie continues to give back to the Rochester community through her service on the Board of the Rochester Area Autism Association and participation in programs that bring families and the community together such as Safe City Nights, sponsored by the Rochester Police Department.
Dr. Howie believes every child deserves to feel valued, supported, safe, and capable of success—and every family deserves to know that their school district is listening.
Retirement from medicine has not meant retirement from advocacy. Dr. Howie continues to be a strong advocate for children, which resulted in her decision to seek the office of School Board Member.
Dr. Howie is ready to bring a lifetime of experience, compassion, and advocacy to the School Board—and to keep putting children first.
Dr Howie was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is married with two children of her own.
Achievements
Public service and leadership include, having served on the Minnesota Autism Council Working Group and the Minnesota State Early Intensive Developmental Behavioral Intervention Advisory Group. During her career, Dr. Howie was consistently selected for the yearly Minnesota Monthly magazine Top Doctors list.