Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanna Pavelle.
Hi Suzanna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Massachusetts and earned a B.A. from the University of Oregon, where I studied anthropology, archaeology, and history, with graduate coursework in underwater archaeology at ECU. My work took me to field projects in Delaware, Oregon, Hawaiʻi, North Carolina, and Bermuda. What drew me to that work, and still drives me, is understanding how communities function and what shapes people’s choices.
In high school and college I worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Later in college I was a seasonal worker on Mt. Rainier, where wildfire and rescue response taught me to stay calm, assess situations quickly, and do what needs doing. That instinct has stayed with me ever since.
My husband Brian and I have been married nearly 30 years. We have three dogs and love spending time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, SCUBA diving, swimming, kayaking, or just being outside together. When you spend lots of time outdoors, you can’t help but care deeply about protecting Florida’s natural environment, our waterways, our coastline, and the ecosystems that make this place special. We’ve built and run several small businesses: a web development company we launched in 2000 and sold in 2007, and a direct-to-consumer importing business we later scaled back after COVID and tariff pressures. Those experiences taught me to negotiate, solve problems, and keep operations moving when conditions change.
I’ve lived in St. Johns County for 26 years and served nearly a decade on the Big Brothers Big Sisters board. After January 2025, I helped start a local Indivisible group and have been organizing in St. Augustine ever since.
I didn’t plan to run for office, but when no one stepped up in District 19, I couldn’t sit on the sidelines. Florida is getting harder for regular people to afford, and the people in power aren’t delivering. Our community deserves someone who will fight for sustainable development, real accountability, and a Florida that works for working families.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. Running small businesses for over two decades means you live through recessions, shifting markets, and moments where you’re not sure the numbers are going to work. My husband and I built a web company, grew it, and sold it . Then started over in a completely different industry. There were stretches where we were figuring it out as we went, making hard calls about where to invest and what to let go of. When you’re running a business, it consumes everything. For years, our social life basically didn’t exist because work came first. And deciding to run for office honestly wasn’t easy either. It’s a big thing to put yourself out there when you’ve never done it before. But the challenges taught me to solve problems and keep moving. That’s the mindset I’m bringing to Tallahassee.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For over two decades, my husband and I have built and run businesses. We started with a web development company launched in 2000 and sold in 2007, to a direct-to-consumer importing operation. These experiences taught me how to negotiate costs, manage operations, resolve disputes, and adapt quickly when conditions change. For every business we ran, we chose to offer health insurance, paid time off, paid volunteer time and 401(k) plans to our staff, even when we weren’t required to (due to the size of our businesses), because taking care of the people who work for you is imperative.
I’m known for calm, steady leadership under pressure and for bringing people together to get things done. I’m most proud of building organizations that last in business and in the community. I was on the board with Big Brothers Big Sisters for nearly a decade, and I helped launch a local Indivisible group that organized large-scale civic actions in St. Augustine.
What sets me apart is the combination of real-world business experience and on-the-ground community leadership. I’m comfortable making tough calls and staying accountable to the people affected by them.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happiest when I’m moving and outdoors. Exercise, SCUBA diving, being on or in the water, and hiking clear my head, keep me grounded, curious and present. It’s also spening time with my husband, our dogs, my mom, and my mother-in-law (“the Moms”). I love having regular family dinners where we get to hang out together and chat. Being active and being with the people I love is what recharges me and keeps me steady.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suzannapavelle.com/
