TAMPA, FL – Today, Tampa native and Shumaker Advisors Principal Les Miller was awarded the prestigious 2022 Gonzmart Family Tourism Ambassador of the Year Award by Visit Tampa Bay, recognizing him for working tirelessly with an unwavering commitment to the Tampa Bay community and its people. Whether chairing the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners or in Tallahassee as a State Representative and then State Senator, Les has been a staunch supporter of the hospitality industry and Visit Tampa Bay.
“There are no better examples of an ambassador for our industry than Les Miller and we are delighted to honor him as Visit Tampa Bay’s Gonzmart Family Tourism Ambassador of the Year,” President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, Santiago C. Corrada, applauded Les and stated. “Working with our sales team, Les has personally helped bring multiple citywide meetings to Tampa, including Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., United Bikerz Jamboree, and the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, which resulted in tens of thousands of hotel room nights and millions of dollars of economic impact to the community. Since leaving public office Les has continued to be an integral member of our board and is fully deserving of this accolade.”
Giving back to his community, state, and country for more than 50 years, Les is steadfast in his commitment to public service. As Principal at Shumaker Advisors, he continues to advocate on behalf of clients, managing state and local relationships that benefit the programs and policies of an organization.
Prior to joining Shumaker Advisors, Les served as a member of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners representing the Third District from November 2010 to November 2020, and served as the Chairman for three terms, striving to foster a better place for all citizens to live, work, and play.
Extensive public service on the County Commission does not begin Les’ career. He acted as a member of the Florida Senate, 18th District from 2000 to 2006. During his tenure in the Senate, he served in various capacities, including Democratic Leader (Minority Leader), Democratic Leader Pro Tempore, Democratic Whip, Vice Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, and was the co-author of a $70 billion and $73 billion budgets, respectively.
Les was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1992. He served as Democratic Leader (Minority Leader) from 1998 to 2000. Les is the first person in the State of Florida’s history to serve as Democratic Leader in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. During his career in both the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives, he established a reputation for bipartisan, innovative compromise and cooperation to improve the lives of his constituency, especially as legislation affects education, the elderly, and health initiatives. He also served on the Tampa City Council in 1991.