Three appointed to Florida Commission on the Status of Women

FLORIDA — Three women have been appointed to serve on the state Commission on the Status of Women.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has appointed Katherine (Kate) English, Staci Sims, and Rosie Paulsen to the commission.

“It is truly an honor to appoint Kate, Staci, and Rosie to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women,” said Simpson.

“They each bring a unique perspective to the commission not only because of their strong agricultural and business roots but their involvement and contributions to their communities and important advocacy work. I am confident that their service on the commission will greatly improve the wellbeing of Florida women and girls — and by extension, all Floridians.”

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is a nonpartisan board, statutorily created in 1991, consisting of 22 appointed members.

The commission is administratively housed in the Office of the Attorney General. The governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and attorney general appoint four members, and the chief financial officer and commissioner of agriculture each appoint three members for a term of four years. The commission’s mandate is to study and make recommendations to the governor, cabinet, and legislature on issues affecting women.

Here is more about the appointees, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

Katherine (Kate) English

English, a southwest Florida native, is a partner at Pavese Law Firm. Her practice concentrates on agricultural, environmental, and land use law with an emphasis on seeking and protecting entitlements for larger properties to maintain value and productivity.

English has experience working in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District, the Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

English was selected to the list of Best Lawyers in America for 2021 for her practice area in land use and zoning. Her community activities include serving as Chair for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences/SHARE Council; a member and past chair of the American Farm Bureau Federation Issue Advisory Committee on Water and Water Quality; Chair of The Florida Farm Bureau Association’s Natural Resources Advisory Committee; a member of the board of directors for Redlands Christian Migrant Association; and a member of the board of directors for the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties.

English earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her juris doctor from the Mercer University School of Law.

Staci Sims

Staci Sims, a Highlands County native, is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Florida Farm Bureau Federation — the state’s largest general, agricultural member association. She previously served as Director of Local Government and Community Affairs for Florida Farm Bureau Federation.

Sims attended the University of Florida for both her undergraduate and law degrees. She is the wife of a Captain at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, a mother of three, and has been a foster parent.

Rosie Paulsen

Rosie Paulsen, a native of Ecuador who came to the United States as a teenager, is the owner of Rosie Paulsen Enterprises and S&R Services. Paulsen serves as a commissioner of the Commission on the Status of Women, which she was appointed to in 2019 by Senate President Bill Galvano, and on the City of Tampa Equal Business Opportunity Council.

She has been honored as one of the Fifty Most Influential Hispanic Business Leaders in Florida, received a Leadership Award from Tampa Bay Hispanic Heritage, and is an alumnus of Smart Pasco and Inner-City Capital Connection. Paulsen lives in Tampa with her husband and children.