Manatee County Administration fills new Director of Government Relations Position

BRADENTON — Manatee County Government has announced that Stephanie Garrison will fill the newly created role of Director of Government Relations. Garrison was confirmed to the position during a BOCC meeting on Wednesday.

The county’s Director of Government Relations position is not a newly added staff position, but a reassigned position created of the previously allocated administration’s chief of staff position.

Shortly after County Administrator Charlie Bishop was named county administrator, he appointed Andrew Butterfield to serve as his chief of staff. Butterfield was the first chief of staff to serve in Manatee County Government.

In November, TBT confirmed that Butterfield had separated from the county organization—a county spokesperson shared that Butterfield’s former position would be reassigned to create a Director of Government Relations position.

Interviews for the new role were already underway shortly after Butterfield’s departure.

According to a county press release, the Director of Government Relations will be responsible for the coordination of community, intergovernmental, and legislative issues. The position also includes managing economic development and business relations functions, as well as oversight of communications, information management, and the county’s 3-1-1 service.

Though interviews and selection for appointment to the position is the purview of county administration, administrative selections to director-level and above positions must come before county commissioners for confirmation.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Deputy County Administrator Courtney De Pol introduced Garrison to commissioners by sharing that, “Ms. Garrison brings a wealth of experience in legislative affairs, strategic communications, and community engagement.”

De Pol added that Garrison “honed her skills in policy development and stakeholder relations” in her previous position serving as a senior legislative aide to State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-FL) prior to joining Manatee County Government.

Garrison’s resume was attached to Wednesday’s meeting agenda, showing that she had also worked for Apple for 14 years, ending in June 2023.

During her tenure with Apple, Garrison served in various roles within the tech company, including as a Business Manager, Human Resources Leader, Senior Manager, Talent Recruiter, Program Manager, HR Business Partner, Change Management Leader, and Global HR Program Manager.

Garrison’s years with Apple saw her working at several international and national retail locations, including in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and London, as well as in Georgia, Washington D.C., Florida, and Texas.

Her responsibilities and experience include team development, business marketing, analytics, communications, community engagement, talent management, workforce planning, and career development, among other roles.

After her career with Apple ended in Sept. 2023, Garrison's work shifted to a family business.

According to her resume, Garrison is the owner of the Playtri Sarasota Bike Shop and Triathlon Store. The business has grown to $1.5 million in sales and serves more than 6,000 customers.

Garrison’s resume did not list her time working as an aide to Sen. Gruters, but a public LinkedIn account belonging to Garrison showed she worked at Gruter's office for two months, from Dec. 2024 to Jan. 2025.

Though Garrison’s work experience in a public or government-related field is minimal, her resume includes that she earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Government and American Politics from the University of Virginia.

She is also fluent in Mandarin, Swedish, and Spanish and holds culinary arts and project management certifications.

Manatee County advertised the Director of Government Relations opening as offering a salary beginning at $117,171 up to $194,572—with benefits.

Garrison will begin in the new role with Manatee County at a starting rate of roughly $160,000 annually.

The former administrator’s chief of staff position—reassigned to create the new government relations position—was an administrative position within pay grade 12. At the time of Butterfield’s tenure, the starting salary for that position was $190,000.

Reassigned as the Director of Government Relations, the position is now pay grade 11, in line with other county department director positions.

Speaking about Garrison's former work experience, which she will bring to her new role as Director of Government Relations, Deputy De Pol told commissioners, “Her diverse expertise and dynamic leadership will drive innovative and impactful outcomes for Manatee County.”

Garrison shared a few words from the podium Wednesday after receiving the commissioners’ unanimous confirmation.

“I am deeply honored to serve Manatee County,” said Garrison. “I look forward to working with each and every one of you… it’s an honor and a privilege. Thank you.”

Garrison began in the new role on Jan. 6, 2025.



Dawn Kitterman is a staff reporter and investigative journalist for The Bradenton Times covering local government news. She can be reached at dawn.kitterman@thebradentontimes.com.