Anitere Flores

Former State Senator, Florida 39th District

Senator Anitere Flores has had the honor of representing Sweetwater, Westchester, Kendall, Country Walk, and portions of Southwest Miami-Dade County since 2004. Senator Flores graduated with a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Florida International University, and then received a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. After law school, Senator Flores was hired by the Florida House of Representatives to work on the Education Council, and later worked for Governor Jeb Bush as his Education Policy Chief. Senator Flores served in the Florida House from 2004-2010. Prior to being elected a State Representative, she spent two years advocating for university students in her district as Director of State Relations for Florida International University.

During her career in the Florida House, Senator Flores served as Deputy Majority Leader, Chair of the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, and Chair of the PreK-12 Policy Committee. In order to increase college completion, she passed legislation that created a scholarship program for students who are the first in their family to attend college.

As a member of the Florida Senate, Senator Flores served as Chair of the Community Affairs Committee and sits on the Appropriations Committee, Budget Subcommittee on Education, Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Criminal Justice Committee, and the Rules Committee. From 2010-2012, Senator Flores also served as the Majority Whip. From 2016-2018 Senator Flores became the first Hispanic woman to serve as President Pro-Tempore of the Florida Senate. From 2018-2020 Senator Flores served as the Deputy Majority Leader for the Florida Senate. In the Senate, she has championed several issues important to South Florida, including working towards finding affordable options for property insurance.

Senator Flores also serves on various national and community boards. She is currently serving on the State Legislative Leaders Foundation Board (SLLF) and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). She previously served as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board (a bipartisan board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress-NAEP) and the Board of Spectrum Programs, Inc. (a drug and mental health service organization).

Senator Flores is the first Republican Hispanic woman to serve in both the Florida House and Senate since 1986. Due to her unwavering support of education, the American entrepreneurial spirit as well as the elderly, she was recognized in The Huffington Post’s “40 under 40: Latinos in American Politics.”

Senator Flores is the Director of Development for the ACE Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising funds for students and schools in need.

Senator Flores is married to Dustin Anderson of Sarasota, Florida. Together they have two sons, Máximo Monte and Lucas Ignacio Anderson.

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Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
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The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

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Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

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Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
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A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
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Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

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Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.
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