The City of Sanibel is proud to announce the induction of Vice Mayor Holly D. Smith as the 2025-2026 President of the Florida League of Cities (FLC), a prestigious statewide organization representing more than 400 municipalities across Florida. Vice Mayor Smith was sworn in by her husband Jason Smith at the Leagues 2025 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL on Saturday, August 16th – where more than 1,000 officials from Florida cities attended.
This marks a significant accomplishment not only for Vice Mayor Smith, but for the entire Sanibel community and expanded SWFL areas. Ms. Smith is the first president from the Southwest Florida Region to be elected in the 100+ year history of the League. As President, she will lead efforts to advocate for local governments, champion municipal priorities, and ensure that cities like Sanibel have a strong voice in shaping statewide policy. During her speech at the FLC conference, Vice Mayor Smith emphasized the importance of Florida cities working together, as one voice, through the FLC – to learn from and to support each other. She announced her platform at the conference “Building Bridges- Leading Through Connection” – a fitting analogy to the rebuild of the Sanibel Causeway to our island community after Hurricane Ian, perfectly demonstrating that by working together the seemingly impossible can be accomplished.
“It is the honor of my lifetime to serve as President of the Florida League of Cities. Together, we will build bridges across Florida, connecting our cities, towns and villages, strengthening our voices, and ensuring every municipality has the opportunity to thrive. I’ve already rolled up my sleeves!” said Vice Mayor Smith.
Vice Mayor Smith has long been recognized for her dedication to public service, advocacy for municipal home rule, and community engagement. Her induction into this role underscores the value of Sanibel’s leadership and the importance of representation in Florida’s municipal decision-making. In 2023, Vice Mayor Smith received FLC’s prestigious E. Harris Drew Municipal Official Lifetime Achievement Award for her leadership as Mayor following Hurricane Ian’s catastrophic impacts to Sanibel on September 28, 2022. She serves as the Governor’s Appointee on the Federal South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and was recently named as the FLCs representative on the National League of Cities Disaster Management Ad-Hoc committee. Vice Mayor Smith’s biography and list of her current and past service on numerous local, regional and state boards and committees are available on the City of Sanibel website.
The City of Sanibel congratulates Vice Mayor Smith on this prestigious achievement and looks forward to the positive impact of her presidency on cities throughout the state of Florida.
