Candidate Profile: County Commission District 4: Robin DiSabatino

Candidate: Robin DiSabatino

Age: 57

Party Affiliation: Republican

Occupation: Robin has been a self-employed small businesswoman for the past 24 years, selling residential real estate for Michael Saunders in Lakewood Ranch. She has earned several distinctions and awards throughout her career.

Annual income:  Declined to specify

Biography: Robin and her husband Dr. Robert M. DiSabatino live west of Lockwood Ridge Road between Saunders and Whitfield. They have a daughter, Meredith, who is 28 and who resides in Wilmington, Delaware.

Education: Robin was a graduate from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1971 in Wilmington, Delaware and a graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University Of Delaware in 1975. She also earned a Paralegal Degree from Wilmington College and has been a licensed realtor since 1986.

Experience: DiSabatino believes her business background will be an asset to Manatee County as she makes sure that tax dollars are spent wisely. As a Vice President of Provident Bank, Robin was responsible for managing a multi-million dollar money market and government funds.

"I’m concerned for the people in my district. The unemployment rate for young people is between 20-40 percent and 3,400 homes are in the forclosure process,” she said. “I have been working diligently and going around to businesses in my district to see what can be done to solve this problem.”

DiSabatino plans to accomplish her goals by expanding current operations in order to create more diversified jobs and opportunities here in Manatee County.

“I plan on creating jobs from within. All of the resources we need to employ people are right here in Manatee county,” she said.

She plans to make Manatee County ideal for expansion of sustainable jobs which she feels will stabilize the economy, revitalize local neighborhoods and lead residents to economic prosperity.

Community Involvement: Disbatino is a lifelong Republican and member of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee as well as five independent Republican Clubs -- she is committed to electing more Republicans to local, state and national offices.

In her spare time, Robin volunteers with several community organizations, including Kiwanis Club of Bradenton, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs, and is a non-profit board member of various organizations that support jobs, children's issues and quality of life for seniors and people of all ages.

Robin is also involved in the business community, where she is a member of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, Suncoast Workforce, and Women's Council of Realtors.

Monetary Contributions: Disbatino has raised the highest amount of funding of all county commission candidates at over $123,000 about 90% of which comes businesses or individuals in the real estate and development industries. View the full contribution report here.  

“The funding was a grass roots effort. I really worked hard and spent the first 3-4 months of my campaign going around to small businesses and telling people what I’m about and what I represent,” she said. “The funding comes from a combination of friends, family, small businesses and anyone who wants to see the county grow and prosper.”

What She Lives By: The Golden Rule