Employee Profile

Amber Hughes: An unwavering advocate for Florida cities

No day at the Florida League of Cities looks the same for Senior Legislative Advocate Amber Hughes. “How my day goes depends on which alligator is closest to the boat,” she said. Amber’s position at the FLC, where she has worked for 10 years, keeps her on her toes. During committee and session weeks, a typical day is often dependent on the Florida Legislature.

The rest of the year, her job consists of calling members, traveling (pre-COVID) and, as of July 2020, leading the Florida Redevelopment Association as executive director. “FRA is a microcosm of the FLC that manages conferences, educational programs, websites, legal questions and the administration of the association,” she said.

Amber’s colleagues describe her as unwavering, smart and kind. Allison Payne, manager of advocacy programs and federal affairs, said, “When Amber commits to advocating an issue, you can be sure she will dive in headfirst.”

This trait was evident in Amber’s first amendment campaign in 2012 when she fought against property tax legislation that would be detrimental to Florida cities. “Working with our Communication and Education Department, I got to be integrally involved in the campaign against that amendment,” said Amber. “At the end of election night, the amendment had failed. It was a great night.”

When it comes to legislative policy and the budget process, Amber has an uncanny ability to drill down complex issues and explain them in a practical, understandable way. Scott Dudley, director of field advocacy and federal affairs, said, “Amber is a very hard-working, strategic-thinking, pragmatic numbers guru with an incredible ability to get to the important part of any discussion.”

Senior Legislative Advocate Jeff Branch echoed this sentiment. “She can break down the complexity of not only issues in her wheelhouse, but also those issues outside her wheelhouse.”

When she’s not advocating for Florida’s cities, you can find Amber outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking or traveling. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Rainier but says the trip of her lifetime was a historic pilgrimage walking across Spain. “I started in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and walked 790 kilometers across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. I then finished up with the final 90 kilometers to Cape Finisterre on the coast.”

No stranger to travel, Amber has spent many hours on the road with the FLC. “Road trips with her are fun,” said Jeff, who has traveled with Amber often as a colleague in the Legislative Affairs Department. “She is the DJ on road trips and knows every genre of music.”