Candidate: Michelle Tappouni

A native Floridian and the oldest of six siblings, Michelle was born in Gainesville and grew up in Jacksonville and Tampa. She returned to the First Coast in 2001, accepting a position with Breaking Ground Contracting Company, a Jacksonville based general contracting firm. She lived in Riverside until 2007 when she purchased a home in Springfield where she loves being involved with her community. Although she is a University of Florida fan, Michelle was awarded a music scholarship from the University of Tampa and has continued her education throughout the years in business administration and construction. She received extensive OSHA training and is currently an OSHA authorized trainer and safety instructor. Michelle has continued to expand her role as General Manager with Breaking Ground Contracting to include project management, risk management and OSHA/Safety training. She is an active participant in the company’s sustainability processes and has passed several exams to become a LEED® AP and Green Advantage Contractor. Her professional career began in the hospitality sector before she entered the construction industry working for a Tampa based mechanical contractor. After 12 years, she moved to Orlando to work with another mechanical contractor as their first female project manager and was soon assigned as project manager and safety officer on the Sea World Discovery Cove project. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with a client like Busch Entertainment/Sea World and to be a part of a project as challenging and rewarding as Discovery Cove”. Michelle recently graduated from the inaugural class of the Political Leadership Institute and is on the board of the ACE Mentor Program and the Springfield Area Merchants Business Association. She served as President of the Associated Builders and Contractors Women’s Council during the past three years and is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, NEFBA Commercial Council and the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council. She is past president of the Gulf Coast Chapter and National Board Member of the American Subcontractors Association. Besides her professional affiliations, Michelle’s community interests include Blueprint for Prosperity, The Child Guidance Center, HabiJax, Angelworks, Pace Center for Girls, The Bridge, Springfield Animal Care & Rescue, Girl Scouts and various events promoting other worthwhile causes.