Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Tribune article on the Greater Brandon Chamber Community Leadership Award.
South Shore News
Storied coach, veteran sheriff share leadership spotlight at Brandon chamber dinner
BY Linda Chion Kenney
Special Correspondent
Published: February 18, 2015
RIVERVIEW – The town’s self-described “local wrestling guru,” who last year received the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s leadership award, said he was honored to announce this year’s recipient – Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee.
“What a great leader this gentleman is,” said coach Russ Cozart. Under Cozart’s watch the Brandon High School wrestling team captured the longest winning streak in high school history anywhere. “What a great hero Sheriff David Gee is, because without him our communities would not be as safe as they are.”
Gee accepted with humility the Greater Brandon Community Leadership Award, which he received at the Feb. 6 annual membership dinner, hosted by the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce at The Regent in Riverview.
“The deputies and the staff do all the work and I get all the credit,” said Gee, a Brandon High School graduate and a Brandon High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame inductee. “I accept this award on their behalf.”
In turn, Gee offered his own regards to Cozart.
“I’m following after a guy who’s my hero, who’s done as much for this community as anybody,” he said.
It’s the numbers that tell that story of a storied coach who came to the dinner after his team won five matches at Leto High School, securing an undefeated 43-0 record this season. But it’s “The Streak” that he’s known for, which amounted to 459 consecutive wins over a period of 34 years, broken by a singular loss in 2008.
“So, the streak was over, the longest winning streak in the history of high school sports,” Cozart told the chamber group. “We can hang our hat on that.”
There’s another streak, though, that Cozart said his players are hell-bent on continuing this year in post-season play.
“We’ve won 14 consecutive state titles and no one’s ever done that,” he said, “I’m pushing the boys, and we’re working out hard to stay focused, and to lead those guys on to carry that banner another year.”
At The Regent podium, Cozart in turn stood as a fan of Gee’s, reading from a script that listed the Brandon native’s many accomplishments, including his “progressive positions of leadership, including homicide investigator, internal affairs supervisor, chief financial officer and chief deputy until he was elected sheriff in 2004.”
As sheriff, Gee is responsible for managing the nation’s 10th largest suburban law enforcement agency and an annual budget of more than $370 million.
“I’ve served three sheriffs in my almost 40 years” with the agency, said Gee, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tampa, graduated from the FBI National Academy, studied dignitary protection with the U.S. Secret Service and is a law enforcement aviator rated in fixed-wing aircraft and turbine helicopters. Locally, he is an active member of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches and serves on the boards for A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough County Head Start program and the Judeo Christian Health Clinic. He is the former chairman of the Boys & Girls Club in Brandon.
In all, 17 people have received the Greater Brandon Community Leadership Award, including Cozart and Gee. The other recipients — with their designating titles at the time they received their awards — are Senate President Tom Lee, Speaker of the House Johnnie Byrd, Sheriff Cal Henderson, John and Kay Sullivan, State Representative Sandy Murman, Julian Craft, Earl Haugabook, Paul Senory, Senator Malcolm Beard, Sandy and Dottie MacKinnon, Earl Lennard, Attorney General Pam Bondi and State Representative Rich Glorioso.
