Gov. DeSantis appoints Lisa Yeager to Pasco County Commission

Image via Lisa Yeager campaign

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Lisa Yeager to the Pasco County Commission. She will fill the term of the late Gary Bradford, who passed away last month after a battle with leukemia.

Yeager owns and is a partner in Boating Enterprises of Florida, a boat dealership based in Hudson. She previously served as the director of the Teen Parent Program for Pasco County Schools.

She is also running for the seat, which will be on the ballot as a Special Election concurrent with regular elections this cycle. Yeager, a Republican, is the third candidate to file for the race. She joins fellow Republican Christina Fitzpatrick and Democrat Daniel Ackroyd-Isales in the race so far.

“I have known Lisa Yeager for over 20 years. Her life has been about dedication to her family, community, and God,” said consultant Shawn Foster, who previously worked for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and then-state Sen. Mike Fasano. “I am so glad she has taken this step to now dedicate her life to public service. I can assure you that she will make Pasco Proud!”

In addition to her work leading the Teen Parent Program, Yeager is a strong advocate for technical education and workforce development, which she has advocated for as a SAC committee member for Marchman Technical College over her eight years of volunteer service with the school. She also previously worked as a preschool teacher and as a development officer at Pasco Hernando State College.

Yeager is also a volunteer for what she describes as “pro-family conservative causes,” which includes past sponsorship of the West Pasco Pregnancy Center, a faith-based organization that promotes alternatives to abortion.

Yeager will face Fitzpatrick — known in Pasco as “Fitzy” — in the GOP Primary. Fitzpatrick is a former County Commissioner who served two years prior to Bradford taking office. She sought re-election in 2022 after winning a Special Election in 2020, but lost to Bradford in a closed Primary, before Bradford went on to defeat a write-in candidate in the General Election. Now she’s running again.

Yeager said she is running to boost public safety, among other priorities.