About Us

Our Mission

Founded in 2008, Progress Florida is a nonprofit organization promoting progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, and networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations. Our issues include social justice, health care reform, environmental protection, economic fairness, strengthening public education and more. We advocate for sensible policy solutions and hold elected officials’ feet to the fire by empowering citizens in their communities.

Featured Advisor

Julie Hauserman has been writing about Florida for 23 years. She covered Florida’s capitol for the St. Petersburg Times and wrote for The Stuart News and the Tallahassee Democrat. She has won many awards for her work, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize: in 1991 for her stories about pollution in Florida’s Fenholloway River, and in 2001 for her stories about arsenic leaking out of pressure-treated lumber. She is a freelance writer and political consultant in Tallahassee.

Our Goals

Progress Florida combines online organizing and communication with real world action to win progressive solutions for the “Sunshine” state. Our goals are to:

Build a stronger progressive movement in Florida. Progress Florida uses innovative, internet-based organizing and communication tactics to expand public support for progressive causes, organizations and leadership.
Win advances in progressive public policy. Working closely with other progressive organizations and the netroots community, Progress Florida offers concerned citizens effective, easy and fun ways to make their voices heard on critical policy decisions that impact our quality of life.
Generate hard hitting traditional and new media coverage. Progress Florida works to generate news coverage that shines the public spotlight on progressive solutions to real problems. We work with our extensive network of members and advisers to maintain a 24-7 rapid response media operation that pulls no punches when taking on the radical right.
Increase civic participation and educate the public. Progress Florida activates our members and ensures that the progressive voice is heard on issues that matter to Floridians. We watchdog the actions of Florida’s elected leaders and hold accountable those officials who are in the pocket of special interests.

Progress Florida Staff

Mark Ferrulo
Executive Director

Raised in St. Petersburg, FL and a graduate of the University of South Florida, Mark has been working for public interest causes across the state for nearly two decades. Starting as a grassroots organizer in Miami, Mark worked his way up through the ranks of Florida PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) to become the director in 1998. At Florida PIRG, Mark played a key role in a number of public interest victories, including a successful effort to shut down the predatory car “Title Loan” industry that preyed on Florida’s poorest consumers and passage of a permanent ban against oil drilling in Florida’s state waters. Most recently, Mark served as the founding director of Environment Florida and currently serves on the board of directors of Common Cause Florida and the Public Interest Network. When not “fighting the good fight,” Mark enjoys soccer, nature photography and saltwater fishing.

Damien Filer
Political Director

Damien is an award-winning political strategist, ballot initiative expert and campaign veteran with more than a decade of experience crafting message and strategy for successful statewide campaigns in Florida and across the nation. Damien is a sought-after media trainer and speaker having trained students, community activists, campaign workers and candidates from around the country. He appears frequently in leading newspapers and on television and radio advocating for progressive policy solutions and government accountability. Damien is also the founder of Big Bend Biofuels. Damien was born in Tallahassee where he still lives and can frequently be found bird watching in the Fred George Basin.

Ray Seaman
Online Director

Ray is a leader among the Florida netroots community, one of the founders of the Florida Progressive Coalition, and an established progressive blogger. He is active in Marion County politics where he served as campaign manager for Iraq War veteran James Walker’s bid for the State House District 24. Ray is a graduate of the University of Florida with a BA in Political Science and received a certificate in public leadership from the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. When Ray's not staring at a computer screen, he enjoys reading, studying the latest progressive policy ideas (he's a self-described “nerd”,) the outdoors, and volunteering.

Jon Bleyer
Online Communications Specialist

Jon has been active in social and political causes throughout his life. He first got involved with progressive politics while attending Tulane University and later honed his grassroots organizing skills by directing the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) San Diego campaign office. Since then Jon has served as a campaign strategist and earned media consultant for a broad range of successful progressive issue campaigns in Florida and around the country. A native Floridian, Jon is co-founder and Internet organizer for Wildwood Preservation Society. When not online, Jon is an avid collector of banjos and vintage art.

Steering Committee

Brian Kettenring, Bob Schaeffer, Ellen Freidin, Mark Ferrulo, Naomi Roth, Karen Woodall

Senior Advisory Board

Pamela Burch Fort, Adora Obi Nweze, Kenneth Quinnell, Dick Mark, Kathy Aterno, Monica Russo, Rich Templin, Bill Phillips, Reggie Mitchell, Andrew Gillum, Barbara DeVane, Nadine Smith, Derek Newton, Laura Goodhue, Susan Smith, Adrienne Kimmell, Lori Poole, Susannah Randolph, Jenny Lawson, Bill Newton, Alan Brock, Julie Hauserman, Alma Gonzalez, Darden Rice, Denise Velazquez