2016 Honoree Bob Buckhorn is saluted by Event Co-Chair, Kevin Bakewell.
Prevent Blindness Florida (now Preserve Vision Florida) presented its first Person of Vision Award in 1979 and has honored over 60 of Florida’s visionary leaders who have made a profound impact on Florida and the Tampa Bay community.
2015 Honorees Jeff and Penny Vinik, owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning, are congratulated by Event Co-Chair Kevin Bakewell (left), Senior VP and Chief Public Affairs Officer of AAA – The Auto Club Group.
Event Chairs Lorna Taylor (CEO of Premier Eye Care) and Jim Davis (former U.S. Representative) congratulate 2014 Honorees Betty Castor (former Florida Commissioner of Education and former USF President) and U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
| Honoree | Affiliation at Time of Award |
|---|---|
| Mayor Ed Austin | City of Jacksonville |
| Ted Baker | Florida Rock Industries |
| Thompson Baker | Thompson Baker Insurance |
| George Bean | Hillsborough County Aviation Authority |
| Henry H. Beckwith | Blue Cross Blue Shield |
| Ken Burton | Manatee County Tax Collector |
| Mayor Bob Buckhorn | City of Tampa |
| Jack Butcher | The Tampa Tribune |
| A. R. Pete Carpenter | CSX Transportation |
| The Hon. Betty Castor | Former FL Secretary of Education, Former USF President |
| Congresswoman Kathy Castor | U.S. House of Representatives, Tampa |
| Congressman Jim Davis | U.S. House of Representatives, Tampa |
| Congresswoman Tillie K. Fowler | U.S. House of Representatives, Jacksonville |
| Senator Pat Collier Frank | Florida Senate |
| Former Mayor Bill Fredericks | City of Orlando |
| William W. Gay | W. W. Gay Mechanical Contractor |
| Mayor Dick Greco and Dr. Linda McClintock-Greco | City of Tampa Tampa General Hospital |
| Senator Mary Grizzle | Florida Senate |
| Sheriff Walter Heinrich | Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office |
| Max H. Hollingsworth | Winn-Dixie |
| Mayor Glenda Hood | City of Orlando |
| Col. Joseph House (Ret.) and Sue House | USAA Community Volunteer |
| Senator Toni Jennings | Florida Senate President |
| Carlton Jones | Leadership Florida |
| Dr. Frances Kinne | Jacksonville University |
| Brian Lamb | Fifth Third Bank |
| Rep. John Lewis | Florida House of Representatives |
| Judith Lisi | Straz Center for the Performing Arts |
| Joseph W. Lopano | Tampa International Airport |
| Bill McBride and Alex Sink | Holland & Knight NationsBank Florida |
| Congressman John Mica | U.S. House of Representatives, Casselberry |
| Rudy Michaud | MetLife |
| H. Lee Moffitt | Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute |
| Frank L. Morsani | Precision Enterprises, Inc. |
| Henry Motes | E. H. Thompson Restaurant Equipment Company |
| Harold and Howard O’Steen | O’Steen Volvo |
| Outback Founders Robert D. Basham Tim Gannon Chris T. Sullivan | Outback Steakhouse |
| Art Pepin | Pepin Distributing |
| Mayor Wayne Poston | City of Bradenton |
| Lynwood Roberts | Duval County Tax Collector |
| Hubert Rutland | Rutland Department Store |
| Terrell Sessums | Florida House of Representatives Speaker |
| Dow Sherwood | Village Inn Restaurants |
| John and Susan Sykes | Sykes Enterprises |
| Ronald D. Taylor | E. W. Nash & Sons |
| Gilbert E. Turner | Gulf Tampa Industries |
| Representative Daniel Webster | Speaker, Florida House of Representatives |
| University Presidents – Hillsborough Judy Lynn Genshaft, Ph.D. Gwendolyn W. Stephenson, Ph.D. Ronald L. Vaughn, Ph.D. | University of South Florida Hillsborough Community College The University of Tampa |
| University Presidents – Sarasota Dr. Gordon Michalson Dr. Sarah Pappas Dr. Laurey Stryker Larry Thompson, Ph.D. | New College of Florida Manatee Community College University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee Ringling School of Art & Design |
| Jeff and Penny Vinik | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Joseph J. Zalupski | Tampa Sports Authority |
