Commissioner Patty Sheehan

In April of 2000, Commissioner Patty Sheehan was first elected to the Orlando City Council to represent District 4.  She was the first openly-gay elected official in Central Florida.  She was subsequently re-elected in 2004 and 2008.  District 4 includes great neighborhoods like Colonialtown North, Colonialtown South, Coytown, East Central Park, Lake Underhill, Dover Shores West, Lake Como, Lake Davis/Greenwood, Lawsona/Ferncreek, the Lake Lawson Historic Neighborhood Association, Thornton Park, South Eola, Lake Eola Heights, Lake Cherokee, Lake Copeland, Albert Shores, Lake Holden Terrace, Millenia and Camellia Gardens.  Also included are the Central business district, Colonialtown Center and South Orange and Division commercial business areas.

Commissioner Sheehan attended the University of Central Florida and earned her BA in Art.  She worked full-time at a construction company to pay for her education.  A former administrator with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Commissioner Sheehan serves her constituents full-time.  She has been a Central Florida resident for 36 years, and has lived in her quaint, Colonialtown bungalow for over 15 years.

Commissioner Sheehan’s efforts have been recognized by many organizations.  For two consecutive years, she was recognized by the State of Florida’s Davis Productivity Award for measurably increasing performance and state services to Florida taxpayers.  She was the District 4 Volunteer of the Year, Colonialtown Volunteer of the Year and Block Captain of the Year for District 4 Neighborhood Watch and also served as President of the Colonialtown North Neighborhood Association.  She is a volunteer for Green-Up Orlando and Keep Orlando Beautiful.  She has repeatedly been voted one of Orlando’s Best Local Politicians in polls conducted by Orlando Magazine, The Watermark and Orlando Weekly.  Additionally, she received the Spectrum Award for Community Activism, Role Model and Lifetime Achievement and was recognized as a Woman of Distinction in the Law & Government category by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council at their 2009 Women of Distinction Gala.

Patty Sheehan has served her community through many organizations including The Nominating Committee and The Public Safety Advisory Committee of the National League of Cities, The Ripple Effect, MetroPlan, Seniors First, Orlando NOW, Central Floridians Against Discrimination, Joy Metropolitan Community Church and the Seminole County School’s Dividends Program.  She is the founder and Chairperson for the Wheels for Kids program, which provides bicycles to needy elementary and middle school students living in Reeves Terrace public housing.  She currently serves on the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.  Aside from Commissioner Sheehan’s local involvement, she has also served nationally as the President of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Local Officials (GLBLO) constituency group at the National League of Cities where she continues to serve as a member and past president.  Internationally, Commissioner Sheehan served as Treasurer of the International Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials, which is comprised of openly gay and lesbian elected and appointed officials from around the world. 

Commissioner Sheehan is well known for her advocacy of pedestrian safety, neighborhoods and historic preservation and a thriving downtown.

Patty Sheehan’s hobbies include gardening, photography, home improvement, painting and tooling around Orlando on her Vespa.  She shares her home with her partner, Jocelynn White, her Chinese Crested dog, Maxine, and their cats, Lui and Mila, as well as an assortment of tropical fish.

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