District 3
Kathryn E. Starkey was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. She moved to Miami in 1973 and attended schools in Europe before heading to Florida State University. Kathryn has lived in France, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela and is now a proud 38-year resident of the Tampa Bay Area.
Before dedicating her career to public service, Kathryn’s focus was marketing and interior design; however, she served her community through appointments to various state and local boards by Governors Bush, Crist, and Scott – including the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. She is a graduate of Leadership Pasco, Leadership Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida Water Leadership Institute.
Kathryn has served on the governing boards of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, American Red Cross of Tampa Bay and the Pasco Education Foundation among many others.
Kathryn formed Scenic Pasco – a 501c3 whose mission was to rewrite ordinances in Pasco County dealing with aesthetic issues, including billboards, landscaping, and cell towers. She was twice elected to the Pasco County School Board, where she helped initiate Career Academies focused on the IT, Automotive, Engineering and Medical fields. In her initial term with the School Board, the Council of Education Foundations presented Kathryn with the first State of Florida School Board Member of the Year Award. She then returned to the private sector before running for Pasco County Commission in 2012. Now in her third term, her focus is mainly workforce and economic development.
Kathryn works closely with the Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), where she founded and serves as chair of the Pasco EDC International Committee and remains actively involved with the Pasco EDC Talent Pipeline Task Force. She’s also been a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) since 2016 and serves not only as a board member, but as vice chair of the NACo International Economic Development Task Force, vice chair of the NACo Community Economic and Workforce Development, and member of the NACo Large Urban County Caucus. Kathryn is also chair of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Federal Policy Committee, a member of the FAC Legislative Executive Committee, a member of the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Consortium and chair of the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.
Kathryn works to develop international trade, with a focus on Europe and South America, conducting highly successful international trade workshops. These efforts have greatly helped our local businesses in their efforts to learn how to export. She’s also made solid networking connections between Pasco, Tampa Bay and international businesses by participating in economic development trips to Peru, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and England. She proudly promotes and serves on the board of AmSkills (American Manufacturing Skills Initiative), a unique regional workforce apprenticeship training program, which she co-founded. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade (TBOWIT) recognized Kathryn as International Person of the Year. In May 2018, Kathryn participated in the Global Tampa Bay Trade Mission to Mexico, resulting in $35 million in projected economic activity for local companies.
Kathryn is married to Jay B. Starkey III, a member of a Tampa Bay pioneer family and has four children and four grandchildren.
Education/Training:
Before dedicating her career to public service, Kathryn’s focus was marketing and interior design; however, she served her community through appointments to various state and local boards by Governors Bush, Crist, and Scott – including the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. She is a graduate of Leadership Pasco, Leadership Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida Water Leadership Institute.
Kathryn has served on the governing boards of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, American Red Cross of Tampa Bay and the Pasco Education Foundation among many others.
Kathryn formed Scenic Pasco – a 501c3 whose mission was to rewrite ordinances in Pasco County dealing with aesthetic issues, including billboards, landscaping, and cell towers. She was twice elected to the Pasco County School Board, where she helped initiate Career Academies focused on the IT, Automotive, Engineering and Medical fields. In her initial term with the School Board, the Council of Education Foundations presented Kathryn with the first State of Florida School Board Member of the Year Award. She then returned to the private sector before running for Pasco County Commission in 2012. Now in her third term, her focus is mainly workforce and economic development.
Kathryn works closely with the Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), where she founded and serves as chair of the Pasco EDC International Committee and remains actively involved with the Pasco EDC Talent Pipeline Task Force. She’s also been a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) since 2016 and serves not only as a board member, but as vice chair of the NACo International Economic Development Task Force, vice chair of the NACo Community Economic and Workforce Development, and member of the NACo Large Urban County Caucus. Kathryn is also chair of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Federal Policy Committee, a member of the FAC Legislative Executive Committee, a member of the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Consortium and chair of the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.
