Rose Ferlita
Encyclopedia
Rose V. Ferlita is a Pharmacist
and Moderate
politician
affiliated with the Republican party (United States)
.
She was raised in Ybor City and grew up working with her family at the Ferlita Bakery
. Ferlita attended high school at the Academy of the Holy Names in Tampa and later enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans
for her undergraduate studies. She completed her graduate courses at the University of Florida
, College of Pharmacy, in Gainesville, Florida
.
Rose Ferlita attained her business experience by serving 18 years as a pharmacist
in the corporate world with Eckerd
and CVS Corporation
in Hillsborough County, Florida
. In 1984, she founded Rose Drugs, Inc., where she served the pharmacy
needs of Seminole Heights, College Hill
and surrounding areas. In March 1999, boosted by a grassroots effort, Ferlita won her first election to Tampa City Council. She served as the District 2 Citywide Tampa City Council Representative and was subsequently re-elected in March 2003.
In 2006, Rose Ferlita ran to fill the vacant seat in the District 1 Hillsborough County Commission race previously held by Kathy Castor
, who had successfully run for Florida's 11th Congressional District. In accordance with Florida election law, Ferlita submitted her resignation to the City Council prior to the elections for County Commission. After a heated Republican primary, she won with more than 53% of the votes during the September 5, 2006 primary election. Two months later at the General Election on November 7, 2006 she secured another election victory with more than 58% of the votes.
On July 8, 2010, Ferlita announced her intent to run for mayor of Tampa in 2011. On March 22, 2011, during her watch party at the Sons of Italy Hall in West Tampa, she conceded victory to Democrat Bob Buckhorn
with 37% of the vote to his 63%, stating to her friends and supporters that in the end "it's not about the race you lost. It's about the friends you have."
Rose Ferlita currently lives in Hyde Park (Tampa) with her two rescue dogs Hal and Murray.
City of Tampa Council Member, District Two, City-wide; April 1999 - November 2006
City of Tampa Public Safety Chair
City of Tampa Public Works Vice Chair
Public Transportation Commission
Public Safety Coordinating Council
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
and Moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
affiliated with the Republican party (United States)
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
She was raised in Ybor City and grew up working with her family at the Ferlita Bakery
Ybor City Museum State Park
Ybor City Museum State Park is a Florida State Park in Tampa, Florida. The museum occupies the former Ferlita Bakery in Ybor City's National Historic District, at 1818 9th Avenue. It recounts the history of the cigar industry and the Latin community and there from the 1880s through the 1930s...
. Ferlita attended high school at the Academy of the Holy Names in Tampa and later enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
for her undergraduate studies. She completed her graduate courses at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, College of Pharmacy, in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
.
Rose Ferlita attained her business experience by serving 18 years as a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in the corporate world with Eckerd
Eckerd
Eckerd Corporation was an American drug store chain that was headquartered in Largo, Florida, and toward the end of its life, in Warwick, Rhode Island....
and CVS Corporation
CVS Corporation
CVS Pharmacy, or simply CVS, is the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States , with over 7,000 stores in 41 states and Puerto Rico...
in Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
. In 1984, she founded Rose Drugs, Inc., where she served the pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
needs of Seminole Heights, College Hill
College Hill, Tampa, Florida
College Hill is a neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa, Florida in the United States. As of the 2000 census the neighborhood had a population of 520. However this includes only the subdivision of Belmont Heights Estates. Neighboring Ponce de Leon Estates is also part of this neighborhood...
and surrounding areas. In March 1999, boosted by a grassroots effort, Ferlita won her first election to Tampa City Council. She served as the District 2 Citywide Tampa City Council Representative and was subsequently re-elected in March 2003.
In 2006, Rose Ferlita ran to fill the vacant seat in the District 1 Hillsborough County Commission race previously held by Kathy Castor
Kathy Castor
Kathy Castor is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district covers most of the city of Tampa, most of south St...
, who had successfully run for Florida's 11th Congressional District. In accordance with Florida election law, Ferlita submitted her resignation to the City Council prior to the elections for County Commission. After a heated Republican primary, she won with more than 53% of the votes during the September 5, 2006 primary election. Two months later at the General Election on November 7, 2006 she secured another election victory with more than 58% of the votes.
On July 8, 2010, Ferlita announced her intent to run for mayor of Tampa in 2011. On March 22, 2011, during her watch party at the Sons of Italy Hall in West Tampa, she conceded victory to Democrat Bob Buckhorn
Bob Buckhorn
Bob Buckhorn is the mayor of Tampa, Florida.-Political history:A 1980 graduate of Penn State University, Bob Buckhorn arrived in Tampa in 1982...
with 37% of the vote to his 63%, stating to her friends and supporters that in the end "it's not about the race you lost. It's about the friends you have."
Rose Ferlita currently lives in Hyde Park (Tampa) with her two rescue dogs Hal and Murray.
Elected and Appointed Positions Held
Hillsborough County of Florida, County Commissioner, District 1; November 2006City of Tampa Council Member, District Two, City-wide; April 1999 - November 2006
City of Tampa Public Safety Chair
City of Tampa Public Works Vice Chair
Public Transportation Commission
Public Safety Coordinating Council
Awards and recognitions
- The Elizabeth Prebich Elected Official Leadership Award for 2008 from the National Association of Counties (NACHSA). This award is for distinguished leadership in human services for an elected official whose efforts and commitment have helped increase awareness of the critical role that county human services agencies play in local, state and national arenas, March 2, 2008.
- Italian-American Women of Excellence Award, October, 2004
- The Florida Pharmacy Association honored Rose Ferlita in July 2000 with the James H. Beal Florida Pharmacist of the Year. This honor was bestowed upon her by her fellow pharmacists statewide in recognition of her “outstanding service to pharmacy”.
- Faces and Places – "Drug store owner has cure for neighborhood woes”. The Tampa Tribune Nov. 23, 1993
- Best of the Bay ’94, Drug Store Category, Creative Loafing, September 1994
- “Pharmacy Spotlight” Pharmacy Times, October, 1994
- “Independent Superstars”, 1996 Drug Topics, The Drug Topics Honor Roll, October 1995 and 1996
- “Woman of the ‘90’s”, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Edition , May 2, 1994
- Florida Pharmacy Association’s James H. Beal Award, “Pharmacist of the Year 2000”
- Harvest of Hope Political Leadership Award, 2005
- “Prescriptions for Success”, The Tampa Tribune, February 24, 2005