TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) announced its list of business leaders who have generated the biggest impact in the Tampa Bay Region with Bob Buckhorn, Shumaker Advisors’ Executive Vice President and Principal U.S. Cities Practice, and Ronald A. Christaldi, Tampa Managing Partner and President/CEO of Shumaker Advisors Florida, LLC making the list.
Bob Buckhorn has been recognized as a 2023 Power 100 Legend. New this year, the “Legend” status is an additional list of 16 individuals who have held a high power status in the Tampa Bay area for the past few years and are predicted to remain on the list for the foreseeable future.
“As Shumaker Advisors continues to grow its reputation as a premiere public policy and government affairs firm in the region, this distinction means that the industry is taking notice of our increasing impact on the region," said Bob.
In his role at Shumaker Advisors, Bob provides communications strategy, public affairs consulting, and business development services across Florida. He remains focused on economic development opportunities and urban development strategies, while working with clients to improve the overall quality of life in the community. Prior to joining the firm, Bob served as the Mayor of Tampa, Florida from 2011 to 2019, where he led the city of the Tampa out of the largest recession since the Great Depression. Facing a $30 million deficit upon taking office, he annually balanced Tampa’s billion-dollar budget for eight straight years and made strategic investments in infrastructure to prepare Tampa for the future. Bob spearheaded the development of the Invision Plan, a blueprint for the development of our urban core, and he successfully worked with the Obama Administration to secure a grant to complete the Tampa Riverwalk.
For the third year in a row, Ron Christaldi has been named to the Power 100, a guide to the region’s most influential business leaders. He is one of a select few who have remained on the list since its inception in 2021. The featured leaders are selected by the editorial staff and publisher of TBBJ. Their considerations include leadership qualities, accomplishments, and how the candidate impacts the regional business community.
"It is an honor to be recognized among so many others leading the way to economic growth here in the Tampa Bay Region," Ron said. "This recognition is a reflection of the collective efforts by the entire team at Shumaker and Shumaker Advisors.”
As a prominent business lawyer in Florida, Ron is known for connecting and building relationships within the community. He is a hard-working and intensely prepared lawyer with a broad practice comprised of both transactions and complex litigation. Ron’s leadership roles in the community are vast, including serving as the past chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber, past chair for the Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and Arts, past chair of the 2018 Leukemia Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk, and past chair of the American Heart Association’s 2021 Heart Ball. Ron also has been involved in connecting Tampa Bay with the world with his work in international relations, including the process of normalizing relations in Cuba and maintaining sister city relationships in Ireland and Italy.