Florida Department of State
Agenda Files
Bio
Towson Fraser is president of Fraser Solutions, a Tallahassee-based lobbying and communications consulting firm, and has close to 20 years of political and governmental experience.
Most recently, Towson was a partner with Southern Strategy Group in Tallahassee. Prior to that, he served Governor Charlie Crist as his Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Affairs Director. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Towson coordinated with numerous state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of State, Department of Revenue, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Water Management Districts, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation. As Legislative Affairs Director, Towson managed the progress of the Governor’s priorities through the legislative process including budget issues and landmark legislation in regard to energy, health care, insurance, and property taxes.
Prior to working for Governor Crist, Towson served as Communications Director for Speaker Allan Bense, as well as the Republican Party of Florida, the Department of Management Services, and the Department of Community Affairs. Towson also worked in the House Majority Office under Speakers John Thrasher and Tom Feeney.
A native of Tallahassee who grew up in Jacksonville, Towson, his wife Carrie, and their children Caroline, Jack, Helen and Sophie live in Tallahassee.
Kathleen Kauffman has over 25 years of experience in the field of Historic Preservation. She currently serves as the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Gainesville. She has a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Florida. She started her career in 1997 at the Florida Division of historical resources as a Historic Sites Specialist, managing the Great Floridians program and the State Historic Marker program. She has been the Historic Preservation Officer for the Town of Lake Park (Palm Beach County), the City of Fort Pierce, and the City of Miami. She has also served as Executive Director for the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and served as the Historic Preservation Chief for Miami-Dade County, a position she held for almost ten years. In 2017 she started her own historic preservation consulting firm, KSK Preservation. She is a Director for the Council on America’s Military History (CAMP) and in 2023 was appointed to the University of Florida’s Historic Preservation Board of Advocates.