HOME RULE HEROES

Florida League of Cities


The Florida League of Cities recognized more than 180 municipal officials with Home Rule Hero Awards for their work during the 2025 legislative session.

 

Home Rule Hero Award recipients are local government officials, both elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the League’s request to reach out to members of the legislature and help give a local perspective on an issue. They worked tirelessly throughout the legislative session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the Home Rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the League’s legislative agenda.

“The dedication and effort of these local officials who tirelessly advocated for local decision-making was a difference-maker this legislative session,” said FLC Chief of Legislative Affairs Casey Cook. “On behalf of the League and its legislative team, we’re proud to recognize each of them and thank them for their service.” 


Each Home Rule Hero will be presented with their award at a future date. Want to see your name on next year's list? Click here to learn how you can be a Home Rule Hero!

  • Councilmember Diana Adams, City of West Melbourne
  • Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, City of Sarasota
  • Jeremy Allen, Village Manager, Village of Tequesta
  • Councilmember Charles Bare, City of Pensacola
  • Vice Mayor Vincent "Vinny" Barile, Town of Sewall's Point
  • Councilor Thom Barnhorn, City of Seminole
  • Reneé Basel, Town Clerk, Town of Gulf Stream
  • Mayor Pat Bates, City of Altamonte Springs
  • Susan Beaudet, City Manager, City of Williston
  • Lana Beck, Former Communications and Government Relations Administrator, City of Pinellas Park
  • Commissioner B.J. Bishop, Town of Longboat Key
  • Mayor Scott Black, City of Dade City
  • Mayor Michael C. Blake, City of Cocoa
  • Commissioner Rufus Borom, City of Palatka
  • George S. Brown, City Manager, City of Boca Raton
  • Sammie Brown, Deputy Town Clerk, Town of Loxahatchee Groves
  • Mayor Woody Brown, City of Largo
  • Mayor Felicia M. Brunson, City of West Park
  • Councilmember Doug Bryant, City of Mount Dora
  • Patricia Burke, MPA, MMC, Town Clerk-Manager, Town of Palm Shores
  • Vice Mayor Phyllis Butlien, City of DeBary
  • Councilman Michael A. Cadore, Sr., City of Rockledge
  • Commissioner Anthony N. Caggiano, City of Margate
  • Rosemarie Call, City Clerk, City of Clearwater
  • Commissioner Traci L. Callari, City of Hollywood
  • Sarah Campbell, City Manager, City of Fernandina Beach
  • Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo, City of Port St. Lucie
  • Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy, Town of Ocean Ridge
  • Mayor Karen Chasez, City of DeBary
  • Mayor Chris Cloudman, City of DeLand
  • Mayor Cory Coler, City of Eagle Lake
  • Ed Cook, City Manager, City of Callaway
  • Mayor John E. Dailey, City of Tallahassee
  • Mayor Joyce L. Davis, City of Dania Beach
  • Mayor Louie Davis, City of Waldo
  • Vice Mayor Pro Tem Diana Davis, Town of Juno Beach
  • Nicole Delfino, Strategy & Sustainability Manager, City of Dunedin
  • Council President Kevin Docherty, Town of Ocean Breeze
  • Councilmember Ed Dodd, City of Sebastian
  • John Driggers, City Manager, Town of Cross City
  • Mayor Todd Drosky, City of Deerfield Beach
  • Council Member Yvette Drucker, City of Boca Raton
  • Commissioner Joe Elliott, City of Wildwood
  • Deric C. Feacher, City Manager, City of Daytona Beach
  • Councilman Shaun Ferguson, City of Rockledge
  • Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez, City of Miami Beach
  • Brenda Fettrow, City Manager, City of Rockledge
  • Mayor Sam Fite, City of Bowling Green
  • Mayor Mark Franks, Town of Shalimar
