Bill VarianEditor, Local Government
Previously, I was the assistant metro editor/economy & growth. Before editing, I wrote about Hillsborough County government and politics for the Times after reporting gigs in Tallahassee, Augusta, Ga. and Burlington, N.C. I’m a fourth-generation newsman. In my off time, it’s a good day if I’m in my kayak, a redfish on the end of my line. At home, I’m known as Grand-Dude. Hit me at bvarian@tampabay.com.
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/0c43e45f-a0a9-40cf-af87-d701acb30be9.png "Bill Varian - Editor, Local Government")
![Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times]](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 562 316"/%3E "Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times]")
![Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//qUM_trnrWunPgORIvM_SMooWuMg=/200x112/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KXOXT6GIKEI6TGNIIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times]")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2FE27DXGJBA2NCML5ONETPUUUA.jpg "Tampa's Top 100 Workplaces 2019")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WM5JX2XQRBBABIARJ2NJL4QQYI.jpg "CHRIS URSO | Times
KnowBe4's Christian Sheedy, senior vice president of small business sales, works at his desk while a chicken noise maker is seen Thursday, March 21, 2019 in Clearwater. The company employs over 600 workers at offices around the world. Stu Sjouwerman, founder and CEO of KnowBe4, started the company in 2010.")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MLOEBUUADRGPJJCZWUHYCNAT2Y.JPG "OCTAVIO JONES | Times
Ester Azeredo, 35, of Tampa works inside of at Transferwise, an international money transfer company that is located in the Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida on Monday, March 4, 2019.")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HOJQJWSGKJBW5EZANA5S3S2FQ4.JPG "MONICA HERNDON | Times
Robert Frijouf, 8, and Elle Frijouf, 10, watch as Ryan Ibrahim, general manager, works the register at Yogurtology at 1202 S. Church Ave in Tampa, Florida, on March 18, 2019.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/IKBL2ENSJRFYRPYXGQL46TQ7NU.JPG "A city of Tampa employee, who did not give her name, holds the elevator door open at Old City Hall in downtown Tampa.")
![[Illustration by Ron Borresen]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//K-4Axc2fwg_cj5qWJqL33fxo4jo=/200x112/filters:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/7TJMBAWISBGRRIZJPI6YOZQH5E.jpg "[Illustration by Ron Borresen]")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/Q5HTI3NFMFAXVJSM7QJIHLKSDE.png "Breaking news card for crime *** delete and write caption ****")
:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/7TJMBAWISBGRRIZJPI6YOZQH5E.jpg "The Top 100 Tampa Bay Workplaces of 2021.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/TG4QNCX77RH6DEDSCHN3KDBIQ4.jpg "Shoppers walk through a nearly empty produce aisle at the Publix at Northeast Shopping Center in St. Petersburg on March 15, shortly after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a national emergency.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/5KFRKGGMH5CFXPMA5A5DGEU6BA.jpg "Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano announced that the airport was partnering with BayCare last fall to offer both PCR and rapid antigen COVID-19 tests for air passengers.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/IU3W3RI6TVARFKVTO4B5JZ5W5U.JPG "The St. Petersburg skyline looking west from the waterfront.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/WYL5X6SA3JHXXBDE6KWKDJFCWM.jpg "Top Workplaces.")
![[Illustration by Ron Borresen]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//9OJhqF9pdTYRoDbRQ5FoMuS-PsU=/200x112/filters:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/ELXPGKN6FBDYTGOOYXRXINV4AI.jpg "[Illustration by Ron Borresen]")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DHULFWLYGNEW5C4GEUHLTHGCWU.jpg "Illustration")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EBMCKRROUJHZVLNLEIV5V6APCE.JPG "Engel & Volkers St. Petersburg office is located at 102 2nd Ave NE.")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/24ME7WEVARCFBAAJDGK5RFABI4.JPG "Parade participants march down 7th Ave. during the Tampa Pride Parade in Ybor City on Saturday, March 28, 2015. This was the first gay pride parade in 13 years. Times (2015)")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/JS6BHPGIIYI6TGNIIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "Ron Borresen | tbt* Cover art for tbt* Top Workplaces 4/11.")
![Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//yCHzRdNSjxa6ew32XQcFzEHsyUQ=/200x112/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/G5FBICWIHYI6TGNIIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DYLEIOWIIQI6TGNIIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "TAILYR IRVINE | Times An employee prints 10,000 lottery tickets for a customer’s lottery club at Ybor Metro Market on October 23, 2018 in Tampa. To print the $20,000 worth of tickets takes the employees about 5 hours.")
![Jay Cridlin. [DIRK SHADD | Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//_ZP2whXxiYl0tiQgd1QRHniyqrw=/200x112/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3K746XGIJYI6TGNIIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "Jay Cridlin. [DIRK SHADD | Times]")
