Longboat Key congressman Vern Buchanan chooses Tara Poulton as his next district director

U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan announced Monday that he has hired a new district director – Tara Poulton. She will replace long-time director Sally Shely, who is retiring.

Poulton is currently the vice president of public policy and workforce partnerships at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. In her new role as district director, Poulton will run Buchanan’s offices in Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

“I am very pleased to welcome Tara to my office," Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a news release. "Her communications skills, combined with her passion for public policy and heart for constituent services make her the ideal person for this position.”

Before working at the Manatee chamber, she served as division director and county spokesperson for DeSoto County government and as the senior government affairs regional manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Poulton holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of South Florida, and will graduate from Florida State University’s Master of Public Administration program this summer. She and her family reside in Lakewood Ranch, and she’s a board member of the Manatee Tiger Bay Club, Manatee Education TV and Manatee Technical College.

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“I am beyond excited to be joining the office of Congressman Buchanan,” Poulton said in the press release. “It will be a true honor to follow in Sally Shely's footsteps and all she has accomplished in her 25-plus-year congressional career. I am thrilled to be returning to the public sector and eager to serve the constituents in the greater Manatee area and southern Hillsborough County.”

Shely, who was a familiar face in the community, officially retires from the district director role at the end of July. She started working with Buchanan in 2006, serving as the communications director for his first campaign. She then joined his congressional staff, first serving as communications director and then as district director.

Shely led the congressman’s efforts to assist constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic and his hurricane relief and recovery efforts, according to the news release. During her tenure in the office, she coordinated over 70 town halls and established awards programs that honor law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers and veterans.

“From day one, Sally has demonstrated the leadership, work-ethic and professionalism that has made her one of the most respected district directors in Congress,” Buchanan said. “Her dedication to our community along with the relationships she has cultivated in Southwest Florida have unquestionably helped make me a better representative.”

Shely will retire with more than 27 years of experience as a congressional staffer, as she also worked for former U.S. Senator Mel Martinez and former U.S. Reps. Katherine Harris, Charles Bass and Bill Zeliff.

"It has been a great honor and a privilege to work with Vern on behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District," Shely stated. "I am truly thankful for every opportunity he has given me to advocate for his constituents and help advance his agenda to reduce spending, grow the economy and protect our freedom."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Rep. Vern Buchanan hires Tara Poulton as his next district director