Mary Kim McDougal

Class of 1980

Senior Government Affairs Advisor at GrayRobinson, P.A.

Kim McDougal, Ph.D. is a senior government affairs advisor in GrayRobinson’s Tallahassee office and one of the top education lobbyists and experts in Florida. Kim is known for her nearly three decades of experience serving in multiple leadership roles within the executive and legislative branches of Florida’s government. Kim knew early on her passion was to make a difference in the lives of students. Her passion and commitment to students is as strong today as it was then.

In addition to Kim’s thorough knowledge of the various K-20 education issues in Florida, she also focuses her lobby practice on areas such as nonprofits, local governments, major corporations, and business development with state and local governments and provides consulting services as well.

Most recently, Kim successfully advocated for funding for building a new elementary/middle school in a rural district, creating a panic alert system for K-12 students, and securing funding for individuals with disabilities, as well as legally blind Floridians. Additionally, Kim has successfully worked with several statewide associations, nonprofits, local governments, major corporations on the advancement of their legislative agendas, including both substantive legislation and appropriations.

Prior to joining GrayRobinson, Kim served as Chief of Staff to Florida Governor Rick Scott, where she was responsible for directly serving and advising the Governor on issues pertaining to 100,000+ executive branch employees and administering an $83 billion state budget. She also served as Governor Scott’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Affairs Director, Education Policy Coordinator, and as policy advisor during his successful re-election campaign.

Kim holds a Ph.D. and a M.S. from Florida State University in Education, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Tulane University. She resides in Tallahassee, FL., and enjoys spending time at the beach, golf carting, and watching college and professional football.

 

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Mary Kim McDougal

“McGehee is no ordinary school as exemplified by its extraordinary impact on all McGehee students, including myself.  I learned early on that my future rested solely with me—McGehee absolutely taught me that if you work hard enough, and put the effort into what you want to accomplish, you can and will achieve it. McGehee was my school family as the students, teachers, coaches and staff genuinely cared about each other’s life journeys.”