Jennifer Carroll: First for Florida
Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll
Jennifer Carroll is the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Florida. A lieutenant governor is the second highest official in a state after the governor, so Mrs. Carroll holds a very important position. She is Florida’s first female lieutenant governor. She is also the first African-American elected to a statewide office in Florida. In addition to this, Mrs. Carroll is an immigrant and a member of Florida’s Caribbean immigrant community. We can celebrate diversity by recognizing Lieutenant Governor Carroll’s many successes.
Jennifer Carroll was born in 1959 in the city of Port of Spain, on the island of Trinidad. She and her family immigrated to the United States when she was eight years old. Jennifer grew up in the state of New York. She graduated from Uniondale High School in 1977 and joined the United States Navy in 1979. During her 20 year service in the Navy she rose from the rank of Enlisted Jet Mechanic to Lieutenant Commander.
After retiring from the Navy in 1999, Jennifer entered public service. In April, 2003 she became the first African-American female Republican to be elected to the Florida Legislature. Her public service to the state continued in 2010, when she was elected Lieutenant Governor on a ticket with Governor Rick Scott.
Jennifer is married to Nolan Carroll. They have three children, Nolan II, Nyckie, and Necho. Nolan II is a football player for the Miami Dolphins. Lieutenant Governor Carroll believes she is “an example of the ‘American Dream’ come true.” She represents many firsts for the African-American community in the state of Florida.
TLX News Journal: Civics Activity
Make a timeline of Lieutenant Governor Carroll’s life and accomplishments. Start with her birth in 1959 and end your timeline with her election in 2010. Plot out three different events from her life in the years in between.
