Port Tampa Bay hires veteran Tallahassee staffer to lead government affairs

Port Tampa Bay has hired a veteran state government staffer to be its voice in Tallahassee as the port pursues its next phase of growth.

Jim Browne has been named senior director of government affairs, the port announced Monday. He will oversee its state government relations, working with elected officials, government agencies and community partners on funding, policy and other issues affecting the port.

Browne joins the agency as Port Tampa Bay works to fulfill its Vision 2030 strategic development plan — seeking public support for major maritime infrastructure projects that span its cargo and logistics, cruise terminals and shipbuilding and repair sectors. 

“With increased attention on maritime infrastructure, shipbuilding and ship repair, this is an important time for our industry,” Port Tampa Bay President and CEO Paul Anderson says in the release. 

Browne most recently served as deputy chief of staff at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Before that, he spent 13 regular legislative sessions working for four members of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives. His final six years in the Legislature were in the Florida House Majority Office, where he served as chief legislative aide to the majority whip from 2018 to 2020 and to the House majority leader from 2020 to 2024, the port says.

Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest seaport by tonnage and land area, encompasses more than 5,000 acres of industrially zoned land with deepwater access. It handles cargo ranging from petroleum and fertilizer products to containers, refrigerated goods and vehicles, while also operating one of the country’s fastest-growing cruise homeports.

The port estimates that it generates about $34 billion in annual economic activity and supports more than 192,000 jobs. More than 1.6 million cruise passengers travel through Port Tampa Bay each year.