A legend lives on as Manatee County renames chamber after first female commissioner

The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners officially recognized Patricia Glass, the county’s first female commissioner, on Tuesday by renaming the chambers in her honor.

The 91-year-old was joined by friends and family, who smiled and laughed as commissioners and other acquaintances shared fond memories of the trailblazer known for her altruistic spirit. Everyone in the room seemed to recall good times spent with Glass.

County Attorney Mitchell Palmer, who noted that Glass has been his role model for more than 30 years, read the official proclamation at Glass’s request.

“In the late 1980s and the entire decade of the 1990s I was a young, impressionable assistant county attorney learning the right way to do things while Commissioner Glass was demonstrating the right way to do things,” Palmer said.

Glass was in a joyful spirit during the ceremony, joking about her many accomplishments and having her family with her to commemorate the moment.

“This has been overwhelming for me. I can’t believe it. I’ve got all my kids in one spot. That is important that we attract people and then stick our hand in their pocket,” Glass said, referring to her role in finding public and private dollars to pay for major projects without tapping into the county’s budget.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore suggested the idea to rename the chambers after Glass at an October board meeting. She stood alongside her mentor as county staff unveiled the official signage of The Honorable Patricia M. Glass Chambers.

A painted portrait of the former commissioner hangs beneath the signage. As it was revealed, her jaw dropped and she remarked at the level of detail artist Jane Keeling was able to capture, including the wedding ring on her left hand.