JEFF BRANDES
PRESIDENT, THE FLORIDA POLICY PROJECT, ST. PETERSBURG
A former Florida state senator, Brandes founded the Florida Policy Project, a legislative think tank. It was born from a simple question: What if policymaking in Florida wasn’t driven by headlines, but by evidence? “We gather best practices, analyze what works in other states, and adapt those ideas to Florida’s unique challenges,” Brandes says.
EDUCATION: Some people take the straight road through education. Mine was more of a winding path — four colleges in five years, summers spent in military training, and a finish line that included Marion Military Institute and Carson-Newman College. I joined the Army seven days after high school. Discipline wasn’t taught — it was lived.
FIRST JOB: Driving a forklift. My first job was at our family lumber business, Cox Lumber Company, where summers meant sweat, steel-toe boots and building roof trusses in the Florida heat.
DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: Some people leave politics and never look back. I’m not one of them. After 12 years in the Florida Legislature, I stepped away to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities — building affordable housing, re-starting our family lumber company, developing real estate and launching a startup in the insurance space. But the spark never left. I plan to return. Because my passion has always been public service — and I believe big ideas, backed by bold action, are still the best way to improve lives and shape Florida’s future.
