For immediate release: December 13, 2016
Media contact: Andrew Walker, Foundation President & CEO, 941 809-7805 or [email protected]
hotos available
Former FL House Speaker Steve Crisafulli Joins Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida Board
St. Petersburg FL (Dec. 13) – Civic leader and agribusinessman Steve Crisafulli has been appointed to a three-year term to the Board of Directors of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
A seventh-generation Floridian, Mr. Crisafulli continues to work lands owned for nearly a century by his family from Merritt Island. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2008 and served as Speaker of the House for the 2014 – 2016 term, the first Brevard County native to do so.
Foundation Board Chair Rodney Barreto said he was delighted to welcome Mr. Crisafulli to the Board. “Steve has been an extraordinary leader in all of his community, business and legislative endeavors. His thoughtful pragmatism, deep ties to the land, and dedication to preserving Florida’s natural heritage and traditional outdoor past-times make him an ideal addition to our Board.”
“The opportunity to serve with the distinguished members of this Board is truly an honor,” Crisafulli said. “As someone who enjoys Florida’s outdoors, I look forward to being part of the discussion as to how we best preserve the environment in which our state’s wildlife and fishing resources thrive, protecting them for the generations to follow.”
The youngest of three children, Mr. Crisafulli was born in Rockledge in 1971. His cousin, Doyle E. Carlton, served as Governor of Florida from 1929 to 1933, and his grandfather, Vassar B. Carlton, served as a Justice and Chief Justice on the Florida Supreme Court from 1969 to 1974.
Mr. Crisafulli attended Brevard Community College, from which he received his associate degree, and the University of Central Florida, where he received his bachelor’s degree. Following graduation, Mr. Crisafulli started working in agribusiness, serving as Director of the Brevard County Farm Bureau from 1996 to 2004, and again from 2006 to the present. He also served as the President of the Farm Bureau from 2003 to 2005. His focus as a Florida Representative included water, agriculture, business and aerospace issues.
Steve has been married to his wife, the former Kristen Brown, for nearly 20 years, and they have two daughters, Carly, 15, and Kennedy, 13. He and his family are members of the First Baptist Church of Merritt Island.
About the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida
The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other public and private partners to conserve the state’s outstanding fish and wildlife resources and the lands and waters they need to survive. More information can be found at FishWildlifeflorida.org.