Commissioner Kimberly Overman presented a special In Memoriam recognition honoring Thomas Terrell Sessums, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, during the August BOCC Regular Meeting. Mr. Sessums was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and was a longtime resident of Tampa. He sadly passed away on June 6, 2020. Among those present at the virtual memoriam ceremony were his daughter Sandra Sessums Slayton, son Richard, brothers Steve and John, Mickey Castor, EPC Executive Director Janet Dougherty, as well as representatives of the University of South Florida and the Tampa Sports Authority.

Mr. Sessums spent over 60 years in public service as a lawyer, government official, and leader at various institutions of higher education. He advocated for many causes benefiting Hillsborough County, including the legislative creation of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC), formerly known as the Hillsborough Pollution Control Commission, in 1967. His visionary leadership ensured the establishment of reasonable and enforceable local standards for clean water and air, vital to the protection of the environment and public health in the Tampa Bay Area.

Ms. Dougherty presented Mr. Sessums with the EPC's Executive Director Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 at the Agency's 50th Anniversary Celebration. “He was an amazing family man, community leader, mentor, friend, role model, and statesman...He left his mark on the community and his accomplishments are second to none," Ms. Dougherty remarked during the memoriam. She went on to point out that as a result of EPC's creation and decades of regulatory efforts, Hillsborough County achieved clean air attainment status this year. The clean water we enjoy has been aided in large part by EPC and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. Added local wetlands protection mitigates flood risks, lowering flood insurance rates for area residents. She concluded by stating, "We need to continue his legacy and solve problems when we see them, and leave a better environment and place for future generations after we're gone."

We wish to express our sincerest condolences to Mr. Sessum's family. He was indeed an amazing man and he will be greatly missed.