F E AT U R E
“With rapidly changing technology, I feel like it’s super helpful to be young and willing to learn,” she said. In the workplace, Blair subscribes to the “2-Minute Rule,” which she attributed to the book, “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. “If you can get it done in less than two minutes, just do it now and get it off your to-do list,” Blair said. “That is something that has really, really helped me in fundraising, work and in life.” Blair said she met her husband, James Blair, in college when the two bonded over their “mutual love for conservative politics.” James Blair is the deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis and worked on DeSantis’ statewide campaign while Sam Blair was with Moody. Blair also is a former cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When she isn’t working in politics, she could be helping the football team’s community relations efforts or volunteering with the Junior League.
Sam Blair
When a statewide candidate faces a tough primary and contested general election, the importance of financial resources cannot be overstated. “We had a really hard fight for every single meeting we got, every single dollar we raised,” said Sam Blair, 28, as she recalled her role as finance director for Attorney General Ashley Moody’s 2018 win – something Blair considers a high-water mark from her career in politics. Blair came to the Moody campaign from a steady career in Republican politics. Involved in student government at Florida State University, Blair got an early start on St. Petersburg state Sen. Jeff Brandes’ 2012 campaign. She also has worked as a district aide to Tampa Rep. James Grant, followed by time at The James Madison Institute, a free-market think tank in Tallahassee. The Moody campaign, Blair said, “gave me confidence in my own ability to develop and implement a plan and stick to the goal.” She’s since founded Capital Campaign Group, which helps candidates and nonprofits with their fundraising, direct mail, social media and graphic design efforts. Graphic design and other sought-out digital techniques, Blair said, is something she pursued in her spare time to help make sure that her work wasn’t just good, but it looked good, too. 72 | INFLUENCE SUMMER 2019
Matt Brockelman
The first chapter of Matt Brockelman’s political story began at the University of North Florida during his junior year, when he decided to get involved in student government. The next year, he was elected student body President, where he became closely involved in the issue of student affordability — namely rising tuition costs. “That got me engaged with conversations that were happening in Tallahassee and elsewhere,” Brockelman said. “I realized, ‘Wow, I actually really like the political process.’” Today, that affinity remains for Brockelman, 30. A lobbyist at Southern Strategy Group’s (SSG) Jacksonville office, he