  • Councilmember Gregory P. Freebold, Town of Lake Clarke Shores
  • Mayor Mac Fuller, City of Lake Alfred
  • Elizabeth Garcia-Beckford, MMC, MBA, City Clerk, City of Wilton Manors
  • Councilwoman Charlotte Gillis, City of Edgewater
  • Kim Glas-Castro, Asst. Village Manager, Village of Palm Spings
  • Reese Goad, City Manager, City of Tallahassee
  • Commissioner Penny Gold, Town of Longboat Key
  • Councilmember Sandy Golding, City of Jacksonville Beach
  • Mayor Michelle J. Gómez, City of Tamarac
  • Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager, Village of Bal Harbour
  • Michael Grebosz, Assistant City Manager, City of DeLand
  • Angie Guy, City Clerk, City of Dade City
  • Leslie A. Guyer, CMC, City Clerk, City of Gulf Breeze
  • Mayor Rex Hardin, City of Pompano
  • Christopher Hawks, Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator, City of Largo
  • Jonathan H. Hayes, City Manager, City of Panama City
  • Mayor Daniel Henkel, City of Niceville
  • Vice Mayor Michael Hensley, Town of Lake Park
  • Mike Herr, City Manager, City of Bartow
  • Mayor Jeff Hmara, Village of Royal Palm Beach
  • Councilmember Denise Horland, City of Plantation
  • Mayor Linda Hudson, City of Fort Pierce
  • Steven Hunnicutt, Asst. City Manager, City of Davenport
  • Councilmember Dan Janson, City of Jacksonville Beach
  • Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr., City of Ft. Pierce
  • Vice Mayor N'Kosi Jones, City of Bowling Green
  • Councilmember Debra Jones, City of Williston
  • Mayor Anita Kane, Town of Loxahatchee Groves
  • Commissioner Lisa Kane DeVitto, City of Crescent City
  • Mayor Allan Kaulbach, City of Atlantis
  • Mayor Bridget Keating, Town of Lake Clarke Shores
  • Deputy Mayor Neil C. Kerch, City of Sunrise
  • Commissioner Barbara King, City of South Bay
  • Councilwoman NanDrycka King Albert, City of Midway
  • Mayor Joe Kyles, City of South Bay
  • Vice Mayor Greg Langowski, City of Westlake
  • Lori LaVerriere, Deputy City Manager, City of Palm Beach Gardens
  • Kelly Layman, Legislative and External Relations, Town of Jupiter Island
  • Ryan Leavengood, City Manager, City of Lake Alfred
  • Mayor Jason Leslie, City of Ormond Beach
  • R. Max Lohman, City Attorney, City of Palm Beach Gardens
  • Commissioner Leo E. Longworth, City of Bartow
  • Councilwoman Shayla Macias, City of Fellsmere
  • Commissioner Sarah Malega, City of Lake Worth Beach
  • Commissioner Lisa Mallozzi, City of Cooper City
  • Councilmember Jon Maples, Town of Lake Clarke Shores
  • Commissioner Mimi May, City of Lake Worth Beach
  • Commissioner Kaija Mayfield, Town of Sewall's Point
  • Councilmember David R. McAuley, City of Okeechobee
  • Andrea McCue, City Manager, City of Greenacres
  • Horace McHugh, Michael McNees, City Manager, City of Marco Island
  • Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, City of Coral Springs
  • Judy Meyers, City Clerk, City of New Port Richey
  • Mayor Roger Michaud, Town of Lake Park
  • Mayor Nancy Miller, City of Daytona Beach Shores
  • Olivia Minshew, City Manager, City of Wauchula
  • Randy Mora, City Attorney, Brian Moree, City Manager, City of Atlantis
  • Councilwoman Stephanie Morgan, City of Port St. Lucie
  • Commissioner Daniel "Danny" Nugent, City of Starke
  • Mayor JohnPaul O'Connor, City of Westlake
  • Mayor Pro Tem Bernard "Bernie" Oder, City of Mary Esther
  • Commissioner Tony Ortiz, City of Orlando
  • Mayor Steve Osmer, City of Satellite Beach
  • Mayor Karen Ostrand, Town of Ocean Breeze
  • Mayor Nick Pachota, City of Venice
  • Mayor Lois Paritsky, Town of Ponce Inlet
  • Kate Parmelee, Deputy City Manager for Strategic Initiatives &Innovation/ Chief Innovation Officer, City of Port St. Lucie
  • Mayor Trish Pfeiffer, City of Bartow
  • Councilman David Pickett, City of Port St. Lucie
