Anne M. Gannon Résumé
Anne Gannon has a rich, distinguished and diverse record of public service in Florida.
Anne serves as the Constitutional Tax Collector. Elected in 2006, she saw an opportunity to revamp an antiquated bureaucracy into a top notch customer-focused service agency. Anne is the first woman to hold this county-wide office.
Anne is responsible for the collection and disbursement of more than $3 billion in tax revenue and the issuance of Real ID compliant driver licenses for Palm Beach County. The Agency employs over 300 throughout its central office, seven service centers and a call center. Service centers collectively manage an average of 80,000 client transactions each month.
Anne is active in the Tax Collectors’ statewide association where she fights for legislative changes to Florida statutes to improve governmental efficiencies, protect taxpayer rights and achieve cost savings. She is a three-time recipient of the Florida Tax Collector’s Association’s “Excellence and Innovation in Financial Operations” Award.
The National Association of Government Accountants honored Anne’s work with their “Excellence in Government Leadership Award.” She also addressed the International Deming Research Center at Fordham University about her agency innovations and quality management.
Anne received numerous awards for the “License to Drive” public education campaign, “Report To Our Citizens,” “Tax Planner & Services Guide” booklet and internal communication collateral. Collateral is used extensively in the agency’s community outreach and education program. The agency’s website, “In the Driver’s Seat” mobile app, employee In-service Day events and social media program were recently tapped for Florida Radiance Awards by the PRSA’s Sunshine District. Also in 2016, the agency received a “W3” national award for its integrated digital campaign that combined TCO’s web and social platforms and received its second APEX award for printing excellence for the “2016 Tax Planner & Service Guide.”
Employee health and wellness are important to Anne. Her wellness initiative at the Tax Collector’s office is designed to reduce the incidence of chronic disease and hold the line on escalating health insurance costs. As a result of this eight year effort, the agency has been awarded the “Fit Friendly Workplace” designation by the American Heart Association for the last six consecutive years.
Anne was elected to the Florida Legislature in 2000 and served through 2006. She rose to the position of Democratic Leader Pro Tem which required consensus-building on key votes. Anne served on the powerful House Health Care Appropriations Committee where she secured funding for many women and children’s health and safety programs. She is most proud of her role in creating and funding domestic violence centers, the Center for Brain Tumor Research at the University of Florida and creating the legislation making Human Trafficking a crime in Florida.
Anne began her business career as an Operations Analyst for Dole, a fortune 100 company. This gave her a strong background in cost controls, fixed-asset and budget management and operating budget analysis. She was a partner in Applegarth Designs, Inc., a furniture and lamp manufacturing business. Her responsibilities at Applegarth included managing the sales, and accounting and finance departments. After selling the business, Anne opened a public policy firm with offices in Delray Beach and Tallahassee. She successfully represented clients on a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from economic development, HIV/AIDS and women’s reproductive health care, family law, business, environmental, transportation, disability, business regulation and insurance issues. Notably, Anne represented the Sierra Club in the landmark Everglades Clean-up legislation.
Personal
Anne is a runner, bicyclist, gardener, reader, accomplished cook and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She serves on the Pineapple Grove Arts Board, an arts and shopping district located in the heart of downtown Delray Beach. She is a long-standing supporter of Aid Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA), Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, and both the Statewide Task Force on Human Trafficking and the Palm Beach Human Trafficking Coalition. She served 12 years on the Board of Directors JFK Hospital and has been the Honorary Chair of the West Palm Brain Cancer 5K Run from 2008 - 2013. Anne is a member of St. Vincent’s Ferrer Catholic Church.
Education
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, Political Science
Barry University, Miami, Florida, Concentration in Business Administration
Palm Beach Community College, Boca Raton, Florida, Concentration in Business Administration
Phi Theta Kappa, scholastic honors fraternity member
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Biloxi, Mississippi
Current Affiliations
Treasurer, Florida Tax Collectors' Association
Chair, Hillary Clinton for President, Palm Beach County Campaign
Delegate, Democratic National Convention, Florida Floor Leader
National Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors
Pineapple Grove Main Street, Board of Directors, Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, Delray Beach, Florida
Palm Beach County Women's Chamber of Commerce, West Palm Beach, FL
Executive Women of the Palm Beaches
Palm Beach County Democratic Executive Committee
Prior Associations, Committees and Task Forces
JFK Hospital, Board of Directors, Atlantis, Florida
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Chair, Florida Tax Collectors' Association, DL Committee
Chair, Florida Tax Collectors' Association, DOR Committee
Vice Chair, Florida Tax Collectors' Association DMV CommitteeSoutheast Health Care Sub District Committee
Palm Beach County State Attorneys Advisory Committee
Delray Beach Affordable Housing Task Force
Florida Commission on Human Trafficking Committee
Haitian American Community Center
Palm Beach Criminal Justice Committee
