Community Engagement Network

Gil Ziffer is the founder and president of Ziffer Stansberry. Beginning in 1990, following a decade of working for others in advertising and communications, Ziffer took the leap and started his own business and has since been delivering comprehensive marketing and communication strategies for a wide range of private and public organizations. In 2009, Ziffer was appointed to the Tallahassee City Commission to fill a vacancy and won election in 2010 and re-election in 2014. Ziffer was elected and served as president of the Florida League of Cities representing 412 municipalities throughout Florida. He was also appointed to the National League of Cities Board of Directors and served for two years as the Chair of an NLC National Advocacy Committee lobbying Congress for the needs of cities throughout the country. Ziffer is a recent Graduate of Leadership Florida and is President of the Florida State Parks Foundation.

Rick Asnani is the founder and president of Cornerstone Solutions, a national political consulting, community relations and public affairs firm. He has 25 years of campaign, strategic communications and issue management experience. Asnani has guided Fortune 100 companies and other corporate, trade association and campaign clients to organize and implement political, crisis management and grassroots advocacy campaigns. He has worked in 37 states and in two foreign countries. Asnani also serves as the Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Political Leadership, a non-partisan initiative to recruit and train candidates across the state who want to seek appointed or elected office. Asnani is a recent Graduate of Leadership Florida.

Sharon Smoley is the founder of Central Florida Public Affairs (CFPA), a practice specializing in government relations and community engagement throughout Central Florida. With almost two decades of experience working with the Central Florida Community, Smoley specializes in creating local government and community relations strategies as well as building coalitions to address complex issues locally and in Tallahassee. She has experience in bringing together diverse groups of community stakeholders to reach a common goal, pass legislation, ordinances or permitting issues. Smoley also serves as the Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy for the Orlando Economic Partnership. In her role, Smoley is responsible for creating policy on behalf of Central Florida’s business community within the 7-county region. She also leads advocacy efforts and strategy on a local, state and federal level. Smoley is a recent Graduate of Leadership Florida.