Newsmakers come in every size, shape and location — in fact, some of the biggest stories you never see coming. But there’s a handful of figures in the Tampa Bay area who are bound to make news this year — whether in government, business, sports or other areas — that will shape the region. Here’s a look at a few.
Susan Valdés, Florida legislator
Switching parties can pay off for politicians. But what about for their constituents?
Voters in northwest Hillsborough County are about to find out, now that incumbent state Rep. Susan Valdés has switched to the Republican Party just a month after winning reelection as a Democrat.
Valdés made the announcement earlier this month. “I will not waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature,” she declared. “I’m tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress.”
Republicans already held a supermajority in the House, so Valdés’ departure is more about her own political future than any change in the Legislature’s dynamics. A former Hillsborough County School Board member, Valdés’ was first elected to the House in 2018. She has long championed middle-class issues, from workforce training to educational equity, and concerns of particular interest to her heavily Hispanic district.
Valdés’ will have a powerful perch to amplify those priorities. She is a member of the House Education and Employment Committee and will serve as vice-chair of the House Budget Committee, working alongside Chairperson Lawrence McClure, another Hillsborough Republican, in shaping the House’s spending plan.
Being able to deliver more pork back home is no small thing. But will voters excuse Valdés for switching? Will the move intensify public cynicism about the political process? Will it inspire Democratic candidates to fight harder or Democratic incumbents to join the tide?
Michael Stephens, Tampa International Airport
Succeeding Joe Lopano will be a tough act to follow, but Michael Stephens seems to have the experience, vision and support to continue Tampa International Airport’s phenomenal growth.
The airport’s governing board picked Stephens in November as TIA’s new chief executive. A former U.S. Army officer and Air Force air traffic controller, Stephens, 52, has served at the airport since 2015. As general counsel and executive vice president, Stephens has managed a wide portfolio, including information technology, human resources, business diversity and government relations. That depth is essential for any airport CEO to bridge the worlds of government, global business and customer relations.
Lopano was a driving force who brought the airport a new rental car center, a remodeled main terminal and new international and domestic flights. In December, the airport broke ground on its new Airside D terminal, which is expected to open in 2028. The gateway will help TIA, which currently serves about 25 million passengers annually, to accommodate up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.
Stephens is poised to carry that baton when Lopano retires in April. He wants to better connect travelers to destinations beyond the airport grounds. Stephens envisions TIA as an urban transit hub, with expanded SkyConnect rail service that could ultimately take passengers to downtown or the West Shore business area. That would fill a critical void in the airport experience.
Stephens will be only the fourth CEO in the airport’s 54-year history. That reflects both TIA’s stability and its skill in looking ahead.
Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz, Tampa Bay Lightning
Jeff Vinik has banked an enormous amount of goodwill across the region with his civic-minded ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now that he’s sold a majority interest in the hockey team, the same spotlight will shift to the new owners.
The Lightning announced in October that Vinik had sold the stake to Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz, who co-founded a Wall Street investment firm. Vinik has retained a minority share of the franchise and will run the team for the next three years while continuing to serve as the team’s governor in league matters. In three years, control of the team will be turned over to Ostrover and Lipschultz, though Vinik will remain as a minority partner, board member and alternate governor.
Officials have said they expect little to change, at least in the immediate term. But Vinik has achieved local celebrity status for his willingness to spend to keep the team competitive and his generosity to a range of worthy civic causes. His role in the Water Street development has reshaped downtown Tampa for the better, and he has long dug deep in the uphill fight to improve the region’s transportation system.
Ostrover and Lipschultz seem open, genuinely impressed with Vinik’s stewardship and excited about making stronger, deeper connections across the Tampa Bay area. They say the Lightning will continue to have a public presence in aiding charities and good-minded causes, and they appear eager to spread the word about Tampa Bay’s quality of life. Their purchase says a lot about the organization and culture Vinik created in Tampa and their desire to build on that legacy as high-profile local figures. Expect to see them out and about more often.
Denise Schilte-Brown, Tampa Bay Sun FC
They’re barely halfway through their inaugural season, but already, the Tampa Bay Sun are in the hunt for the soccer league championship and making a strong impression across the region.
The Sun is Tampa Bay’s first professional women’s sports team, playing a fall-to summer calendar that kicked off in August at their newly designed home stadium at Tampa’s Blake High School. Among the eight teams in this inaugural season, the Sun are competitive on the field and look to continue the momentum when the league returns from its winter break in mid-January.
Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown deserves much of the credit for fostering that winning spirit. Under her leadership at the University of South Florida, Schilte-Brown led the women’s team to six American Athletic Conference championships, including five straight seasons with a championship from 2017-2021. During her tenure, the Bulls advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament four times, among a string of other accomplishments.
Performance on the pitch is one thing; Schilte-Brown’s squad, though, is fast becoming known for a strong sense of teamwork and infectious civic commitment. The organization has made a mission of setting the right example both on and off the field. The team is building relationships across the board, with youth clubs, players and families and civic organizations. That’s exactly how the Tampa Bay Rowdies built such a beloved following in the 1970s. Sun players are so eager to represent the team at community events the club often keeps a waiting list.
That vibe and energy comes from the top. Schilte-Brown is building a durable team culture and an exciting new attractor for the Tampa Bay area.
Ken Welch, mayor of St. Petersburg
Mayors of our big cities are always worth watching, but with the Tampa Bay Rays stadium and redevelopment deal teetering, all eyes are on Ken Welch. Can he save the $6.5 billion deal he championed for so long? Or was the project essentially doomed before it ever really got started? If the deal crumbles, can Welch mitigate the damage to the city?
The city, the county and the Rays inked the deal in the summer, but just a few months later, Rays officials complained about cost overruns that the team could not afford. During the subsequent squabbling and posturing, Welch and his team did a solid job of keeping all the parties focused on the end goal — transforming 86 acres of under-used property near downtown and retaining Major League Baseball in the city for the next 30 years. The deal, though, remains shaky. Welch will need to muster all of his political acumen to ensure the success of this legacy-making project.
