Chris Hart
Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Investor Relations, Enterprise Florida

Chris Hart serves as Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Investor Relations for Enterprise Florida (EFI) ? the public-private partnership responsible for leading Florida?s statewide economic development efforts. He is based in EFI?s Tallahassee office, with an additional office at the Orlando headquarters, and supports EFI?s mission to diversify Florida?s economy by managing relationships with the organization?s key stakeholders, including elected officials, business leaders and local and regional economic development organizations. In this capacity, Chris Hart oversees EFI?s government relations, corporate communications, external affairs, defense/military and partner relations programs, and leads the organization?s private-sector fundraising efforts.

Chris has more than 15 years of experience in Florida's political process, including service as a two-term member of the Florida House of Representatives where he worked as an integral part of that body's leadership team. Elected twice by a wide margin, Chris represented the citizens of South Tampa and Town & Country in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. While serving in the House he chaired the Information Technology Committee, where he authored the bill that gave life to the State Technology Office and enhanced the powers of the Chief Information Officer. Chris also sponsored and authored the bill that created the Agency for Workforce Innovation and the public/private partnership for Workforce Florida, Inc.

Chris spearheaded the Governor's initiative to create Florida's Centers of Excellence, which were designed to enhance the state's ability to move emerging technology concepts from the laboratory into the marketplace. Additionally, Chris strengthened Florida's identity theft laws and helped create an economic climate favorable to emerging and high-tech industries.

In addition to his work as the Chairman of the House Information Technology committee, Chris also served on the following committees: Environmental Protection (Vice Chairman); Business Regulation; Council for Ready Infrastructure; Rules, Ethics, and Elections; Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations; Select Committee on Homeland Security; Select Committee on Military Affairs; Business Development and International Trade; Finance and Taxation; and Crime & Punishment.

In November 2002, Governor Bush tapped Chris to lead the Transition Evaluation Team for the Agency for Workforce Innovation as a part of the overall Transition effort. Chris has served on numerous boards, including Workforce Florida Inc.; the Small Business Development Council Advisory Board; the Digital Divide Council; and the Florida Research Consortium, a group which he co-founded. Currently he serves on the boards of the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, the Florida Research Consortium, and ITFlorida and is a member of the University of South Florida College of Business Dean's Circle.

While serving in the Legislature, Chris also worked in the private sector as the co-founder of Classified Technologies Group (CTG), a pioneer in classified advertising sales services and a developer of publishing industry software. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the company's Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer and led the Call Center Division. Immediately prior to joining EFI, Chris Hart was a founding Partner with Griffin & Hart, LLC, a Tallahassee-based business, political, and communications consulting firm.

A graduate of Florida State University, Chris Hart earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, where he majored in Political Science, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida. Chris, his wife Amy, and their two children reside in Tallahassee.