#12 on the list of Tampa Bay’s most powerful politicians is Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Hagan.
“An introvert at heart, when I first met Ken Hagan in 2002, he barely even looked up when we talked. Yet just today, he successfully led the charge to bring an admittedly controversial, multi-million dollar entertainment destination to the I-75 economic development area. Without question, over these last few months, he has been the driving force to coalesce our regional community to convince Mayor Foster to allow the Rays to look for alternative stadium sites throughout Tampa Bay. This is a man who has studied, learned and grown as a commissioner, and has emerged as a senior statesman of the fourth largest county in Florida.
“Why is he so effective? He is highly analytical and unemotional in decision making. He understands vision and strategy, but never loses sight of practicalities – a critical skill when representing an economically diverse county such as Hillsborough. A man of few words, he is unabashedly straightforward and bottom-line. The people that know and work with him can rely on his word – whether they like it or not. Those traits allow him to build trust with his constituents, supporters and staff – all of whom routinely rally around him to ensure his priorities are met.” — Beth Leytham, longtime friend and supporter
For a complete explanation of how this list was created and who comprised the panel which assembled it, please read here.
