With the commencement of the 2016-17 school year, the Swope Rodante Vanguard Award is happy to announce that Bob Henriquez has joined the program as a member of the Selection Board. After participating in the End of the Year Awards Banquet as the Keynote Speaker, Mr. Henriquez decided that he wanted to play a more integral role in the program.
A fifth-generation resident of Tampa and a graduate of Princeton University, Bob Henriquez has worked in both the public and private sectors. He was a consultant for engineering and planning firms and was a government affairs coordinator for the Tampa Bay Builders Association.
On the public side, Bob served four terms as a State Representative in the Florida Legislature and, later, headed up the Pinellas and Pasco counties division of the Department of Children and Families. In addition, Bob served two stints as head football coach at Tampa Catholic and twice led the Crusaders to the state title game. After winning the election to the HCPA in 2012, Bob stepped down as TC’s football coach to focus on the responsibilities of his office. Along with his daily responsibilities as Property Appraiser, Bob is also the Chair of the Legislative Committee for PAAF (Property Appraiser’s Association of Florida) and a member of the FCIAAO Real Property Steering Committee. Bob and his wife, Carrie, are the parents of three children, son, Drew Alexander, and two daughters, Elin Mackenzie and Emma Elizabeth.
With his addition, the Selection Board is now comprised of ten Tampa Bay business leaders including:
- Vincent Jackson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Rod Carter – News Channel 8
- Arthenia Joyner – Vanguard Attorneys
- Ryan Nece – The Ryan Nece Foundation
- Preston Jackson – Big County Preps
- Sarah Carlson – Ernst & Young, LLP
- Mike Suarez – Tampa City Councilmen
- Gerald Honeywell – G. Honeywell Consulting, Inc.
- Ken Roberts – Skills Center
Each month of the school year, The Swope Rodante Vanguard Award Selection Board recognizes the “Student Athlete of the Month.” The winning student receives an award recognizing his/her achievements as well as a $1,000 check that is donated to their school’s athletic department in honor of their outstanding performance. Student Athletes of the Month are eligible to be named the overall “Student Athlete MVP” at the end of the year and receive a gift to help them in college.
The Swope Rodante Vanguard Award also recognizes outstanding coaches. At the end of each school year, two coaches – one male and one female coach –are recognized for their remarkable contributions, both on and off the field. Each Coach of the Year is presented with $1,000 as a way of thanking them for their commitment to making a positive impact in the community.
The program is currently accepting nominations for the September Student Athlete of the Month until September 14th. For more information on the Vanguard Award, please visit the link below: www.swoperodante.com/the-swope-rodante-vanguard-award.
REQUIREMENTS FOR NOMINATED STUDENTS
- Provide the student’s name and year (only juniors and seniors are eligible)
- Provide student’s current overall GPA (minimum GPA of 3.0 or above is required)
- List sport and athletic achievements
- Describe community involvement
- Detail any hardships overcome by the student athlete
- Detail plans for continuing education
