Mayor Wayne Poston

Mayor Wayne Poston

City of Bradenton ~ The Friendly City

Wayne Poston has held the office of Mayor since 2000. Before his entry into public service, Poston had a career in journalism and military service. In 1967, he joined the U.S. Air Force and left as a Staff Sergeant after four years. Utilizing his degrees in journalism, Poston became Managing Editor for the Bradenton Herald until 1972, when fortune aligned him with Virginia’s Roanoke Times as their Assistant Managing Editor. After a short period out of state, Wayne Poston returned to the Bradenton Herald in 1974, eventually becoming Executive Editor and Vice President of the publication.

 

FAMILY

Wife: Patricia “Micki” Poston, B.S. Nursing,  health and wellness director, Water’s Edge of Bradenton, married November 30, 1991

Children: Stacey R. Poston, special projects director, City of Durham, N.C. Graduate of Manatee High School, Stetson University, B.S. in Political Science; and David E. Poston, Poston Communications, Inc. Atlanta, Ga. Graduate of Manatee High School, Emory University, Tulane Law School.

Mother: The Late Virginia Wetherill, New Philadelphia, Ohio

Sisters: Edna Williams, Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and Jean Mishler, New Philadelphia, Ohio

EDUCATION

  • Graduate, Athens (Ohio) High School, 1962
  • Graduate, B.S. in Journalism, OhioUniversity, 1967
  • Masters Program, University of South   Carolina

MILITARY

United   States Air Force, 1967-1971; Honorable Discharge, E-4 (Staff Sergeant)

WORK HISTORY

City of Bradenton

Mayor and Police Commissioner, January 2000-present

W. Harrison Group Inc., Marketing and Communications Consulting

Former President

Bradenton Herald

Executive Editor and Vice President, 1976-1999; Managing Editor, 1974-1976; Managing Editor, 1971-1972

Roanoke, Va., Times

Assistant Managing Editor, 1972-1974

Worked on newspapers in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama as reporter and editor.

LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • Leadership Florida Class No. 2, 1983-1984 and Alumni Board member, 1995-1997
  • Leadership Manatee Alumni Board, 1999-2001
  • Gulf Coast Marine Institute, 1993-2001; chairman, GCMI North, South and Vocational Institute, 1996-1998
  • Kiwanis Club of Bradenton, 1974-current, past board member
  • Hernando deSoto Historical Society, 1974-current. Past Crewe member
  • Bradenton Country Club, former member
  • Manatee County YMCA, former chairman
  • DeSoto Boys Club, former board member
  • Manatee Chapter of American Cancer Society, former board member
  • United Negro College Fund annual dinner, past county chairman
  • Martin Luther King Sunday Celebration, past emcee
  • Palma Sola Elementary, SuggMiddle School  & Manatee H.S. PTO
  • National Conference of Christians and Jews Manatee/Sarasota Chapter, former member
  • Manatee Symphony Guild and Florida West Coast Symphony, past chairman
  • Ringling Museum Foundation, former member
  • Asolo Theater Angels, former member
  • RinglingSchool of Art Corporate Advisory Board
  • Ohio University Alumni Chapter, founding president
  • Christ Episcopal Church, member
  • Economic Development Council Board of Governors, member
  • Florida League of Cities Federal Action Strike Team (FAST), member
  • Florida League of Cities Legislative Advocacy Committee, 2004-2006, co-chair
  • FloridaCenter for Nursing Board, former member
  • Manatee County Republican Party Executive Committee, October 2002-present, member
  • Florida Consumer Council, former board member
  • Florida Fire Chiefs Association, current member
  • Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Association, founding  member
  • Manatee County Tourist Development Council, May 2012-present, member

 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

  • Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, past president
  • American Society of Newspaper Editors
  • Associated Press Managing Editors, past board
  • Florida League of Cities
  • Manasota League of Cities, 2003-2005, president
  • Florida League of Mayors, founding board member

 AWARDS

  • NAACP Diversity Award, August 2007
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Outstanding Citizenship      Award in Government, January 2006

Please join us in welcoming Mayor Wayne Poston to the 3.0 Leaders Conference

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