Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 1-29-16 Edition

Features
Trump Endorsement Draws Mixed Feelings From Local Black Republicans
MS. FRANCES RICE
Co-Founder, Nat. THOMAS
Black Rep. Assoc. KEN ANTHONY BOB MORRISON HUGGINS, III ERIC BROWN
Governor Appoints Banker To Serve On Judicial Nominating Commission
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Earlier this week, Gover- nor Rick Scott appointed forty-three Floridians to serve on Judicial Nominating Com- missions. One of those individ- uals was a Tampa bank executive.
Some of the individuals were reappointed while others will serve for the first time. The appointments included indi- viduals from throughout the state.
In the Tampa Bay Area, Governor Scott selected Brian Lamb, 39, of Tampa to serve on the Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nomination Commis- sion.
When contacted by the Sentinel, Lamb said, “I’ve al- ways been committed to public service and I consider this ap- pointment by Governor Scott to be a tremendous honor. I’m looking forward to working alongside my fellow Judicial Commission members to select and submit the names to our Governor for considera- tion to the bench.
“I’ve been fortunate to serve on numerous state boards including the Enter- prise Florida Board of Direc- tors, the University of South Florida Board of Trustees, and the Space Florida Board of Di- rectors, all 3 of which are state level appointments.
“This appointment pres- ents a unique opportunity to
BRIAN LAMB Regional President Fifth Third Bank, Tampa Bay
play a role and have a positive impact on our judicial system here in the 13th Circuit,” he said.
Lamb currently serves as the Regional President of Fifth Third Bank. Lamb, who is re- placing Joseph Lopez, began his term on January 25, 2016. It will end on July 1, 2019.
Lamb became an em- ployee of Fifth Third Bank in 2006 as the Chief Financial Of- ficer. Prior to being named President and CEO, of Fifth Third of Tampa Bay, Lamb led the business banking and pri- vate banking for the institu- tion.
In 2014, his realm of lead- ership was expanded to include the bank’s additional markets in the Jacksonville and Central Florida areas.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last Friday, the National Black Republican Association announced its choice for the upcoming Presidential elec- tion. They endorsed Donald Trump as their choice of Presidential candidate.
Ms. Frances Rice, Co- Founder of the organization made the following statement on their webpage: “We, the grassroots activists of the National Black Republican Association, are pleased to announce our endorsement of Donald J. Trump for Pres- ident of the United States of America.
“As citizens who happen to be Black, we support Mr. Trump because he shares our values. We, like Mr. Trump, are fiscally conser- vative, steadfastly pro-life and believers in a small gov- ernment that fosters freedom
for individuals and busi- nesses, so they can grow and become prosperous.”
When contacted by the Sentinel, some local Black Republicans made the follow- ing comments.
Ken Anthony simply said, “I’m shocked.”
Bob Morrison, of Mor- rison & Associates, Inc., who is a former Black Republican, said he changed his Voter Registration to Independent. However, he shared the fol- lowing comments.
“The analysis of any can- didate needs to be whether their policies speak to the short and long term, which is the needs of our children, business and senior citizens.
“It is much too early in the election cycle to come to any conclusion about any candi- date, as to which candidate, Democrat or Republican, speaks best to address the is- sues of our community faces.”
Thomas Huggins, III,
said, “They (the National Black Republican Associa- tion) have the right to endorse whoever they deem as the right person for them.
“But their views do not necessarily represent the views of all Republicans who happen to be Black.”
Eric Brown is the Chair- man of the Jeb Bush Cam- paign for Hillsborough County. When contacted, he said, “When I saw the article and makeup of the organiza- tion, I wasn’t surprised. One part of the statement talked about holding politicians ac- countable for the content of their policies. So that quote was overlooked.
“Donald Trump has disparaged every segment of the population and his na- tional spokesperson dispar- aged the President and that’s wrong across all political par- ties if you do that,” he said.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016