ABOVE: St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman at St Pete Pride 2019. Photo courtesy City of St. Pete.
Ahead of St. Petersburg’s historic general election Nov. 2, in which voters elected longtime LGBTQ ally Ken Welch as his successor, Watermark sat down with the term-limited Mayor Rick Kriseman at St. Petersburg City Hall to reflect on his eight inclusive years as the city’s leader.
You can read the in-depth Q&A here. LGBTQ activists, colleagues and leaders throughout Tampa Bay also reflected on Kriseman’s impact on St. Petersburg, seen below.
Dr. Scott Barry, Bay City Rehab & Wellness owner
My husband and I moved to the Tampa area in 1999 and I immediately joined the Tampa Bay Business Guild. One of the first people I met was Rick Kriseman, who is one of those warm, welcoming people that always makes you feel important. Later as the president of the Guild, we awarded him our “Citizen of the Year” title for all the work he was doing for the community. St. Pete has been blessed to have a mayor that cares as much as he does and always fights for everyone. He will be missed as a voice in the Tampa Bay area. Much love and success for any future venture he takes on.
Jim Nixon, St. Petersburg LGBTQ Liaison, Mayor’s Office
Rick has been an advocate long before becoming mayor. His unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community resonates throughout his career as an attorney and in politics. His vision for a St. Petersburg where the sun shines on all has grown throughout the city and had a direct impact on the livability of all its citizens. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity he has given me to work in the best city, and to work in a truly supportive environment where we’ve been able to directly impact the lives of the LGBTQ+ community while sharing his vision of what an inclusive city can be.
Major Markus Hughes, LGBTQ Liaison, St. Pete Police Dept.
I want to thank Mayor Kriseman for having heart and compassion toward everyone in the community, including the underserved populations, and for making the city feel safer for everyone to come out. He’s shown that everyone is important regardless of who you are or how you identify, and given people the strength to be themselves publicly. He’s encouraged everyone to help make this an equal and fair place to be.
Brian Longstreth, Casa del Merman owner
I met Rick Kriseman at a Tampa Bay Business Guild dinner in the mid 90s, where my first thought was “gay attorney, we need to meet.” I quickly found out he was married to his wife Kerry and was a strong ally to our community, which he’s continued to be during his 22+ years of public service. As mayor, Rick has continued to make St Petersburg a true LGBTQ+ welcoming destination for visitors and residents. Thank you Rick and Kerry, my dear friends, for all the fun times in making the Sunshine City even brighter – and I have to ask in true Jed Bartlett form: “What’s Next?”
Dr. Bob Wallace, Love The Golden Rule MD
My husband Jojo and I want to thank Mayor Kriseman for all that he stands for and all of the great things he did for the LGBTQ community during his time in office. He is a true leader and a true gentleman.He changed our lives and the lives of many in the LGBTQ community. The fact that I had to wait until I was 59 and a half years old to be married in Florida speaks volumes to what efforts had to be taken for us to wed here in the state. Thank you for all that you’ve done. We look forward to seeing you in future public office.
Tiffany Freisberg, St Pete Pride President
It’s not a coincidence that St Pete Pride grew to become Florida’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration under the tenure of Mayor Rick Kriseman. His leadership set a tone of open-hearted inclusiveness that allowed our organization to flourish. Thank you, Mayor Kriseman, for marshaling the support of the city and showing others what it truly means to be an ally.
Chris Jones, Come OUT St. Pete Chair
Mayor Kriseman, thank you for eight years of service to St. Petersburg and always advocating for such a diverse city. You’ve supported Come Out St. Pete and the LGBTQ+ community over the years and we thank you for that! Good luck in your future endeavors!
Joy Winheim, Empath Partners in Care Executive Director
I have watched the progress and growth in the St. Petersburg LGBTQ community and am so proud of the accomplishments this city has made under the leadership of Rick Kriseman. Mayor Kriseman made St. Petersburg a safe place for families of all kinds, a place that celebrates diversity and a place that showed it knew what the true meaning of inclusivity meant. I know that whatever endeavor comes next, he will shine just as brightly as he did here in St. Petersburg.
Brian Bailey, Metro Inclusive Health Chief Marketing & Experience Officer
Mayor Kriseman’s administration went above and beyond in positioning St. Pete as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. In doing so, he influenced peers and helped solidify Tampa Bay’s place as a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. That legacy has and will continue to positively impact the economic growth of our region for generations to come.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor
Rick has been a great friend and mentor since the first day I took office. He has been a pleasure to work with to improve the quality of life throughout our region.
Justice Gennari, Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber President
The mayor has been an individual member of the Chamber for many years and a strong supporter through all of our efforts. His philosophy has been to make sure that the sun shines on all who live, work and play in St. Petersburg and it shows in everything the city has done under his leadership and to support the region as an inclusive place. It’s been great to have a friend and mayor that believes that we should all have an equal piece of the pie at the table.
Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director
While the state legislature escalates attacks on our community, Florida’s cities continue to lead the state in LGBTQ inclusion. Mayor Kriseman’s leadership in St. Petersburg has made this a welcoming place for my wife and I to raise our child. We must continue to uplift the values of fairness and equal treatment under the law and ensure our city and our state are welcoming and inclusive places for everyone to live, work and visit.
Susan McGrath, Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus Campaign Chair
Rick Kriseman inherited a sometimes sleepy city with serious challenges but the potential to be more, do more. Under his leadership, we are a more inclusive, welcoming and loving city. The progress of this administration will benefit generations to come. When I travel throughout the state or nation, folks recognize St Petersburg as a city pf progress. I’m proud to call St. Pete home and thankful for this mayor’s vision and commitment.
Nathan Bruemmer, Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services LGBTQ Consumer Advocate
I can barely wrap my head around summarizing Mayor Kriseman’s impact on the city as an LGBTQ ally. We always knew this day would come. He has ushered in a completely new era for our city. Mayor Kriseman has a sincere and personal dedication to equity. Through his consistent support and courageous leadership, I watched him transform from an ally to a CHAMPION for the LGBTQ+ community. It has been an honor and a privilege to know and to work with Mayor Kriseman. He has left an indelible mark on our city, and certainly on me as well. May we all be inspired to carry forward the work.
