December 4, 2024,

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The Yale Club of the Suncoast is delighted to welcome Dr. Susan MacManus, University of South Florida Distinguished Professor Emerita, as our guest speaker.  Dr. MacManus is a widely recognized commentator on state and local politics, is quoted frequently in the media, and is an informative and entertaining speaker.

Among other things, Dr. MacManus will discuss the results of the November election.

The cost is $50 for Club members and their guests, $55 for non-members.
More information about our distinguished speaker

For 36 years, Dr. MacManus has been a fixture in Florida politics, and has had a front row seat to some of the most significant political events in the state’s history. Dr. MacManus is Florida’s most-quoted political scientist, and is not affiliated with any political party.

A self-proclaimed “country girl,” Dr. MacManus was born into a citrus family in Land O’Lakes, FL.  Her grandfather was the first permanent settler of an area north of Tampa, now called Lutz.  She says her family’s deep roots in the region have given her a unique perspective on how demographic and population changes impact politics – something she’s seen firsthand as Florida has grown and evolved.

From 1998 to 2015 she served as political analyst for WFLA News Channel 8 (Tampa’s NBC affiliate). Since 2016, she has been the political analyst for ABC Action News (Tampa’s ABC affiliate). She is a featured columnist on sayfiereview.com, a widely read Florida-based political website, and has appeared on every major broadcast and cable television and radio network.

Dr. MacManus received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. She returned to FSU to complete her PhD before beginning her career in academia at the University of Houston. It was there she got her first experience working with the media; an introduction that would end up shaping a huge part of her life.

Having grown up in a politically divided family, Dr. MacManus has been known in the media and in her classroom for her strict nonpartisan analysis, seeing both sides of every political issue. It’s that “middle-of-the-road” examination combined with her ability to connect with an everyday audience that truly propelled her as a sought-after political analyst.

From 1998 to 2015 she served as political analyst for WFLA News Channel 8 (Tampa’s NBC affiliate). Since 2016, she has been the political analyst for ABC Action News (Tampa’s ABC affiliate). She is a featured columnist on sayfiereview.com, a widely read Florida-based political website, and has appeared on every major broadcast and cable television and radio network. Dr. MacManus is Florida’s most-quoted political scientist, and is not affiliated with any political party.

Dr. MacManus has authored or co-authored numerous publications on Florida politics, including Florida’s Minority Trailblazers: The Men and Women Who Changed the Face of Florida Government, Politics in Florida, Young v. Old: Generational Combat in the 21st Century? and Targeting Senior Voters. She and her mother, Elizabeth, also authored two local Florida history books: Citrus, Sawmills, Critters & Crackers: Early Life in Lutz and Central Pasco County and Going, Going, Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories.​