Richard Stern
The Heritage Foundation
Richard Stern is Director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at the Heritage Foundation. Prior to joining Heritage, Stern was a Congressional staffer for over seven years. During that time, he served as a policy staffer for the Republican Study Committee, where he was the staff lead for their Budget and Spending task force and spearheaded their work to create their FY 2020 and FY 2022 federal budgets.
He also served as Legislative Director for Representative Tom McClintok of California and was a Legislative Assistant for former Representative Steve King of Iowa.
Stern is a graduate of Emory University and holds a bachelor of arts in Economics.
Denise Carlin
The School District of Lee County
Dr. Carlin is a lifelong educator, having served the School District of Lee County for 32 years as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and district leader. Dr. Carlin was elected on November 5, 2024, as Superintendent of Schools, for a four-year term. She is proud to serve as the first elected Superintendent in Lee County in over fifty years. Dr. Carlin is honored to have the opportunity to serve the students, families, and team members who make Lee County so exceptional. Dr. Carlin believes in public education and knows that the children of Lee County are our future. She recognizes that, while the School District of Lee County has made some strides, there is so much more that can be done to provide a high-quality education for every student. As such, our school district will ensure safe and secure schools, increase student achievement, expand technical education opportunities, increase teacher retention and recruitment, ensure fiscal responsibility, and empower parents as our partners in education. Dr. Carlin was raised in Cape Coral and has lived in Lee County for 55 years. She has been married to her husband for 34 years and they have two sons.
Tiffany Esposito
SWFL Inc.
Tiffany Esposito, MBA, CCE, IOM, APR and President & CEO of SWFL Inc. promises she is done earning letter designations to add after her name. A 13-year veteran of the Chamber industry, SWFL native and strong believer in Taco Tuesdays, Tiffany actively participates in national and regional conversations to improve the quality of life for businesses and their teams.