Congratulations Graduates!

A life-long resident of Pasco County, Danny was elected in 2020 to represent District 20 in the Florida Senate. He currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and has previously served as Chair of the Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response as well as the Chair of the 2022 Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee. 

No stranger to difficult issues and heavy workloads, Danny fights tirelessly for his legislation and his District. During the 2022 Legislative Session, Danny was able to pass 17 pieces of legislation that were then signed into law by Governor DeSantis, the most of any member in the legislature. 

Danny is an attorney by trade and is a Partner at the law firm of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP. Danny prides himself on being more than just a lawyer; he is also a father, husband, soldier, and public servant. 

At the age of 18, Danny was elected to his hometown City Council in Zephyrhills, making him the youngest elected official in the State of Florida. From 2013 to 2014, Danny served as the Mayor of Zephyrhills before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2014 and subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2018.

Danny was tapped by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2018 to serve as the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and led the agency until June 2020. 

Danny proudly serves as a Civil Affairs Officer in the United States Army Reserve at the rank of Major. 

When he is away from the office, Danny likes to stay involved in the community, and spends as much quality time as humanly possible with his wife, Courtney, three children, Adeline, Danny III and Nora, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Briar Rose. Avid adventurers, one might just drive by the Burgess Bunch on their many travels in the family RV.

Kathy Hebda serves as chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, overseeing the Florida College System. Chancellor Hebda began her educational career teaching music in Florida and Georgia’s public-school systems. She came to the Florida Department of Education in 1992 and served in several roles in the Division of Public Schools, including educator certification, preparation and professional development. She was named Deputy Public Schools Chancellor for Educator Quality in 2008, providing leadership and support for school districts and higher education institutions to increase student success through continuous improvement in teaching and learning. 

Before being named Chancellor of the Florida College System by Commissioner Richard Corcoran, Hebda also served as Chief of Staff for the Department of Education for Florida’s previous commissioner of education, Pam Stewart.

Chancellor Hebda earned a bachelor’s degree from Newberry College and a master’s degree from Florida State University. She lives in Tallahassee.