Hillsborough County Judge Jessica Costello, as featured in Tampa Magazine’s Top 10 Under 40 (Photo: Tampa Magazine)
This year, the Power Broker Magazine is celebrating Black History Month with a twist. We will continue to recognize titans and milestones from “back in the day.” But this time, we will also celebrate recent Black history and those charting historic firsts for the community.
We begin with cameo coverage of 20+ historic firsts for and by local African Americans since 2010.
Higher Education
Dr. Tonjua Willaims (Photo: St. Petersburg College).
In 2017, Dr. Tonjua Williams became the first to break a racial barrier to occupy a previously all-white chief executive role of one of the area’s largest mainstream institutions (St. Petersburg College).
Economic Development
Others who’ve broken the barrier include Dr. Cynthia Johnson, the first African American and first female to serve as director of economic development for Pinellas County (since 2021); and Bemetra Simmons, the first Black and first female head of the Tampa Bay Partnership (also since 2021); along with James Corbett, the first African American to head economic development for the City of St. Petersburg. Corbett’s title is City Development Administrator and he was named to the post in 2022.
Philanthropy
Dr. Tomalin unveiling her vision for the future of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg in Nov 2023 (Photo: Foundation).
Dr. Kanika Tomalin holds several spots in the history books. She was the first African American to serve as a citywide Deputy Mayor, from 2014 to 2021, and later, from 2017 to 2021, simultaneously served as the first African American City Administrator for St. Petersburg, since the city’s transition to a strong mayor form of government.
Prior to her, the late Don McRae served as the first and only Black City Manager for St. Pete, and Dr. Goliath Davis served as Deputy Mayor for the area known as Midtown.
Dr. Tomalin broke another barrier in June of last year when she became the first African American to head a major philanthropic organization in Pinellas (the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg).
Political & Judicial Firsts
Kenneth T. Welch was elected the first Black mayor of St. Petersburg in 2021, becoming the city’s 54th chief executive. The photo above is of Mayor Welch being sworn into office.
He is only the second African American elected to lead one of Florida’s top five most populous cities, if my research is accurate. Alvin Brown was the first in this category. Brown was elected as Jacksonville’s mayor in 2011.
Darryl Rouson (Photo: Florida Politics).
Darryl Rouson is the first African American based in St. Petersburg to serve in the Florida Senate. He was preceded by Hillsborough County’s Arthenia Joyner, who held the seat from 2006 to 2016.
House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, seen here at a Democratic Party event in July 2022 (Photo: Tampa Bay Times).
Fentrice Driskell was elected Florida House Democratic Leader in 2022 and is the first Black woman to serve in the role. The Hillsborough Democrat leads the caucus through 2024.
St. Petersburg City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders, and Councilmembers Richie Floyd and John Muhammad (Photos: City of St. Pete).
The St. Petersburg City Council gave us four recent historic firsts for African Americans. One, 2022 marked the first time in St. Pete history that three African Americans were seated at the same time – current Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders (left above), member Richie Floyd (center) and member John Muhammad (right).
Two, in 2021, Figgs-Sanders became the first African American ever elected to represent District 5 (a majority-white district). She is running for re-election this year.
Three, Muhammad is the first Muslim American to serve on the body. He was appointed to the District 7 seat in late 2022 and recently announced that he will not seek election to continue in the role.
And four, Floyd is the first African American to represent District 8, which is adjacent to and north of District 7.
Rene Flowers and supporters announcing the endorsement of Chris King in 2020 during her run for the Pinellas County Commission (Photo: Spectrum Bay News 9)
Rene Flowers has made history several times, most recently as the only African American to be elected to three legislative bodies in Pinellas County. Flowers has served on the St. Petersburg City Council (where she was the first Black female Chair) and the Pinellas County School Board, and at present, is a Pinellas County Commissioner (the first Black female elected to the role).
Judge Moore being interviewed by Spectrum Bay News 9 in 2022. (Photo: Spectrum Bay News 9)
St. Petersburg native Judge Patrice Moore also claims a first Black female status. She was elected as Circuit Court Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in 2010 and is the first African American female to serve in this capacity. Moore was re-elected in 2016.
Judge Costello, as featured in Tampa Magazine’s Top 10 Under 40 lineup in 2022 (Photo: Tampa Magazine)
Judge Jessica Costello was appointed in 2019 to serve as a Hillsborough County jurist, making her one of the youngest judges in Florida and the first Black woman appointed to the Hillsborough bench in 20 years. Costello was 34 at the time.
The Non-Profit Sector
Gaskin-Capehart speaking on the need for ownership opportunities at the Historic Gas Plant in Dec 2023 (Photo: Tampa Bay Rays)
Last September, we saw the historic first female appointment of Nikki Gaskin Capehart as CEO of the Pinellas County Urban League. She has announced her intent to take the agency in bold new directions, while building on the legacy of her predecessor, the late Rev. Watson Haynes.
As it happens, the League scored another first this January when Dr. Tonjua Williams became Chair of the board, which created the first-ever female CEO-Chair leadership duo for the agency.
Rev J.C. Pritchett (third from right) at his Legacy Awards dinner in February 2024, with, from left to right, Mrs. Karen Pritchett, and this year’s honorees, Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders, Janice Starling, Bemetra Simmons and Leon Russell
In 2021, Rev. J.C. Pritchett was appointed as the first African American president of the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. Pritchett also serves as president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
(Photo: Dr. Sandra Braham)
Dr. Sandra Braham made history as the first African American CEO of Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (2016 to present). She charted another history milestone as the first Black female Chair of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber board of directors (2021 & 2022). Braham is also one of only two individuals in modern history to serve in the role for more than one year.
The first African American to Chair the Chamber board was Dr. Ricardo Davis, in 1996.
Business & Corporate
Troy Taylor speaking on secrets of success in 2018 (Photo: Magzter)
Businessman Troy Taylor claims two historic firsts. One, as the first African American CEO in the Tampa Bay region to surpass business revenues of $1 billion (his Coca-Cola Beverages Florida took in $1.5 billion in 2021).
And two, in 2015, Taylor’s enterprise became the first franchise awarded to a new owner in the Coca-Coca network in 60 years.
Starting in 2010 through 2015, St. Petersburg native Bridgette Heller (above left) served as Executive Vice President of Merck & Co. and President of Merck Consumer Care, making her the first local African American to hold a top executive role with a Fortune 100 corporation.
Heller held top exec roles with two other Fortune 500 brands – as one-time President of Johnson & Johnson’s Global Baby Business Unit, and most recently, in a several roles with Danone, including Executive Vice President of its Early Life division (2016) and in the dual role of Executive VP of the Advanced Medical Nutrition division (2017) and president of Danone’s Nutricia division.
Valerie Stafford-Powell is the first African American female to serve as CEO of a St. Pete-based corporate employer. She is president and chief executive officer of HCA Florida Northside Hospital, a role previously held by Dia Nichols, from 2013 to 2019. Nicholas is a Black male and was the first African American CEO of the hospital.
To share other recent Black history with the Power Broker team, please write to me at [email protected].
