Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County Commissioner Rodney J. Long will be speaking to the public on Wednesday June 15, 2011, at 11 a.m. in the Alachua County Administration Building, Jack Durrance Auditorium (Room 209) located at 12 SE 1^st Street Gainesville.

Commissioner Long will be speaking to his decision to retire from the County Commission by not seeking re-election in November of 2012.    

Commissioner Long has been involved civically and politically in Gainesville and Alachua County since 1978.  In March 1988, Commissioner Long was elected Gainesville's first single-member district commissioner.  He was re-elected to a second term in March 1991.  In May of 1991, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as Gainesville's first district mayor-commissioner.

In November 2000, Commissioner Long was elected to serve on the Alachua County Commission, becoming the first African American to serve on both the City and County Commissions.  He served three consecutive terms as a County Commissioner

Commissioner Long has been active in the Florida Association of Counties (FAC).  He is the Immediate Past President of the FAC having served two terms as president.  Commissioner Long has also served on the following boards and committees of FAC; member of the Florida Counties Foundation; past vice chairman of the Finance and Accounting Committee; past member of the Urban Caucus, the Florida Counties Foundation Curriculum Committee, the Florida Counties Foundation Bylaws Commit
tee, past member; President Select Committee on Article V, past member; President Select Committee on Medicaid Reform, past member; President Select Committee on Impact Fees and School Concurrency; chairman; President Select Committee on NACo elections. Commissioner Long is a Certified County Commissioner and Graduate of the Florida Association of Counties Advanced County Commissioners Program.

He is   involved with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and attends legislative and annual conferences.  He currently serves as chairman of the Economic Development sub-committee, member of the Economic Development and Housing Committee, and member of the National Association of Counties Board of Directors, Finance Committee and Audit Committee.  Commissioner Long is the past recipient of the 2008 Florida Association of Counties Presidential Advocacy Award.  Commissioner Long was recently invited to attend the Whitehouse to meet with President Obama to discuss issues facing the nation’s counties.

For more information, contact Mark Sexton in the Alachua County Communications Office at 352-374-5204.