Politics and philanthropy combine for freshman State Sen. Wilton Simpson, another first-timer on the 2014 list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, entering at #19.
Elected to the Florida Senate in 2012 from District 18, an area covering Hernando, parts of Pasco and Sumter Counties, the Trilby Republican wasted little time in amassing an impressive list of legislative achievements.
The 2013 session proved extremely productive for Simpson. He either sponsored or co-sponsored the Everglades Restoration Act, Military Protection Act, the Greenbelt Act and the Wine Canister Act (which allows selling wine in any size container). For the 2014 session, he chairs the Community Affairs Committee and sits on the General Government Appropriation; Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, and the powerful Commerce and Tourism Committees.
Simpson was also named Legislator of the Year for the Farm Bureau, Florida Natural Gas Association, Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association.
In addition, the Associated Industries of Florida Environmental & Agricultural Sustainability Council recognized Simpson last year as Champion for Business.
Simpson, an egg farmer and owner of Simpson Environmental Services, was also the 2013 Philanthropist of the Year for the Nature Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). It was in recognition of his sense of community responsibility, demonstrated by the Simpson Breast Health Center, which opened October 2012, providing East Pasco County with a number of healthcare services, including screening, diagnostics, treatment and education for maintaining and restoring breast health.
Currently with two dozen bills introduced for the upcoming session, Simpson is involved in a wide range of issues, from Workers’ Compensation reforms and sinkhole coverage to community-contribution tax credits and allowing tax collector offices to handle concealed weapons permits.
“Wilton is an effective legislator because he’s lived most of the issues they debate in the senate,” says Brett Doster, founder and president of Front Line Strategies. “He knows in a personal way what a tax or a regulation or an unpaved road can mean to the small businesses back home.”
