Kerry Kriseman is a St. Petersburg native. She was born in St. Anthony’s Hospital, the same hospital where her grandmother was an OB/GYN nurse and where her daughter was born. Kerry is a graduate of University of South Florida with a B.A. in Mass Communications/Broadcasting.
Her professional career spans 30 years with a 10-year stint in between, raising her two children (Jordan, 24, and Samuel, 19), volunteering in the community and serving on multiple non-profit boards.
Kerry worked in print media for the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) in various positions in the Newsroom and Marketing Department. When her youngest child Samuel began Kindergarten in 2008, Kerry joined Creative Clay as the public relations manager.
Kerry and her family are volunteer puppy raisers for Southeastern Guide Dogs. They are now raising their 12th guide dog puppy in training, Irwin. Five of the pups raised are working guides. One is a Gold Star Family Dog. Two are beloved family pets. Another was designated a Southeastern Guide Dog Ambassador, the remaining two are Kriseman family pets.
Kerry also serves on the board of directors of The First Tee of St. Petersburg and has been a mentor with the “Take Stock in Children” program in Pinellas County Schools since 2014.
Kerry is the author of Accidental First Lady: On the Front Lines and Behind the Scenes of Local Politics, published by St. Petersburg Press. The memoir recounts her 22 years as a political spouse to her lawyer-turned-politician husband, Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg Mayor from 2014-2022.
Historical dramas, traveling, scratch cooking, drinking wine, daily walks, and long bike rides on the Pinellas Trail fill Kerry’s free time.
