‘Good hands:’ St. Pete City Council welcomes new leadership

Lisset Hanewicz’s parents were exiled from Cuba. Their daughter is now the first Hispanic chairperson of the St. Petersburg City Council.

Hanewicz officially took the gavel from Councilmember Copley Gerdes during an emotional ceremony Thursday. “I knew we would need extra tissues,” Mayor Ken Welch said later in the meeting.

Serving as chairperson comes with more than just a ceremonial title. Hanewicz has the power to appoint council members to committees and boards, set agendas, guide discussions and call for special meetings. She will also foster collaboration with the mayoral administration and speak for her colleagues at public events.

“I’m deeply grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in me to serve as the Chair of the St. Petersburg City Council,” Hanewicz said in a prepared statement. “As public servants, our responsibility is to make thoughtful, informed decisions that invest in our community and secure a strong future for our city.”

Her parents came to the United States via the “Freedom Flights,” a mass airlift that transported approximately 270,000 Cuban refugees between 1965 and 1973. Hanewicz was born in Tampa and raised in Miami.

She was also the first in her family to attend college, and subsequently graduated from law school. Hanewicz, known for meticulously reviewing city documents and contracts, formerly served as assistant state attorney in Pinellas County and assistant U.S. attorney in Florida’s Middle District.

Elected to the council November 2021, Hanewicz represents District 4 and the city’s Historic Old Northeast, Crescent Lake, Euclid St. Paul’s and Greater Woodlawn neighborhoods. “After the time I served on city council, I hope when people are asked about where they live, they say the same thing that they do now, which is ‘I love St. Pete,’” she told the Catalyst the following month.

Thursday’s ceremony, as Welch later noted, began with a heartfelt tribute video from Hanewicz’s daughter, Ana Sofia, who was visiting Kennedy Space Center. “I’m really sorry for her, on the day of her swearing-in, having to wake up at 5 (a.m.) to drop me off,” she said.

“And I love her so much.”

The importance of a supportive family and collaboration within City Hall were recurring themes Thursday. “I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues on city council, Mayor Welch and his administration as we serve as careful stewards of the city’s budget, prioritize public safety and infrastructure and ensure St. Petersburg remains a resilient, thriving place for all,” Hanewicz said.

Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz (center) swore in next to her husband, Wayne (right).

City Council’s vice chair fills in for the chairperson, and typically assumes the role the following year. Hanewicz held that title under Gerdes, who received effusive praise before and an emotional speech.

Councilmember Richie Floyd swore in as the new vice chair Thursday. He was born in Fort Walton Beach and moved to St. Petersburg after college.

An engineer by trade, Floyd held positions with Honeywell Aerospace and Micro Systems Inc. He later became disenchanted with corporate America and defense contracting, and went to work as an educator with Pinellas County Schools.

In November 2021, Floyd became the first open Democratic Socialist to win a Florida election in over a century. “Some people may be more progressive than others, but when we’re all sort of aligned in the same direction – that’s a great thing to see for the city,” he said in an interview the following month.

“I’m honored to have the confidence of my colleagues,” Floyd said Thursday. “As vice chair, I will work diligently to make life better for every St. Petersburg resident.”

Much of the meeting centered on Gerdes, who led the council as the city recovered from an unprecedented hurricane season. Hanewicz was the first to address Gerdes, a baseball aficionado, and made it a point to reference the sport.

“Even when you think you’re prepared, when you believe you know what the future holds, life has a way of throwing you a curveball,” Hanewicz said. “Those curveballs are amplified when you serve on city council – whether it’s the economy, hurricanes or Tallahassee’s next new idea – there will always be controversy, debate and disagreement, often playing out in full public view.

“If you’re lucky, you get to serve alongside a chair who can guide the council through whatever turbulent winds are coming our way. Someone who provides leadership, steady guidance and somehow manages to attend the countless meetings and appearances that seem impossible when you also have a family, young children and another job.”

A “very humbled” Gerdes returned the gratitude to his colleagues, aides, family and the public. “All of the curveballs we talked about – you guys were in the batter’s box with me,” he said.

“Our council is in good hands,” Gerdes said of Hanewicz and Floyd. “I know that on a daily basis, you are thinking about what is best for the City of St. Petersburg, and you fight damn hard to make sure that people see that vision. And if nothing else, I respect the hell out of that.”

Councilmember Copley Gerdes called serving as chairperson the “honor of a lifetime.”