INFLUENCE
100
Norman BRAMAN {TITAN}
86 | INFLUENCE SUMMER 2018
Dean CANNON {LOBBYIST}
Walking the halls of the Capitol in his 20s for GrayRobinson, Dean Cannon stood apart — a lobbyist who preferred listening to speaking; a lawyer interested in learning, not pontificating. Running for the House, Dean could not have foreseen his future: The Great Recession, the budget in free fall, Sansom, Greer and Crist. For most, maintaining the state’s fiscal health and the party’s majority would have been accomplishment enough. But where others saw crisis, Cannon saw opportunity. He believed House Republicans should not apologize for being conservatives. He understood the House of Representatives could be more than the governor’s agent or the Senate’s rambunctious little brother. As Speaker, he made subtle and significant changes until he had an institution retooled and revitalized for the post-term-limits era. He deployed that House like a special forces team — disciplined, precise, mobile — and wielded power like a sniper rifle. He focused on the mission — accomplishing bold reforms, like overhauling the entire Medicaid system. Things have come full circle. He is once again a lawyer/lobbyist for GrayRobinson, although now he’s the boss. He still listens more than he speaks and understands how to use power better than anyone. When he walks the halls of the Capitol, he still stands apart; the former Speaker who, amid a hailstorm of problems, discovered a new world of possibilities. – Mat Bahl, Chief of Staff, Florida House of Representatives
PHOTO: Nick Garcia Photography (Braman); Mary Beth Tyson (Cannon)
We were introduced to each other by Marco Rubio, but I really got to know and spend a lot of time with Norman Braman during the mayoral recall in 2011 and have seen him regularly ever since. His wisdom and guidance are sought by business and political leaders throughout Florida and beyond. His lasting contributions will be felt on causes where he’s taken a public leadership role, and more so for him and his wife Irma’s role in things like an apprenticeship program at his dealerships in conjunction with local schools to train young men and women in the automotive industry. In the arts too, there’s the Institute of Contemporary Art. The free art museum does not bear their name, but was built by the Bramans and a few others — with no public dollars — for the benefit of the community. And Art Basel in Miami, an international event that attracts artists and their work from around the globe to Miami. This list could go on and on. But the thing I have found the most impressive about Mr. Braman is humility. Though he and his wife are responsible for these wonderful things, they seek zero recognition and are content in the benefits that their community derives from them. – Carlos Lopez Cantera, Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez Cantera