A former two-term mayor who helped redefine Tampa’s future, Bob Buckhorn’s legacy is one of resilience, reinvention and relentless service to the community he calls home.
As mayor from 2011 to 2019, Buckhorn stepped into office amid a $30 million budget deficit and a post-recession city in need of direction. He not only balanced the budget, for eight consecutive years, he reignited Tampa’s economic engine with transformational investments in infrastructure, public spaces and inclusive growth.
“We went from being a city that exported its talent to one that now attracts the best and brightest,” he says. “That evolution, seeing Tampa believe in itself again, was my proudest moment.”
Now executive vice president and principal at Shumaker Advisors, Buckhorn continues to shape urban policy statewide, bringing decades of public sector experience to bear in solving complex civic challenges.
Despite early career setbacks, including several electoral losses, he built a platform on perseverance, authenticity and listening. “Not being a Florida native meant I had to work twice as hard to earn trust,” he says. “But those lessons taught me how to lead with humility.”
His goals remain deeply rooted in Tampa’s continued success. “I’m not done. Leadership isn’t a job, it’s a lifelong calling,” Buckhorn says.
Whether mentoring the next generation, fundraising for local causes or shaping regional policy, he leads with the same mantra that guided him through office: Listen more than you speak. Serve more than you seek. And never stop believing in your city.