Jeffrey Atwater

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Jeffrey 'Jeff' Atwater

Member of the Florida State Senate from the 25th district
In office 2003 -

Born	April 8, 1958 (1958-04-08) (age 50) St. Louis, Missouri
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Carol Funkhouser
Profession	banker
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jeffrey 'Jeff' Atwater is a Republican member of the Florida Senate, representing the 25th District since 2003. His district includes Palm Beach and Broward counties. Previously he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2001 through 2002.

Atwater moved to Florida at the age of 4 and grew up in North Palm Beach, Florida, where his father, a veteran World War II pilot and FBI Agent, served as Police Chief. He went on to gain substantial experience in banking, and was elected to the North Palm Beach Village Council in 1993. Later, he served as chairman, president and CEO of the Barnett Bank of Broward County and the Treasure Coast, and later as Market President of Riverside National Bank for Palm Beach and Broward counties. Atwater served in the Florida House of Representatives for two years before being elected to the state Senate. Atwater is expected to become Senate President for the 2008-10 Senate term and is mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for Chief Financial Officer in 2010.

Senator Atwater and his proponents assert that his background provides him with a unique insight into legislative issues pertaining to banking, insurance, finance and fiscal responsibility. In part, this expertise led Senate President Tom Lee to appoint him as Chair of Government Efficiency Appropriations and Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Medicaid Reform.

[edit] Education

Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida
Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from the Warrington College of Business at UF