Florida Department of State
Agenda Files
Bio
Mrs. Benson is a graduate of Emory University in the field of English. She is a former councilwoman for the City of Pensacola, as well as a former state representative from 1992-1994.
She currently serves as chair of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, chair of Pensacola Opera, and immediate past chair of Foofoofest. She is a member of Five Flags Rotary.
Mrs. Benson is very involved in her local community, serving on the boards of The Zoo of Northwest Florida and the Northwest Florida Historic Preservation Board.
Mr. Deratany, a former Florida State Senator and Representative, is president of Deratany Consulting, a Governmental and Public Affairs firm. Prior to lobbying, Mr. Deratany served as Mayor of Indialantic and Director of University Relations at the Florida Institute of Technology.
At some point during each day, you can find Mr. Deratany painting in his riverside art studio. An avid artist for the past ten years, Mr. Deratany is a board member of the Brevard Museum of Art and Science and previously served as Chairman of the Florida Seaside Art Show. He belongs to the Brevard Watercolor Society and the Brevard Artists Guild. For Mr. Deratany, art offers a welcome respite from the hectic world of politics.
Katharine Dickenson has been a community volunteer since 1973 with an emphasis on Historic Preservation and the Arts. She served on and chaired such boards as the Boca Raton Historical Society, the PalmBeach County Historic Preservation Board, and the Boca Raton Junior League in early years. She went on to Chair the Florida Historic Preservation Commission in 1988 and to Chair Florida's Council on Arts and Culture for three terms. Mrs. Dickenson is the only Floridian to have chaired both the Historical Commission and the Council on Arts and Culture.
Nationally, Mrs. Dickenson has served on the Boards of The National Trust For Historic Preservation, The Edith Wharton Home in Lenox, MA, the Robert Todd Lincoln home in Vermont, and the Manchester, VT MusicFestival as well as The Dorset, VT Theater Festival. Serving as Vice-Chair of the Federal Commsission to celebrate St. Augustine's 450th, Mrs. Dickenson has been involved with the Mayor and Commission of St Augustine and the Department of the Interior who appointed her in 2010 to promote St. Augustine world wide. She also recently served on the Strategic Planning Council For The Arts in 2005 and is currently serving on the 2015 Council. The Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton recently asked her to join the Friends of The Conservatory.
Mrs. Dickenson resides in Boca Raton with her husband, David, an attorney. Her three sons (who also practice law), their wives and 7 grandchildren live within an 18 minute radius of Katharine ... perhaps one of her finest lobbying efforts.
Towson Fraser is president of Fraser Solutions, a Tallahassee-based lobbying and communications consulting firm, and has close to 20 years of political and governmental experience.
Most recently, Towson was a partner with Southern Strategy Group in Tallahassee. Prior to that, he served Governor Charlie Crist as his Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Affairs Director. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Towson coordinated with numerous state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of State, Department of Revenue, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Water Management Districts, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation. As Legislative Affairs Director, Towson managed the progress of the Governor’s priorities through the legislative process including budget issues and landmark legislation in regard to energy, health care, insurance, and property taxes.
Prior to working for Governor Crist, Towson served as Communications Director for Speaker Allan Bense, as well as the Republican Party of Florida, the Department of Management Services, and the Department of Community Affairs. Towson also worked in the House Majority Office under Speakers John Thrasher and Tom Feeney.
A native of Tallahassee who grew up in Jacksonville, Towson, his wife Carrie, and their children Caroline, Jack, Helen and Sophie live in Tallahassee.
Heather Mayo currently serves as the Assistant Director of Production and Community Engagement at the Florida State University (FSU) College of Music. In her position, she oversees the production coordination of over a hundred events presented annually in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Ms. Mayo also assists in various outreach, engagement, entrepreneurial activities, and guest artist residencies at the College of Music. Additionally, she works closely with university and community performing arts partners such as Opening Nights Performing Arts, Golden Tribe Lecture Series, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Tallahassee Ballet, Tallahassee Youth Orchestras, and the Artist Series of Tallahassee.
Ms. Mayo is the Immediate Past-President of the Friends of Dance board within the FSU College of Fine Arts and is currently serving as a 2018 Catalyst with the Knight Creative Communities Institute in Tallahassee. Throughout her tenure at FSU, she has served on various university committees including the committee for the annual FSU Veteran’s Film Festival, and occasionally serves as a guest lecturer for seminars in arts administration and music entrepreneurship.
A classically-trained guitarist, Ms. Mayo earned a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Music at the FSU College of Music and shortly after spent time working in the music industry in Nashville. Before returning to graduate school, she spent time working in the financial industry in Tallahassee and in 2012, earned a Masters in Arts Administration at the FSU College of Music. During her graduate studies, she served as a Program Assistant for the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and as the Head House Manager for the FSU School of Dance.
A Florida and Tallahassee native, Ms. Mayo currently lives in the Capital City with her husband and two children.
Deborah Kynes, a Dunedin City Commissioner (1999 – 2009), (2014 – 2018) served as Vice Mayor from December 1, 2016 – December 5, 2017, served as Vice President of the Institute for Strategic Public Policy Solutions Board (SPC); is a Founding Member of the Village Square (Pinellas); served as Chairman of the Utilities, Natural Resources & Public Works Legislative Committee for the Florida League of Cities (2017-2018) and serves on the Dunedin Fine Arts Center Advisory Council. Deborah currently serves as the City liaison to the Dunedin Fine Art Center and the North Pinellas Cultural Alliance. She also serves on the Mease Manor Board of Trustees and was appointed to the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, July 16, 2018.
Deborah has served as: Florida Humanities Council Board, President PACE Pinellas Center for Girls, a three-term Chairman of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority; Chairman of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; Chairman of the Environmental Quality Committee of the Florida League of Cities; member, Florida Chamber Water Task Force; President of the Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin; Chairman of the Pinellas County Arts Council; President of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation; member of the Pinellas County Charter Review Commission; Bay Care Medically Needy Task Force; the Board of Leadership Pinellas; on the Morton Plant/Mease Community Impact Committee; Honorary Co-Chairman of Art Harvest and Co-Chairman of the Hospice of the Pinellas Suncoast “Hospice Ball.” Deborah also served on the Leepa Rattner Museum Collections Committee.
Deborah is a member of Leadership Pinellas, Leadership Florida, the Dunedin Rotary, the First Presbyterian Church of Dunedin and the Junior League of Clearwater Dunedin. Deborah has a B.A. in English from the University of Arkansas and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa, College of Law.
Deborah is a voting member of the Cherokee Nation and a member of the Cherokees of Central Florida. Deborah is a member of the Florida Bar.
Deborah’s awards include the “Deborah Vincent” Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award 2013 for Leadership Pinellas; “Delightful Dunedin” Award presented by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce; “History Maker” Award presented by the Dunedin Historical Society; “Rotarian of the Year” Award presented by the Dunedin Rotary Club and “Women Honoring Women” Award (Soroptimist Club).
Deborah and her husband, Allen, live in Dunedin. They have two children, Lessley, who currently teaches at the University of Tampa, and Jordan, who is working on his Doctoral degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. Deborah and Allen have two grandchildren, Olivia and Lucy Lowery-Kynes.
