MIKE GRIFFIN

EXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR & MARKET LEADER, SAVILLS, TAMPA

Savills is a global commercial real estate firm with more than 42,000 employees, including more than 1,000 in North America. Griffin has been in leadership for more than a decade. As both the chair of the finance committee and vice chair of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees, Griffin has played a central role in USF’s plan to construct an on-campus football stadium.

EDUCATION: University of South Florida (BS)

FIRST JOB: My first job was selling Coca-Cola products and peanuts while in junior high school in the stands at the original Tampa Stadium. While in high school, I (worked for) Publix. Both experiences taught me a lot about hard work and how to treat people — traits I carry with me to this day.

NONPROFIT PASSION: My wife Melanie and I are longtime supporters of the Children’s Dream Fund, based in St Petersburg. When I was in elementary school, I witnessed firsthand the impact the Dream Fund had on my little sister (a double cancer survivor) and the support they offered the rest of the family, including me. It was a difficult time for our family, and the Dream Fund provided much-needed hope.