Description

Check-in & Networking 11:30AM-12:00PM
Program 12:00-1:00PM

Join the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance for an exclusive legislative wrap-up luncheon featuring members of the Sarasota and Manatee delegation. Hear firsthand insights from Tallahassee on the major outcomes of the 2026 legislative session including redistricting, property tax, and what they mean for the regional business community, infrastructure, workforce, and economic growth.

*This is contingent on the 2026 legislative session's schedule. All Manatee and Sarasota delegation members have been invited*

Current Confirmed Speakers

Senator Jim Boyd

Jim Boyd is a lifelong resident of Manatee County, with a family legacy in small business ownership and public service. He began his career on the Palmetto City Council in 1989, later serving as the city’s mayor and vice mayor. He also dedicated time as a fire commissioner for the North River Fire District and served as a volunteer firefighter/EMT.

Before his election to the Florida Senate, Boyd served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives.

Elected to the Florida Senate in 2020 and reelected in 2022, Boyd represents District 20, which includes Manatee County and part of Hillsborough County. He brings extensive industry experience to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, where he served as Chair from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, President Ben Albritton tapped Sen. Boyd to serve as the Majority Leader of the Florida Senate. In October 2025, Senator Boyd was elected Senate President Designate by his Senate colleagues and will serve as the Senate President for the term 2026-2028. In addition to serving on Banking and Insurance, he is also a member of the committees on Fiscal Policy, Regulated Industries, Rules, and the Joint Legislative Budget Commission.

Currently, Boyd serves on the Manatee Memorial Board of Governors. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 1978.

Jim and his wife of 42 years, Sandy, reside in Bradenton. Their adult children, Ansley and Austin, both live in Manatee County with their families.

Representative Bill Conerly

Bill Conerly was born in South Florida and grew up in the Keys and Arcadia. After graduating high school, he left his hometown of Arcadia to enlist in the United States Navy. Serving aboard the USS LaSalle in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf and the USS Fidelity homeported Panama City, Florida.

Bill used the technical skills he acquired in the Navy to put himself through college while working full-time. His diverse work experiences included jobs as a robotics technician on the Jaws ride at Universal Studios, a maintenance electrician at the Orlando World Center Marriott, and a Civil Engineering Aide at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Gainesville.

In 1997, Bill earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with a specialization in Soil and Water Conservation from the University of Florida. Bill began his engineering career in Southwest Florida, focusing on stormwater modeling and routing. By 2001, Bill had earned his Professional Engineer (PE) license in Civil Engineering with a focus in Water Resources. Over the past 28 years, Bill has worked on a wide variety of projects, including Healthcare, Affordable & Senior Housing, Commercial & Office, Roadway, Utility, Construction & Demolition Landfill, Single & Multifamily Residential, and Institutional & Educational projects.

Bill is a 26-year resident of Manatee County and has been deeply committed to his community. Serving on many voluntary boards, including as a member of the Planning Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee, Manatee County Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee and Manatee County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

Bill was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2024 and recently finished his first Session. When asked why he wanted to serve as a Representative, he replied, “I have a spirit of service and want to use my skills, knowledge, and experience to make Southwest Florida a better place. As an engineer, I bring a unique skillset and problem-solving perspective to Tallahassee.”

Bill’s legislative priorities are infrastructure (transportation, potable water, wastewater and energy), housing affordability and stormwater & flood resiliency.

Representative Fiona McFarland

Fiona McFarland represents the 73^rd District in the Florida House of Representatives, which consists primarily of coastal Sarasota County. She was first elected in 2020 and just wrapped up her 6^th year in the Legislature. Fiona graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2008 and went on to serve as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. During her time as a Representative, she has sponsored legislation on data privacy, artificial intelligence, transportation, and childcare. This year, she served as the Chair of the Information Technology Budget & Policy Subcommittee. She and her husband Matt have four kids; Graham, Robbie, Matthew, and Grace.

Representative Will Robinson

Will Robinson was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018, [re-elected in 2020, 2022 and 2024], representing District 71, which currently includes parts of western Manatee County, Florida.  Robinson currently serves as the Chair of State Affairs and is a member of the Florida Speaker’s Leadership Team.  Will is a partner of the Blalock Walters law firm where he focuses on real estate law and is board certified by the Florida Bar in Real Estate Law. He is member of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission and the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Board of Governors and a past member of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (former Chair of Manatee Young Professionals and the Legislative Affairs Committees). Robinson was the past chair of both Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee and the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority. He was also a graduate of Leadership Florida Class XXIX and the past president of the Manatee Young Republicans.