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Her illustrious career began asa fifth-gradde school teacher at Killarney Elementary in Orlando. In she joined her family’x construction business, , where she workefd as president from 1983to 2003. In at age 27, she becamwe the youngest woman ever elected to the Florida House ofRepresentativesa and, in 1980, she was elected to the Floridas Senate. She was the first Republican woman presidentf ofthe Senate, serving an unprecedented two consecutive from 1996 to 2000. In March 2003, she made histor y again as the state’sw first female lieutenant governor, serving underf former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush until December 2006.
Bush nominatedf her to replaceFrank Brogan, who resignec to become president of Florida Atlantic During her tenure in that post, she worked on important health care, hurricane preparedness, property insurance, disaster relief and spacs coast issues. “I was fortunate that Toni Jenningx accepted being mylieutenant governor,” Bush said. “She is a She has humility. She is smart as all get-out.
She is principlerd and tough, but in a way that drawds people towardthe cause, not away from Her numerous awards include the Florida Schoop Board Association’s Legislator of the Year and the Florid Commission on the Status of Women’s “Wome n in the Workplace Appreciation Award.” Today, 60, spends most of her time involverd in the community, something her fathedr instilled in each of his children, said her brother Jeff Jennings. She is on the board of directorwsfor , the Nemours Foundation and the FPL and is a trustee for . She also has been involves withthe , and the Universitu of Central Florida Foundation.
In addition, Jenningss has been chairwoman of JackJenningw & Sons since 2007, working alongsidew her brothers Jeffrey Jennings and John Jenningx III, who describe her as knowledgeable and pleasant. Jeffrey said one of the things most importanyt to Jenningsis family. “She’s always there supporting our families andour children.” Local political leaders think highly of as well. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer call s Jennings a goodconsensus builder. And Orange Countyy Mayor Rich Crotty, who has known Jennings more than 30 yearz and served with her in the Florida Housee of Representatives from 1978 until calls her collegialand focused.
Crotthy credits Jennings with helping him as a novicse senator to develop good relationships with colleaguexs and embracebipartisanship — essentialk skills considering they were two of only 31 Republicanzs in the 120-member House at the time. “Shr took me under her wing and was instrumental in havingb me appointed as the Republican floor said Crotty. “She’s just an outstandinb example of leadership.
And quite frankly, you can scratchj the word ‘women’ out [on the award], because she’ a leader among leaders,
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