Kathryn works to develop international trade, with a focus on Europe and South America, conducting highly successful international trade workshops. These efforts have greatly helped our local businesses in their efforts to learn how to export. She’s also made solid networking connections between Pasco, Tampa Bay and international businesses by participating in economic development trips to Peru, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and England. She proudly promotes and serves on the board of AmSkills (American Manufacturing Skills Initiative), a unique regional workforce apprenticeship training program, which she co-founded. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade (TBOWIT) recognized Kathryn as International Person of the Year. In May 2018, Kathryn participated in the Global Tampa Bay Trade Mission to Mexico, resulting in $35 million in projected economic activity for local companies.
Kathryn is married to Jay B. Starkey III, a member of a Tampa Bay pioneer family and has four children and four grandchildren.
Education/Training:
- Public Leadership Institute
- Certified Advanced County Commissioner
- Florida School Boards Association Certified Board Member
- Florida School Boards Association Master Board
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- University of Madrid, Spain
- University of Santander, Spain
- Assumption School, Paris, France
- Pinellas Technical Education Center, FL
- Metropolitan Ministries Pasco Leadership Award, 2023
- Vision Zero Hero Gulf Coast Safe Streets Summit, 2022
- Florida Association of Counties – 2017 Presidential Advocate of the National Flood Insurance Program; 2018 Presidential Advocate; 2019 Presidential Advocate; 2020 Presidential Advocate
- 2018 Elected Official Champion of the Year – Florida Bicycle Association
- Tampa Bay Organization Women in International Trade – 2017 International Person of the Year Award
- National Association of Counties - 2016-2017 Leadership Award
- Upper Tampa Bay Manufacturing Association – 2016 Distinguished Manufacturing Service Award
- Tri-County Trail Connection - 2014 Future of the Region Development/Infrastructure Award
- Consortium of Education Foundations - 2008-2009 Florida School Board Member of the Year Award
- Pasco County Government
- County Commissioner: Elected in 2012 to a four-year term; re-elected in 2016 & 2020.
- County Commission Chair (2015-2016 & 2021-2022)
- Florida School Boards Association
- Executive Committee (2008-2010)
- Board of Directors (2006-2010)
- Florida School Boards Association (FSBA)
- Starkey Land Company
- Public Relations 1999-2012
- Interior Designer 1989-1992
- AmSkills - American Manufacturing Skills Initiative - Co-Founder, Vice Chair
- Gulf Coast Consortium Committee (Alternate)
- Florida Association of Counties
- Federal Policy Committee – Chair
- Legislative Executive Committee
- Pasco Commission on Status of Women
- National Association of Counties
- Board of Directors
- Community, Economic and Workforce Development Steering Committee/Workforce Development Subcommittee – Vice Chair
- International Economic Task Force Committee – Vice Chair (Past Chair)
- Large Urban Caucus
- Pasco Economic Development Council
- International Committee - Founder and Chair
- Pasco-Hernando Workforce Consortium
- RESTORE Act Advisory Committee (Alternate)
- Pasco County Tourist Development Council – Chair
- Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade (TBOWIT)
- Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Transportation Management Area – Chair
- Suncoast Transportation Planning Alliance
- Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
- Career Technical Education Foundation (2008-2012)
- Florida Humanities Council – Board Member (Appointed by Governor Rick Scott - 2012-2015)
- Florida State Greenways and Trails Council (2002-2012)
- Pasco County School Board – Chair (2004-2010; Elected 2004 & re-elected without opposition in 2008)
- Pasco Education Foundation – Dream Builder Society/Cinderella Ball Co-Chair (2008 & 2009)
- Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Appointed twice by Governor Bush: 2002-2009)
- Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital – Board of Directors (2012-2015)
- Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Guild of New Port Richey- Founding Member & Past President (1993-2010)
- American Red Cross of Tampa Bay – Board of Directors (2006-2012)
- Celebration Pasco – Founder & Executive Board Member
- Citizens for Scenic Florida – Executive Board Member
- Citizens for Scenic Pasco – Founder
- Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce
- Wachovia Community Bank – Advisory Board Member (2006-2010)
- North Tampa Bay Chamber
