Chris Hand

Chris Hand is an attorney with a long record of public service. He previously served as speechwriter, press secretary, and campaign press secretary for Senator Graham and as campaign manager for Florida’s former statewide elected chief financial officer, Alex Sink. In 2008, Hand served as one of 27 Florida electors in the United States Electoral College. In 2010, Graham and Hand authored the original version
of this book, entitled America, the Owner’s Manual: Making Government Work for You.

From 2011 to 2015, Hand served as Chief of Staff at the consolidated City of Jacksonville, Florida—the largest city by area in the contiguous United States and the 12th largest by population in the entire nation—during the administration of Mayor Alvin Brown. As Chief of Staff, Hand managed the Mayor’s Office team, with oversight for policy, advocacy, communications, outreach and scheduling. He also led the advancement of strategic initiatives, including efforts to achieve comprehensive pension reform for taxpayers and public safety employees. Those efforts culminated in the enactment of a landmark agreement in 2015.

Hand graduated with honors from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. At Princeton, Chris was honored with the Daily Princetonian Award for his successful efforts to reform the university’s then centuryold Honor Code. At the University of Florida, the law school student body elected Hand as president of the student bar association. He also served as a research assistant to former Florida Governor and U.S. Representative Buddy MacKay.