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Victor and Angela Crist
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Victor Crist, along with his family, relocated to Treasure Island, Florida in 1968 and has lived in north Hillsborough County since 1980. He graduated with honors from the University of South Florida in 1983 with a B.A. degree in Communication, a minor in Business Administration, and additional graduate studies in Communication. While working his way through college, he started Metropolitan Communications, Inc., a successful advertising agency, of which he is still president. His professional service has been recognized and honored over the years. In 2009 the American Advertising Federation Tampa Bay awarded its prestigious Silver Medal Award to Crist for his professional integrity, ethics, and contributions to the advancement of the industry. He is a 1993 recipient of the AAF Fourth District’s John Cummins Legislator of the Year Award and was named AD2/AAF Advertising Professional of the Year in 1991.
Victor Crist served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 until 2000. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2000 and re-elected subsequently. Senator Crist is Chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations, where he is responsible for crafting Florida’s budget for both public safety and the court system. Crist also actively serves on the Committee on Commerce, where he uses his nearly 30 years of small business and community revitalization experience to help improve communities and foster economic job opportunities; the Committee on Criminal Justice, where he continues his good work spearheading legislation such as “10-20-Life” and the “3-Strikes Violent Felony Offender Act,” which have contributed to Florida’s largest decrease in crime in the past 30 years. He is also a member of the Policy & Steering Committee on Ways & Means, leading the effort to create a balanced and efficient budget that helps strengthen and protect Florida’s children and families, promotes economic growth, supports education, helps to protect our fragile environment, and addresses the needs of Florida’s most vulnerable; the influential Senate Rules Committee, and the Committee on Governmental Oversight & Accountability.
Victor Crist was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to serve on the statewide Board of the Florida Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Non-violence, the Board of the Governor’s Partnership for the Adoption of Children, the McDonald Commission which was responsible for identifying problems and making recommendations for improving Florida’s capital collateral process, and the Florida Commission on Capital Cases, which he has chaired since 2006, and which he previously chaired from 1998 to 2000.
Senator Victor Crist
In 2006, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Senator Crist to serve on the Commission on Administration of Lethal Injection, which reviewed the lethal injection process and made recommendations for improvements. Crist was also an advisor to the U.S. Attorney General on Florida Corrections Issues from 2001-2005. Currently he serves as advisor to the Florida Attorney General on justice issues, a position he has held since 2006, and previously held in 2001 and 2002. In addition, Crist was also appointed to serve on the Florida Digital Divide Council from 2002 to 2004.
Locally, Victor Crist currently serves as Chairman of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation. He previously served as Chairman of the Delegation both in 1996 and 2004 and Vice Chairman in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Senator has been Chairman of the Pasco County Legislative Delegation in 2002, 2003 and 2006, and Vice Chairman in 2005 and 2009. In 1995 Crist served as the Chairman of the Hillsborough County Audit Oversight Committee that reviewed performance audits of the Tampa Sports Authority, the Hillsborough Civil Service Board and the Historical Commission.
Victor Crist has spent more than 30 years spearheading the redevelopment of the neighborhoods that surround the Tampa-campus of the University of South Florida. For more than 21 years he has served as president of the USF Area Community Civic Association, Inc., an organization with over 3,000 members, associates and affiliates. Through the USFACCA, he works with local residents, community leaders and law enforcement to improve the blighted “high-crime” area formerly known as “Suitcase City”. He involves the public in issues and helps to open lines of communication with government. For over 13 years, as Founder and volunteer Chairman of the University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc., a charitable non-profit, he has pioneered successful projects and strategies for building community improvement and self-sustainability for thousands of low-income, at-risk children and families. Much of his good work has been recognized as models for other communities throughout our state and nation.
Senator Crist also holds additional leadership positions as: Chairman of the Sigma Chi Fraternity Theta Beta Chapter Housing Corporation Board since 2002, and Vice Chairman from 1983 to 2002; Founder, and for over 22 years, chairman of the AD2/Tampa Bay Past Presidents’ Council Trust; Board Member for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees and Board Member for the Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, Inc. Board of Directors, both positions he has held previously in 1996 and 2004; Board Member for the Hillsborough County Enterprise Zone Development Agency since 2002; and Board Member, USF Zimmerman Advertising Program (ZAP) Advisory Board.
Victor Crist has actively served as a member of the following organizations: Hillsborough County Weed & Seed Initiative Executive Committee; Chairman of the University Community New Image Revitalization Task Force; Museum of Science and Industry National Board; Arts for a Complete Education / Florida Alliance for Arts Education Board of Directors; FAMU Institute on Urban Policy & Commerce Board of Advisors; Tampa’s Center for Women Council of Advisors; Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus Board of Advisors; Tampa Technical Institute Advisory Board; Boy Scouts of America Tacachale District Advisor; Gulfcoast Jewish Family Services Community Care Advisory Board; Tampa Bay Advertising Federation; Greater Tampa, North Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Thonotosassa Chambers of Commerce; League of Women Voters; Temple Terrace Masque Theatre; St. Petersburg Catholic High, St. Petersburg Junior College, & USF Alumni Associations; and Egypt Temple Shrine. He is also a former member of Tampa Audubon Society; the American Legislative Exchange Council, Criminal Justice Task Force; Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Agency on Bay Management; and the Treasure Island Volunteer Fire Department.
Throughout his years of public service, a variety of professional and civic associations have recognized Victor Crist’s efforts through volunteer, leadership, integrity and service awards. They include: the 2009 USF Area Community Civic Association, Lifetime Achievement Award for over 29 Years of Service; the 2009 PACE Center for Girls, Pioneer Award; the 2008 Florida Association of Counties, County Champion Award; the 2008 Tampa Republican Club, Elected Official of the Year Award; the 2006 Florida Consortium of Urban Leagues, Long and Outstanding Support Award; the 2001 Florida Police Benevolent Association, Distinguished Legislator Award; the 2000 Vietnam Veterans of America, Florida State Council, Distinguished Service Award; and the 1994 Outstanding Productivity and Performance Award from the House Republican Leadership and Caucus; among many, many others.
In 2005 Senator Victor Crist married Angela Severino of Tampa, who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Florida Institute of Government at the University of South Florida.