Climbing the political ranks from a low-level staffer in Vern Buchanan’s congressional office to vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, the Sarasota campaign regular has now been named Florida chairman for the Donald Trump presidential campaign. 

PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

Vern Buchanan

Years before he entered the political arena, I was watching how he succeeded in business and how he interacts with people. He’s had a major influence in my life. I met him right out of college when he said law school was a waste of time and to come talk to him about business. The next week, I had a job working for him. When we would travel, we’d spend hours in the car, just us two. I traveled everywhere and developed a very close relationship that still exists today. 

Robin and Terry Gruters

Having six kids and putting us through St. Martha’s and Cardinal Mooney High School, just to make sure we had every opportunity to succeed. It’s hard not to mention them. That’s why the one thing I want is to provide for and give my children every opportunity to succeed in whatever way they want to do.

Reading to My Kids

Really, all my free time is spent with my kids. I have three kids under the age of 4, so it’s just reading books to them and trying to give my wife some sanity by giving her a break. I end up reading the same books over and over. My son loves the truck books. When I go home, the 2- and 3-year-old run up to me every time. There’s nothing like it. I put them to bed and wake them both up, get them breakfast, typical dad stuff, but there is nothing I like better than being a dad.

“People to Watch”

In 2010, 2011 and 2012, I was named on the “People to Watch” list in both the Herald-Tribune and The Observer, and I figured to be on the list three consecutive years, somebody thought I was going do something. But my goal is not to win these awards or honors; it’s more making sure we have good people running for office. Everybody says they want to make a difference. That’s how I help, by getting those people elected.

Florida State University Football

Serving on the Board for Trustees for Florida State has been an amazing experience. We get to travel with the football team to games, and to be able to do that as a college football fan, it’s the best position to ever get. Especially when we won the national championship two years ago, it was fantastic. So many people have the opportunity to achieve their dreams through college athletics. It’s not about the money. You can see the same players until they graduate. It’s not like a pro player that one year is here but then wants more money or gets traded. 

1992 Dan Quayle Rally 

I come from a nonpolitical family. But back in 1992, I was a freshman at Cardinal Mooney High School, and my history teacher, Mike Daly, said he would give 10 bonus points if any of us went to hear Dan Quayle speak. I heard Dan Quayle and it was over. It was really at that moment that I said I wanted to have a meaningful impact. I think I can do that for politics.

Pittsburgh Pirates

During Spring Training when I was a kid, I saw Johnny Ryan hit a homerun and he became my favorite baseball player, and the Pirates are still my favorite team. It’s one of those starstruck moments that lasted with me my whole life.

The Rush Limbaugh Show

When my mother was driving all of us kids to different sports, she was spending every day from 2-8:30pm, and as all the other kids shuffled in that car, I listened to Rush Limbaugh for hours and hours. That certainly impacted my political leanings. My mom wasn’t that political. She voted like so many voters, based on whoever had the most signs out. But when we were listening, she would chime in and say why this was important or that was important, and was a listener of conservative radio. That had a major influence.

Gold Rush

On this show, you just have a couple inexperienced miners who go up to Alaska and try to make it as gold miners. It’s high-risk, high-reward, so it mirrors everything else I do. There are times with the lead characters where you think, how can they possibly still be in business, but you continue to root for them even if they are completely incompetent. I think it’s great.

American Idol

Now it’s almost gone, but here is a show that gives every wannabe singer the opportunity to achieve goals and dreams. I would always try and pick winners in the first couple weeks; I loved it. And think about how, whether it was a good singer or bad singer, how else was anybody ever going to notice them without this show? Now you see Philip Phillips and other superstars that came before like Kelly Clarkson. If it wasn’t for American Idol, they wouldn’t be known.

Donald Trump

Of course I loved Celebrity Apprentice. When I made Donald Trump a two-time Statesman of the Year winner, I hoped one day to get to be on it. Now I’m working for him in a different way. I think he could unite the country. He has star power and is creating jobs. His personality tells it like it is, and you know he is not bought and paid for. I’m a believer.

Wells Purmort

He was a very influential person in my life and he taught me a lot about the importance of community. He was the first person to help me in politics and in business. He is a true community leader and someone I aspire to be like.