Government and Community Relations - University of Florida

Director, Government Relations

chris.emmanuel@ufl.edu
(850) 270-4040

Chris Emmanuel is the Director of Government Relations for the University of Florida. He is responsible for state-level legislative and executive branch advocacy.

Prior to joining UF, Chris served as the Deputy Director for Policy in the Executive Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, where he worked on a variety of issues including economic development, higher education, insurance reform, appropriations, and public investments.

Before the Governor’s Office, Chris served as the Director of Infrastructure and Governance Policy at the Florida Chamber of Commerce, where he led lobbying efforts on transportation, energy, infrastructure, and financial issues on behalf of the state’s largest business association.

Chris graduated from UF with majors in History and Political Science and was active on campus, including membership in Florida Blue Key. He earned his law degree from Florida State University. Chris’s commentary had appeared in numerous state and national publications and his legal scholarship focuses on Florida constitutional law and politics, with articles published in the Florida State Law Review and Stetson Law Review.

Chris lives in Tallahassee with his wife Elizabeth and their two young children. He is active in the Economic Club of Florida, an alumnus of Leadership Florida Connect Class IX, and a member of the Florida Bar.