Winter Park resident Rob Panepinto pursues Orange County Mayor seat

A Winter Park resident is looking for your vote, believing he brings the skill set to be Orange County’s next mayor.

Rob Panepinto is knocking on doors and talking with residents as he continues his campaign for the Orange County seat. He faces a range of candidates that includes Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke, Jose Datil Colom and Robert Edward Melanson.

But what is it about the Winter Park resident that sets him apart?

Panepinto said it’s his broad range of experiences and skills — both in the private sector and the public sector — that makes him the best choice for the job.

BACKGROUND

Panepinto previously was part of the founding executive team for Connextions, helping it grow from a small manufacturing and logistics company to a leader in healthcare technology and business processing solutions with more than 5,000 employees. 

Today, he works as the president of Florentine Strategies, which provides board support, strategic consulting and investment capital for healthcare, social enterprise and technology companies.

“I basically completely reoriented my time, and so my professional life became about helping other small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly in the tech and healthcare space, grow their businesses through mentorship and through investment,” Panepinto said. “I’m a real believer in the importance of entrepreneurship and small businesses to diversify growing our economy.”

The candidate also has a background in civic leadership, previously serving as the chair of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and currently serving as chair of the Central Florida Foundation, which tackles multiple social issues in the community like homelessness and continued support for those affected by the Pulse tragedy.

Panepinto said his desire to run all stems from knowing that Orange County is a great place to live, but that it has room to be even better. He’s lived in Winter Park since 2011 but has worked and lived in the Orlando area since he moved here with his wife almost 25 years ago.

“I’ve got two teenage daughters – Ali is 16, Samantha is 14,” Panepinto said. “You start to see that they’re not going to be here forever. In fact, with Ali, we’re looking at colleges. I do wonder whether they will want to come back here and build their families here and build a life. … I think it’s a little bit up in the air, because there are some amazing things about this community but also some systemic challenges we need to address.

“I think how the next generation views this community will largely be based on the decisions that community and elected leaders make over the next 10 years,” he said. “That, for me, was really the driver to get into the race.”

THE ISSUES

The candidate’s priorities all start with a desire to improve the area’s economy. The quantity of jobs is there, but there needs to be an increase in the quality, Panepinto said. It’s about focusing on attracting new companies; supporting the existing small businesses, local entrepreneurs and high-growth companies; and increasing venture capital by attracting investors, he said.

“(We need) to make sure that as kids are coming out of the schools here that they (have) got quality jobs that they can go into, that as people are thinking of moving into this area we can attract talent because they know they can find a quality job here,” Panepinto said. “The diversification of our economy is definitely step one for me.”

Panepinto has said his campaign also has a significant focus on addressing the county’s housing challenges in terms of affordability, expanding SunRail’s service while helping get riders to the stations, and investing the right resources for first responders.

When it comes to Winter Park, Panepinto said he wants to bolster the relationship between the county and all of the municipalities within it.

“Winter Park, to some extent, is an island and has a lot of positive things going for it,” he said. “Clearly we wrestle here with growth and the relative charm of the community. From the county mayor perspective — in talking with Mayor (Steve) Leary and other folks that are politically engaged here — I think the key is how can the county be a strong partner for Winter Park.

“My sense sometimes is that there’s some separation between the individual municipalities and the county, but the reality is that the cities are all part of the county,” he said. “How are are we really supporting and helping each other?”

At the end of the day, Panepinto said he loves the Orange County area, and that’s a huge part of why he’s running for the mayor’s seat, he said.

“There’s a lot to do, and I think it’s a good time to roll up our sleeves and start to get this stuff done,” he said. “We have so much potential here – we’re such a young community, we’re such a diverse community. I think we’ve got to harness that energy and the will to really solve some of these issues, otherwise I worry that we’re not going to quite reach this potential that we appropriately see for ourselves.”

The primary election for Orange County mayor is scheduled for Aug. 28, while the General Election is set for Nov. 6.