Ronald A. Silver

Ronald A. Silver was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives In 1978 and continued his tenure in that body until 1992. While in the Florida House Silver served in major positions including Majority Whip (1984-1986) and Majority Leader (1986-1988). He also chaired various committees including the Select Committee on Juvenile Justice, Criminal Justice, Ethics and Elections and the subcommittee of Appropriations on General Government. He was then elected to the Florida Senate in 1992 and subsequently re-elected, serving as the Majority (Democratic) leader for the 1994 session. During his last term in the Senate he was designated by both the House and Senate as the Dean of the Legislature recognizing his standing as the longest serving member. His career as a lawmaker has yielded a vast and extensive knowledge of public policy issues and the legistative process, allowing him to be an advocate and servant for his diverse community. Throughout his tenure in the House and Senate, Mr. Silver has been known to tackle tough issues, transcend partisanship and build strong coalitions and in addition served on the Judiciary committee, which heard all condominium issues. As Senator, he served on a variety of committees , and was chairman of both the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and Criminal Justice. His career in the Senate has earned praise from his colleagues, in both the legislature and other branches of government throughout the nation. In 1993 Mr. Silver was elected Chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference (17 Southern States) of the Council of State Governments. Most recently, a new prescription drug plan of Medicare-eligible senior citizens in the State of Florida has been named “Silver Saver” in his honor. Since his retirement from the Senate in 2002, Mr. Silver also functions as President of his own consulting firm (Ron Silver & Associates) and maintains his law practice in Miami Beach, Florida.