The “Level Up”-themed meeting celebrated the EDC’s recent wins, awarded Penske as the ‘Community Transformer’
Government Partners
Without the support of the governments of Hillsborough County and the cities of Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Our government partners play a vital role in helping us support local businesses and attracting businesses to Hillsborough County.
Honorable Jane Castor
Mayor
City of Tampa
Jane Castor is the 59th Mayor of the City of Tampa. She was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, graduated from Chamberlain High and attended the University of Tampa on an athletic scholarship.
Mayor Castor is a 31-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department serving in nearly every capacity of the department and every area of the city. In October 2009, Mayor Castor became the first woman to be named Police Chief in the City of Tampa, serving for six years in that role. During her time as a senior staff member, Mayor Castor worked to reduce major crimes 70% citywide.
Mayor Castor continues to be very active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for several organizations including Gracepoint Mental Health and Wellness; Starting Right, Now; RISE Tampa Police Foundation; Bike Walk Tampa Bay; and The Athena Society. She also serves on the GTE Financial Supervisory Committee and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Police Foundation Fellow.
On a national and local level, Mayor Castor has been recognized for her leadership in both law enforcement and community involvement. She is the proud recipient of numerous awards including the 2015 University of South Florida President’s Distinguished Citizen Award, 2015 Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Tampa Chamber of Commerce Woman of Influence, Leadership Tampa Alumni Parke Wright III Leadership Award, 2014 Florida Holocaust Museum Lobenberg Humanitarian Award, 2013 Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Community Advocate Award, 2011 Tampa Connection Betty Tribble Citizen of the Year Award, 2010 University of Tampa Alumni Achievement Award, 2009 National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executive’s Law Enforcement Executive of the Year Award, 2007 Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award for Community Engagement, and a 2006 University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
Jane Castor is a proud Seminole Heights resident where she raised her two sons, Sergei and Seely.
Ken Hagan
Chair, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners
Hillsborough County
County Commissioner Ken Hagan is a native and lifelong resident of Hillsborough County. He is the ranking member of the Commission, first elected in 2002. Always an effective and well-liked public servant with a strong record of accomplishments, he was returned to his home district in 2018. As a fiscal conservative and reasonable, common-sense voice on the Commission, he has been chosen by his peers to serve in leadership positions on multiple occasions including as Chaplain, Vice Chairman, and an unprecedented seven times as its Board Chairman. Throughout his career, he has been a well-respected advocate for District 2 and Hillsborough County at large.
Commissioner Hagan also serves as the Board of County Commissioners’ representative on key economic development boards including Visit Tampa Bay, Tampa/Hillsborough Expressway Authority, and the Tampa Sports Authority, as well as the Florida Association of Counties and the Hospital Authority. In addition, Commissioner Hagan has been Hillsborough County’s leading voice for a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark in Ybor City.
Commissioner Hagan believes that the extreme “cancel culture” and “no compromise” perspectives advanced by many in the today’s public arenas undermine the community’s stability, safety, and prosperity. During these unprecedented times of economic unrest, Commissioner Hagan strives to provide public leadership that works in a respectful and bi-partisan fashion to improve the lives of those he serves.
To that end, Commissioner Hagan long fostered economic development and jobs retention and expansion. He has fought to recruit high wage/high quality jobs and to expand and diversify our workforce in energy, technology, e-commerce, and life sciences. He also pushes to attract and leverage federal and state workforce dollars to retain and expand small and mid-size businesses, and to ensure that assistance goes to the important industries of retail, hospitality, and transportation, including the recently completed Citrus Park Road extension, road maintenance backlogs, congestion relief, and safer sidewalks.
Further, Commissioner Hagan has a long history of developing our film and arts and culture industries and is responsible for creating Tampa/Hillsborough’s Film Commission. Additionally, he has also been the Board’s strongest advocate for protecting animals.
Commissioner Hagan, a collegiate baseball player, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Florida and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tampa. He and his wife, Susan, have a son, Jake, a daughter, Elizabeth, and two beloved rescue dogs, Gator and Gryffin.
Boards & Councils
As part of his duties as a County Commissioner, Hagan serves on the following Boards and Councils:
- Election Canvassing Board
- Hospital Authority
- Southwest Florida Water Management District Liaison
- Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.
- Transportation Planning Organization – Alternate
- Tampa Sports Authority
- Tourist Development Council
Andrew “Andy” Ross
Mayor
City of Temple Terrace
Andrew “Andy” Ross was elected to the Temple Terrace City Council on Nov. 8, 2016. Mr. Ross retired as a captain from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and then served as deputy chief of police at Tampa International Airport. He currently is president of Innovative Training and Consulting, LLC, a local security consulting firm. He also is an adjunct professor at Saint Leo University.
Prior to his election to the City Council, Mr. Ross served as chair on both the Temple Terrace Municipal Code Enforcement Board and River Watch Task Force. He currently represents the City on the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board and is council liaison to the Municipal Code Enforcement Board and River Watch Task Force. Mr. Ross has a master’s degree from Saint Leo University and is a graduate of the prestigious Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course at the University of Louisville. He is a member of numerous professional community associations. Mr. Ross and his wife have three children.
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