Special Category Review and Ranking Meetings


Meeting

9/26/2019 9:00:00 AM

Special Category Review and Ranking Meetings

2021


Timothy Parsons

R.A.Gray Building (with initial review remotely and scheduled meeting September 26-27, 2019)

Comments Closed

Materials

Agenda Files

Agenda.pdf

Panelists (9)

Gonzalez, Rick

  • County: Palm Beach County

Bio:

County: PalmBeach

Bio

Rick Gonzalez, AIA, founded REG Architects, Inc., with his father Ricardo in 1988. Rick holds two architectural degrees from the Catholic University of America and has studied design in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Italy. He was Chairman of the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design, serves as the Immediate Past President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and is actively involved with community organizations such as the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. His association with high-profile projects like Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, the 1916 Palm Beach County Historic Courthouse, and "The Harriet" at City Place, has led the firm to numerous awards for historic preservation and downtown redevelopment.

Spurgeon, Kathy

  • County: Martin County

Bio:

County: Martin

Bio

Ms. Kathy Spurgeon is the founder and president of Apollo School Foundation, Inc., which was organized to procure and preserve the only remaining two-room schoolhouse in Martin County (circa 1924) and reopen it for use as a small local museum and as a venue for educational, cultural and historical activities. She is a member of the Town of Jupiter Island Impact Review Committee, and a member of the first Hobe Sound Neighborhood Advisory Committee of the Martin County Redevelopment Agency. Ms. Spurgeon started and is the former owner of Sound Secretarial Service, Hobe Sound. She serves as Emeritus Director of the Hobe Sound Community Chest. Ms. Spurgeon was educated in Martin County, FL schools and received her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida. She has been a Florida resident since 1945.

Bense, Judy

  • County: Escambia County

Bio:

County: Escambia

Bio

Dr. Judy Bense, a native of northwest Florida, is an archaeologist and has been at the University of West Florida (UWF) since 1980. She is the founder of the Anthropology program, Archaeology Institute and Florida Public Archaeology Network at UWF. Dr. Bense served as President of UWF from 2008 to 2016, and has now returned to the faculty. She specializes in northwest Florida archaeology and is the author of four research books and two public archaeology books plus scores of articles and book chapters. She is a founding member of the Florida Historical Commission and served as its chair from 2002-2008.

Birtman, Stephen

  • County: Leon County

Bio:

County: Leon

Bio

Stephen Birtman is the Governmental Affairs Director at the Florida Nurse Anesthetists Association.  Stephen has served as State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business Florida and Director of Government Relations- South East for Humana Insurance Company. He is President and serves on the Board for the Capitol City Tiger Bay Club and is Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball at Winthrop Park. Steve has a passion for history and architecture and has explored the Mayan Temples at Tikal and the Fortress Europe Fortifications of Normandy. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida History Museum at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee, Florida. Stephen is a graduate of Florida State University. He is married and is a father. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs Fan.

Phelps, John

  • County: Leon County

Bio:

County: Leon

Bio

John Phelps has worked for the Florida Legislature for 39 years. His first appointment was in the House of Representatives where he held positions in various committees and the Speaker's Office. He was elected Clerk of the House in 1986 and served for twenty years before leaving in 2006 to accept an appointment as Curator of the Historic Capitol and pursue a longstanding interest in Florida history. In 2010, the Senate President recruited him for the position of Staff Director of the Rules Committee. John has held numerous offices with national legislative organizations, including Staff Chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures, President of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries and Chair of the Commission that revises Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure. Outside the legislature, John has been a procedural consultant to legislatures in Central America, Africa and the Middle East, most recently Iraq, Afghanistan and Morocco. He is a trustee of Eckerd College and Honorary Consul in Florida for Great Britain.

Smith, Cliff

  • County: Sarasota County

Bio:

County: Sarasota

Bio

Dr. Clifford E. Smith was hired by the City of Sarasota on December 26, 2006, to develop a historic preservation program, to promote historic preservation within the city, and to be a resource to the public interested in historic preservation. He currently serves as a member of the Historic Preservation Board for Sarasota County, a member of the Coalition for Historic Preservation, and Chairman of the Board for the Sarasota Municipal Employees Credit Union. In his previous position, Dr. Smith was Deputy Director of the Bermuda Maritime Museum - Chief of Operations and charged with the restoration of the 19th century museum buildings, the fort's six and a half acres grounds, and its battlements. As the Museum's Director of Archaeology and Conservation, he was responsible for a number of projects both on land and underwater completing Phase I surveys through Phase III excavations on sites dating from the 17th to the 19th century. These projects were used as training opportunities for the hundreds of students, interns, and volunteers that went through the various programs offered. In addition to historic restoration and archaeological projects; Dr. Smith often acted as a consultant to the British Government, Bermuda Government, and the West End Development Corporation to address their Historic, Archaeological, and Conservation issues. 

Holladay, Tim

  • County: Pasco County

Bio:

County: Pasco

Bio

Tim has been with State Farm Insurance for over 40 years and owns his own business. He served four years as Chairman of the Florida Elections Commission. He is a past State President of the Florida Insurance and Financial Advisors and has spent over 25 years lobbying and advocating regarding insurance matters before the Legislature. He is a supporter of the New Port Richey and West Pasco Historical Society and was involved in previous Main Street Programs including city murals and citizens work on the historic Hacienda Hotel. Mr. Holladay loves all things historical and was an early supporter of the “Save the Fox Theatre” when he lived in Atlanta. He received his Bachelor’s degree in History from Georgia State University and his law degree from Woodrow Wilson in Atlanta. He enjoys visiting old hotels, historical office buildings and baseball stadiums and antebellum mansions.

Luisi, Vinnie

  • County: Pinellas County

Bio:

County: Pinellas

Bio

  • Executive Director, Dunedin Museum, Dunedin, Florida
  • Previously, Supervisor of the Nassau County Museum System, Curator, Tampa Bay History Museum 
  • Member of County Preservation Task Force and currently committee member, Past- President of the Florida Association of Museums, member of the Dunedin Historic Preservation task committee, and member of the Arts and Cultural Committee of Dunedin and served as the City Historian for over 15 years. 
  • Published several books on the History of Pinellas County, History of  Dunedin, Railroad History of Pinellas County, Baseball in Tampa Bay, and the New York Yankees the first 25 years.
  • M.A., Museum Studies, University of Denver and B.A., State University in Oneonta and Cooperstown, New York

    Browning, John

    • County: Putnam County

    Bio:

    County: Putnam

    Bio

    John Browning is the Senior Vice President of Political Affairs for the Goodman Company headquartered in West Palm Beach. The company is a real estate development and investment firm specializing in retail commercial development. Led by Found and Chairman Murray H. Goodman, the organization has served as a forerunner in the development and management of regional and super-regional malls, developing, owning, and managing more than 20 million square feet of commercial space. He also owns businesses including his family ranch and Angel's Dining Car (Florida's oldest diner). Mr. Browning is an avid enthusiast of early Florida and Spanish history. He has had a long career in public service including appointment by President George W. Bush to the National Council on Surface transportation Commission, Vice Chairman of the High Speed Rail Commission, as well as the Florida Rail Commission. Mr. Browning currently serves on many professional boards including Associated Industries of Florida, National Federation of Independent Business, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, Rodeheaver Boys Ranch and Sunrise Rotary Club. He currently lives in Palatka, where he also enjoyed restoring a historic turpentine settlement. He is a multi-generation Floridian maintaining his old family Victorian home located on the St Johns River. John graduated from St Johns River Community College with an AA in Business Administration and from Florida State University with a BS in Business Management.