  • Michael P. Pleus, City Manager, City of DeLand
  • Terrill C. Pyburn, City Attorney, City of Coconut Creek
  • Commissioner Karen Rafferty, City of Belleair Bluffs
  • Mayor Joe I. Rasco, Village of Key Biscayne
  • Mayor Bruce Rector, City of Clearwater
  • Councilmember Chelsea Reed, City of Palm Beach Gardens
  • Adam Reichbach, Asst. City Manager, City of Hollywood
  • Vice Mayor Thomas B. Reid, City of South Pasadena
  • Mayor Betty Resch, City of Lake Worth Beach
  • Mayor Joanne Ribble, Village of Estero
  • Mayor Campbell Rich, City of Stuart
  • Councilmember Cal Rolfson, City of Mount Dora
  • Carmen Rosamonda, City Manager, City of DeBary
  • Mayor Dylan Rumrell, City of St. Augustine Beach
  • Daphnee A. Sainvil, J.D., LL.M, Public Affairs Division Manager, City of Fort Lauderdale
  • Mayor Isaac Salver, Town of Bay Harbor Islands
  • Vice Mayor Winnette Sandlin, Town of Orange Park
  • Mayor Pro Tem William "Bill" Schaetzle, City of Niceville
  • Mayor JB Schluter, City of Gulf Breeze
  • Mayor Ken Schneier, Town of Longboat Key
  • William "Mac" Serda, Town Manager, Town of Hillsboro Beach
  • Joyce Shanahan, City Manager, City of Ormond Beach
  • Kyle Shephard, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, City of Orlando
  • Brian Sherman, City Attorney, Suzanne E. Sherman, Asst. City Manager, City of Satellite Beach
  • Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, City of St. Augustine
  • Alexis Silcox, City Clerk, City of Belleair Bluffs
  • Shari Simmans, Economic Development , Government Affairs and Communications, City of DeBary
  • Mayor Scott Singer, City of Boca Raton
  • Vice Mayor Holly D. Smith, City of Sanibel
  • Commissioner Fortuna Smukler, City of North Miami Beach
  • Mike Staffopoulos, City Manager, City of Jacksonville Beach
  • Councilmember Susan Starkey, Town of Davie
  • T. Michael Stavres, City Manager, City of Winter Haven
  • Councilmember Dr. Sarah Stoeckel, City of Titusville
  • Commissioner Robert F. Stuart, City of Orlando
  • Mayor Larisa Svechin, City of Sunny Isles Beach
  • Councilmember Monique Taylor, City of Waldo
  • Mayor Dorothea Taylor Bogert, City of Auburndale
  • Mayor Stuart Tettemer, City of Panama City Beach
  • Commissioner Judith Thomas, Town of Lake Park
  • Darrel Thomas, CPFIM, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer, City of Weston
  • Christine M. Thrower-Skinner, MBA, Village Manager, Village of Golf
  • Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland, City of Ormond Beach
  • Ann Toney-Deal, City Manager, City of Seminole
  • Commissioner Jeniffer Viscarra, City of Sunny Isles Beach
  • Mayor Bobby Wagner, City of Destin
  • Mayor Leslie Waters, City of Seminole
  • Mayor Dowling R. Watford, Jr., City of Okeechobee
  • Councilmember Teresa Watkins Brown, City of Fort Myers
  • Mayor Judy Wertz-Strickland, City of Arcadia
  • Mayor Morris L. West, City of Haines City
  • Thomas Whitley, Director of Operations and Innovation, City of Tallahassee
  • Ian J. Whitney, Associate Director of Government Affairs, City of Tampa
  • William R. Whitson, Town Manager, Interim, Town of Orange Park
  • Mayor JB Whitten, City of Crestview
  • Council Member Marc Wigder, City of Boca Raton
  • Mayor Julie C. Wilkins, City of LaBelle
  • Mayor David Will, Town of Redington Beach
  • Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox, City of Tallahassee
  • Council Member Don Willis, City of Cape Canaveral
  • Commissioner, Pro-Tem Rosemary Wilsen, City of Ocoee
  • Mayor Steve Wilson, City of Belle Glade
  • Dawn Wright, City Clerk, City of Eagle Lake
  • Latricia Wright, City Clerk, City of Williston
  • Mayor Molly Young, Village of Tequesta
  • Councilman Brandon Young, City of South Daytona