About Alison Hewitt Tampa City Council District 5 Candidate

Alison A. Hewitt, Candidate for
Tampa City Council District 5

Alison A. Hewitt – Candidate for Tampa City Council, District 5 Alison A. Hewitt is a proud Tampa native and third-generation resident of East Tampa. She is the daughter of the late Dr. John L. Hewitt, a U.S. Air Force veteran, dentist, and respected civil rights leader who served his community from his office on 29th Street and Lake Avenue. Her commitment to public service was sparked early, inspired by her father’s leadership and her own early involvement in civic organizations such as the NAACP Youth Council, participation in Florida Girls State and internship with former State Senator John Grant, Sr. at age 17.

Alison is the Founder and Managing Partner of Alison A. Hewitt & Associates, a community development and business consulting firm. With a results-oriented approach, she empowers small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed—especially in underserved areas—by promoting economic opportunity, streamlining development processes, and creating practical solutions for sustainable growth. Her leadership in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia reflects her regional impact and commitment to community-led revitalization.

She served as Chair of the Economic Development Subcommittee for the East Tampa CRA Community Advisory Committee, Alison is actively leading initiatives to create jobs, attract investment, and encourage private-sector growth in historically underinvested neighborhoods.

Alison brings over 24 years of experience in economic development, government affairs, and public policy. She was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve as the Executive Director of the State of Florida’s Office of Urban Opportunity, where she managed a $25.6 million budget and launched 20 Front Porch Florida communities across the state. Under her leadership, $5 million was directed to Tampa’s District 5 to advance neighborhood revitalization, support education and workforce development, and improve quality of life.

She also helped secure a $28 million HOPE VI grant for the redevelopment of East Tampa’s Belmont Heights Estates, transforming public housing into a vibrant mixed-income community. As president of Creative Community Solutions, she provided business assistance to more than 200 companies, implemented marketing and branding strategies, conducted public outreach, and led strategic planning for redevelopment areas in Manatee County.

Alison's expertise extends into transportation policy, where she served for over six years as a gubernatorial appointee to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) Board. Nationally, she held key leadership roles with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and was a founding member and past president of the Central Florida Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO).

Today, Alison also serves on the board of Advantage Capital Partners, a national venture capital firm leveraging New Market Tax Credits to drive private investment in underserved communities. Alison A. Hewitt remains deeply rooted in Tampa and is committed to delivering common-sense leadership, economic empowerment, and accountable governance for all of District 5.