Van Poole (Retired)
With a broad background in state, national, and international politics, Van is a formidable advocate for the interests of our clients before the executive and legislative branches of government. The remarkable growth of PooleMcKinley is testimony to his effectiveness and stewardship.
Van’s hands-on, detailed knowledge of the state legislative process comes from eight years as a Florida House Member and four years as a Florida Senator, including positions as House Minority Whip and Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore. The Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1982, Van understands the importance of local concerns in national debates. Following his time in as an elected official, Van led the Department of Business Regulation under Governor Bob Martinez.
Van’s tenure as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida from 1989 to 1993 reflects a substantial list of accomplishments. Those years saw GOP registrations soar and record numbers of Republicans elected. It was as chairman that Van mapped the strategy for achieving Republican majorities in both chambers of the Florida Legislature and electing a GOP governor.
In President George H. W. Bush’s administration, Van served as Executive Chairman of the International Political Leaders Program for the 1992 Republican National Convention. As an official observer with the International Republican Institute, he has participated in the supervision of elections in Panama, El Salvador, and Bulgaria. Van has instructed local party leaders and candidates in grassroots representation and small business development in Romania, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Van’s decades of public service in the House and Senate, state agencies, and the Republican Party of Florida make him a wise and trusted counselor for PooleMcKinley’s clients as they navigate Florida’s complex political process.
Van graduated from Memphis State University. He and his wife Donna, an attorney who has served in multiple administrations’ and is currently working for Governor Rick Scott, reside in Tallahassee.