Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed outgoing state Rep. Will Robinson of Bradenton to the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota District Board of Trustees.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Robinson, a Republican, has represented Florida House District 71 since 2018 and is leaving the Legislature in November because of term limits. The district includes much of western Manatee County, including portions of Bradenton and Palmetto.
During his final term, Robinson chairs the House State Affairs Committee and serves on the Budget Committee and Health & Human Services Committee.
Outside the Legislature, Robinson is a principal at Bradenton law firm Blalock Walters, where his practice includes real estate, land use and local government law. He is board-certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar.
A Bradenton native, Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law.
His previous community and public service includes membership on the Judicial Nominating Commission for Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit and leadership roles with Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority and the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Board of Governors.
Robinson’s family has longstanding ties to Manatee County. His family previously owned property that became part of Robinson Preserve, the county’s coastal conservation area in northwest Bradenton.
At State College of Florida, Robinson will help oversee an institution led by another former state lawmaker. SCF President Tommy Gregory entered the Florida House in 2018, the same year as Robinson. Gregory was selected as SCF president in 2024 and left the Legislature to take the position.
SCF traces its history to 1957, when it opened as Manatee Junior College. It became the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota in 2009. The college operates campuses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice and is developing a campus in Parrish.
The college’s District Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the institution, including establishing policies and providing governance for its operations. Trustees are appointed by the governor and are subject to Senate confirmation.
Robinson’s House seat is also changing hands this year. Republican Jordan Varnadore won the August primary for House District 71 and faces Democrat Ocean Fitts and no-party candidate Joseph Hoolihan in the Nov. 3 general election.
