The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) elected new board officers for 2022 at its meeting on December 13, 2021. The leadership reflects the Council’s wide geographic reach, with leaders hailing from Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco counties.
St. Petersburg City Council member Brandi Gabbard is the new chair of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council board. Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh is vice-chair and Largo Mayor Woody Brown is secretary and treasurer. Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano is immediate past-chair.
Brandi Gabbard, chair
St. Petersburg City Council vice-chair Brandi Gabbard has been involved with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council since 2018. A St. Petersburg City Council member since 2017, she is part of the steering committee for the TBRPC Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition, and she served as Chair of the Board of the Pinellas Realtor® Organization in 2014.
Vanessa Baugh, vice chair
A Manatee County Commissioner since 2012, Vanessa Baugh has been involved with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council since 2019. She is chair of the Council’s Covid-19 Recovery Task Force created to assist local governments in recovery and CARES Act funding. She is a member of the board of Manatee Port Authority.
Woody Brown, secretary and treasurer
Largo Mayor Woody Brown was first elected as Largo Commissioner in 2007, then Mayor in 2014. He has been involved with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council since 2012, and he previously served as chair of the Council in 2016. He currently serves as vice chair of the Council’s Agency on Bay Management, which is focused on the protection and management of the Tampa Bay estuary.
Jack Mariano, immediate past-chair
First elected in 2004 to the Pasco County Commission, Jack Mariano is currently serving his fourth term. He is a past chair of the Pasco County board of commissioners as well as of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with the Council’s leaders to coordinate planning for our region’s bright future and creating opportunities to address our shared challenges,” said Regional Planning Council executive director Sean Sullivan. “This coordinated approach to shaping our community makes a difference.”