National Organization for Women, President, South Palm Beach County
National Organization for Women, President, Mississippi State
National Organization for Women, Board of Directors & Regional Director, Mid-South Region
City of Delray Beach Childcare Committee, Chair
Palm Beach County Co-operative Extension Service Master Gardner
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Treasurer and Board of Directors
Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse Board
Honors and Awards (partial listing)
2016 APEX Award for Publication Excellence and PRSA Palm Award of Quality, 2016 Tax Planner & Service Guide
2016 W3 Award, Integrated Campaign for Social Media and Web
2016 Florida Tax Collector Association, Legacy Award for Excellence in Financial Operations
2016 Gold Coast Public Relations Council, Bernays Awards, Honoring Excellence in Public Relations, Internal Communications – Grow. Learn. Excel. Repeat In-service Day event
2016 PRSA, Sunshine District, Radiance Award, PR Star and an award for Social Media: Project Pass @TAXPBC
2015 Safer Florida Award, Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, Exemplary and Outstanding Efforts to Promote Public Safety
2015 PRSA Palm Award for Social Media Excellence
2015 APEX Award for Publication Excellence and PRSA Palm Award of Quality, 2015 Tax Planner & Service Guide
2015 American Heart Association, Fit-Friendly Gold Certification
2015 Florida Tax Collector Association, Excellence in Financial Operations Award Winner
2015 PRSA, Sunshine District, Radiance Award, “In the Driver’s Seat” mobile app campaign
2015 Gold Coast Public Relations Council, Bernays Awards, Honoring Excellence in Public Relations, Marketing Material: Photo Frames
2014 PRSA, Sunshine District, Radiance Award, Website
2014 Thomson Reuters, Public Sector Champion Award, Excellence in Constituent Service
2014 National Association of Counties, Achievement Award, Civic Education and Public
Information, “License to Drive” program
2014 Florida Tax Collector Association, Excellence in Financial Operations Award Winner
2014 American Heart Association, Fit-Friendly Gold Certification
2013 Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, Silver ADDY® Award, Public Service
2013 Gold Coast Public Relations Council Bernays Award, Judges Award Winner
2013 American Heart Association, Fit-Friendly Gold Certification
2012 Governing Magazine, Public Official of the Year Nominee
2012 Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, Giraffe Award Winner
2012 PRSA Award of Excellence Winner, Voting Matters
2012 PRSA of Excellence Winner, Media Kit, Customer Service Tools
2012 PRSA Award of Excellence Winner, Brochure, Important Information About Your
Property Taxes
2012 PRSA Award of Excellence Winner, Posters, Veteran Designation
2012 Gold Coast Public Relations Council, Bernays Award Collateral Material Winner, Tax
Planner & Services Guide
2012 Florida Heart Research Institute South Florida Worksite Wellness Forum Award Winner,
Small Business Category
2011 Florida Weekly’s Palm Beach County Power Women List
2011 National Association of Government Accountants Excellence in Government Award
Winner
2011 Florida Tax Collector Association, Excellence in Financial Operations Award Winner
2011 PRSA Public Service Award of Quality Winner, License to Drive Campaign
2011 PRSA Award of Excellence Winner, Posters, License to Drive
2011 PRSA Award of Quality Winner, Audio Visual Production, License to Drive
2011 PRS Award of Excellence Winner, Websites Government, License to Drive Banner Ads
2011 Gold Coast Public Relations Council Bernays Award, PR Campaign Winner, Large
Company or Firm category for License to Drive
2010 PRSA Palm Award Winner, Collaterals – Posters, Ethics Policy Poster
2010 PRSA Palm Award Winner, Newsletters - Government/Public Service, Tax Talk with
Anne M. Gannon
2010 PRSA Award of Quality, Public Affairs/Government Relations, Beat the Increase
2010 PRSA Award of Quality, Annual Reports - Four Colors, A Report to Our Citizens
2010 PRSA Award of Merit, Special Events & Observances, Honest Services & Public
Integrity Workshop & Discussion
2010 PRSA Award of Merit, Collaterals - Specialty Items, 2009 Tax Planner and
Services
Guide
2010 Gold Coast Public Relations Council Bernays Awards, Collateral Material, Tax Planner
& Services Guide
2010 Census Partnership recognition
2010 Forgotten Soldiers Partnership Recognition
2009 PRSA Palm Award Winner, Collaterals, Tax Planner & Services Guide
2009 PRSA Palm Award Winner, Newsletters - Government/Public Service, Tax Talk
2009 PRSA Palm Award Winner, Website - Government/Public Service, Website
2009 Athena Award, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, Finalist
2007 Compass, Plakas Leadership Award
2006 Knights of Pythagoras Mentoring Award
2006 Bicycle - Pedestrian Advocacy SAFE Award
2006 Florida Council against Sexual Violence, Warrior for Women Award
2005 Florida Association of PPA, Champion for Choice Award
2005 First Harvest Food Bank, Certificate of Appreciation for Humanitarian Services
2005 Sierra Club, Outstanding Achievement
2005 National Association of Social Workers, Elected Official of the Year
2005 Congressional Youth Leadership Council, Honorary Board Member of Florida State
Legislators
2005 National Foundation for Women Legislators, White House Delegate to Conference on
Aging
2004 Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, Warrior for Women Award
2004 First Amendment Foundation, Pete Weitze Friend of the First Amendment
2004 Florida League of Conservation Voters, Laurels Leaderships Award
2004 South Palm NOW, Susan B. Anthony Outstanding Feminist Award
2004 Fleming Leadership Institute
2004 Florida Chamber of Commerce, Honor Roll
2003 American Jewish Congress, Southeast Division, Distinguished Civic Achievement
Award
2002 American Cancer Society Leadership Award
2001 The Trust for Public Land Legislative Award
2001 Planned Parenthood Advocacy Award
2000 Annette Van Howe, Failure is Impossible Award