TAMPA - The Florida Council of 100 (FC100) is pleased to announce Syd Kitson as the recipient of the FC100 2024 Governor’s Business Leader Award. Since the Council of 100 was formed 63 years ago, 23 members have been honored with this distinguished award, which recognizes long-term excellence in business, civic service and philanthropy.

Kitson is Chairman/CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Palm Beach Gardens-based real estate company specializing in the creation and development of environmentally responsible, sustainable master-planned communities and commercial properties.

“Syd Kitson is one of those rare business leaders who is both a visionary and a doer,” said FC100 Chair Eric Silagy. “Over the past two decades, he has had an outsized impact on his company, the communities he serves and the state of Florida. This award reflects our organization and its focus on smartly advancing the state’s economic growth while protecting and enhancing the overall quality of life by tackling some of its biggest challenges.”

Kitson is a graduate of Wake Forest University, with a notable career in the National Football League. Upon retirement, he began his career in real estate, founding Kitson & Partners in 1999. In 2006, Kitson completed the historic purchase of Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida, encompassing an area five times the size of the island of Manhattan, with over 80% of the original land purchase set aside in the largest single land preservation agreement in the state’s history.

“CEOs who serve on the Florida Council of 100 are committed to doing the right thing for the next generation,” said FC100 President & CEO Michael Simas. “Syd Kitson has been an innovator in building affordable, technologically advanced communities while demonstrating to the world that sustainable and storm-resilient residential developments are not only possible but perform in an extraordinary way.”

Kitson has served on multiple civic, education and non-profit boards. He has chaired the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida and the Florida Council of 100. He currently chairs the Florida Council of 100 Foundation. A testament to his vision and ability to execute, Kitson has been recognized nationally as TIME Magazine’s “Dreamer of the Year” in 2023 and featured on 60 Minutes and in The New York Times.

“Making a positive difference for Floridians today and in the future has always been my goal as a developer and businessman,“ Kitson said. “I share this award and my success with an incredible team of associates, clients and investors who have supported me and my business philosophy of giving back to the communities in which we work and live.”

For more information about the Florida Council of 100, visit https://fc100.org

The Florida Council of 100 is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of business leaders committed to improving the quality of life and economic well-being of all Floridians. First established in 1961 by Governor Farris Bryant, for more than six decades, the Council has been charged with providing advice on key policy issues from the business community’s perspective to Florida’s elected leaders and government officials across the political and ideological spectrum. Today, the Florida Council of 100 represents over 150 businesses with over 1.3 million employees.