Meet the Mayor

Mayor Wayne Poston

City of Bradenton ~ The Friendly City

 

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
  • ManateeCounty       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