Senator Dennis Baxley has passionately served the community for over fifty years. He started his career in funeral service by washing cars and mowing the lawn at Hiers Funeral Home in 1970. His dedication and hard work eventually led him to become a Partner and Principal Owner of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services. He has been married to his wife Ginette for forty-eight years. Dennis & Ginette are parents to five children, three natural and two adopted children and eight grandchildren. Senator Baxley graduated from Florida State University in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Psychology, from Miami Dade Community College in 1975 with an A.S. degree in Funeral Service and from the College of Central Florida in 1972 with an A.A. degree. Dennis Baxley never imagined he would run for office, but he was asked to consider running for State Representative and was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore under then-Speaker Marco Rubio during the 2007 term. Senator Baxley currently serves Senate District 12 representing the southern portion of Marion County, all of Sumter County, and the northern portion of Lake County. He sits on number of committees that include, Health Policy, Criminal Justice, Judiciary, Rules and he is the current chair of the Ethics & Elections Committee. He is an active member and elder at The Vine Community Church, a Southern Baptist work, and formerly served on the boards for the Florida Baptist Witness Publications. He currently serves on the boards of the Marion County Children’s Alliance, the Advisory Board of the Florida Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Student Leadership University and the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. He is a past President and current member of the Belleview Rotary Club and a past President of the Belleview-South Marion Chamber of Commerce. He is also a current member of Gideon’s International, and the National Rifle Association. He is founding member and Florida Chairman of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, and is a member of the Legislative Fellowship Prayer Group at the Florida Capitol.