This week, at its 2023 Annual Conference in Orlando, the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) announced the launch of The Center for Political Strategy (the Center), a collaborative, comprehensive, political effort for the business community. The Center will be housed within AIF and led by AIF’s new Vice President of Political Operations Jeremy Sheftel.
Working jointly with regional and statewide association partners, corporate leaders, and business political groups, the Center will seek to enhance and escalate the business community’s involvement in Florida’s political landscape, with the goal of ensuring pro-business candidates – both Republican and Democrat – are elected to the Florida Legislature.
“Over the last year and a half, AIF has led the charge, through important conversations with the business community and strategic meetings with our members, to identify where and how we can do more to recruit and help pro-business candidates succeed to ultimately foster a stronger business economy in the state,” said AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis. “The Center for Political Strategy is the answer. This collaborative, full-service political effort is unlike anything else currently being done and fills a need for political leadership within the business community. It’s a strategic, robust, long-term approach – far beyond political giving – that will not only be important to the 2024 election cycle, but will build the groundwork that will help ensure Florida has a pro-business legislature for many decades to come.”
The Center will focus on developing data, intel and strategies to recruit and further engage with candidates to ultimately improve the legislature’s business climate. This will be achieved through strategic polling, targeted focus groups on political and business issues throughout the year, data analysis, candidate interviews, grassroots activity in select campaigns, collaborative partnerships and coordination with AIF Political Action Committees (PACs).
“I’m excited to join AIF and oversee this extraordinary new initiative,” said Sheftel. “The Center for Political Strategy will truly be unlike anything the business community has done before of this magnitude and with this focus. In the past, support for pro-business candidates has been shown primarily financially, but The Center will take that support to the next level. Through The Center, AIF and its partners will actively recruit pro-business candidates, with an eye on the future and legislative classes and leaders to come years down the line, and further engage with these candidates through unique data, insights and analysis to ensure their success. Importantly, this statewide effort will prioritize a candidate’s principles over their political affiliation, with a focus on recruiting and supporting both Republicans and Democrats to more effectively improve the legislature’s business climate.”
Prior to joining AIF, Sheftel served as director of political strategy at National Public Affairs, a full-service national political consulting firm. His past experience also includes managing Lou Barletta’s race for governor of Pennsylvania and Ronny Jackson’s successful campaign in Texas Congressional District 13. Additionally, Sheftel previously held positions with Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate and Adam Putnam for Governor and at the Republican National Committee, Republican Party of Florida and Georgia Republican Party, amongst others.
In addition to Sheftel, AIF is bringing on Frank Terraferma and Steven Schale to serve as consultants to the Center. Terraferma is a top Republican political consultant, having served as director of House Campaigns in Florida for 14 years. In 2022, he guided House Republicans to their largest majority in the modern era. Schale is a top Democratic political consultant, having served as Florida state director for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign and as a senior advisor to the Obama campaign in Florida in 2012.
Author
