A familiar face will be helping to guide the Florida Senate during the next couple of years.

Incoming Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, announced Wednesday that Lisa Vickers will serve as his chief of staff during the 2018-2020 legislative term. Vickers is no stranger to the Senate President’s office having served there as a senior policy advisor.

“Lisa has been a trusted advisor to the last three Senate Presidents,” Galvano said. “She brings a wealth of management experience gained from service as executive director of the Department of Revenue under two Governors, combined with a strong and diverse background in public policy,” said President-Designate Galvano. “When I first met Lisa, I was serving in the House and we were working with Governor Bush on Department of Revenue reforms. Most recently, we worked together on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act.”

Vickers currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senate President Joe Negron. A position she also held in the administrations of Senate Presidents Andy Gardiner and Don Gaetz.

Before joining the Senate staff, Vickers had served more than 20 years with the Florida Department of Revenue.  In October of 2007, she was named DOR’s executive director by then-Gov. Charlie Crist and remained in that job when Gov. Rick Scott took office.

She joined the Senate in 2012.

“Lisa came to the Senate the same year I was elected. She quickly earned a reputation as a problem-solver due to her tireless work ethic and ability to combine institutional knowledge with a thoughtful, innovative approach to public policy,” Galvano added. “She will serve the Senators and Senate Professional Staff well in this new role.”

Vickers is a graduate of both the Florida State University College of Business and the Florida State University College of Law. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1990.