Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Nikki Alvarez-Sowles to serve as the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller.
She will serve in that role through January 2021, filling out the balance of term for the post vacated by Paula S. O’ Neil, who retired on July 1.
Alvarez-Sowles is the county’s eighth clerk & comptroller. She was named an interim successor by Sixth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Anthony Rondolino, upon O’ Neil’s retirement. She received DeSantis’ appointment on Aug. 9.
“I am humbled and honored to have Governor DeSantis’ and Chief Judge Rondolino’s appointments,” said Alvarez-Sowles, in a news release from her office.
Alvarez-Sowles has served as the chief operations officer since 2010, guiding the adoption of numerous taxpayer-friendly initiatives, boosting efficiency, enhancing transparency and reducing costs, the release says.
Florida Sen. Wilton Simpson, whose district includes most of Pasco County, speaks highly of Alvarez-Sowles, in the release.
“Nikki’s commitment to serving the hardworking people of Pasco County shines brightest through her steady leadership and unwavering work ethic,” Simpson said. “On behalf of the people of Pasco County, I want to thank Gov. DeSantis for ensuring an honorable public servant takes the reigns here in Pasco.”
Born in Tampa, Alvarez-Sowles played soccer at the University of South Florida (where she was a member of the Scholar-Athlete 3.0 Club and a student government senator) before earning her law degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.
From 2000 to 2005, she practiced real estate law with the Tampa firm of Echevarria, Codilis & Stawiarski P.I., and spent a year as real estate development manager for the nonprofit Housing & Education Alliance Inc., before joining the Palm Beach Clerk & Comptroller’s Office as director of branch court services.
A chance meeting with O’ Neil and several members of her executive team during a statewide conference luncheon led to further discussion and, ultimately, Alvarez-Sowles joined the Pasco Clerk & Comptroller’s Office.
Examples of her involvement include:
- Immediate past president, Leadership Pasco
- West Pasco Bar Association, member and past president
- Rotary Club of New Port Richey
She also has been a member of various committees and workgroups devoted to performance excellence in government work, such as:
- Florida Clerks & Comptrollers’ Best Practices Workgroup
- Supreme Court workgroups
- Florida Bar Small Claims Rules Committee
- Pasco-Hernando State College Technical Advisory Committee for Paralegal Studies
- Pasco County Schools Success Plan Committee
- Advisor to board of directors for Housing and Education Alliance Inc.
This year, Alvarez-Sowles served as a Florida Governor’s Sterling Examiner and joined Florida Center for Public Management, Certified Public Manager Program, based at Florida State University, as an adjunct instructor.
She is married to Kevin Sowles, and they have two children: daughter Lexi and son Soren. The family lives in Land O’ Lakes.
Published August 14, 2019
