TAMPA, FL -Colonel (U.S. Army, Retired) Mike Prendergast, a combat decorated Soldier with eminent credentials as a leader, declared his intentions to run for Florida 's Eleventh Congressional District seat.

"Our Nation is in dire need of real reform in Washington. I seek to continue serving my country today by declaring my candidacy for the United States Congress," stated Colonel Prendergast.

Colonel Prendergast is a native of Tampa and a graduate of Clearwater Central Catholic High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 and earned a commission through Officer Candidate School. With more than 31 years of service, he retired in 2009 as U.S. Central Command's Provost Marshal, a military position similar to a civilian Commissioner of Public Safety and International Chief of Police. Colonel Prendergast served with distinction in various important command and staff assignments throughout the United States and abroad, to include combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, and humanitarian missions in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Cameroon, and Zaire. Prendergast also served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Defense, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Bob Graham.

"The people of Tampa Bay deserve a true leader that can reach across party lines, and do what's right," said Colonel Prendergast. "I've fought for and defended America all of my life; now I'd like to fight for the people of Tampa Bay and all Americans by going to Washington to put a stop to wasteful spending, decrease our taxes, balance our budgets, and reduce our national debt."

Prendergast has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Special Honors and a dual major in Political Science and Sociology from Jacksonville State University; a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Psychology from the University of New York; a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Campbell University; a Master of Arts degree with a major in International

Relations and a Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida; a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Management from Troy State University; and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College with a major in Public Diplomacy and a concentration in Campaign and Strategic Crisis Planning.

Colonel Prendergast and his wife Naomi returned to Florida in 2008 in preparation for his transition from active duty and in anticipation of him serving the Tampa Bay area where his leadership skills can do the most good for his hometown. The Prendergasts have two children and three grandchildren. Their daughter, Melissa Ann, lives in Savannah with her husband Caleb (a “Nightstalker” with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment presently deployed to Afghanistan) and son Dylan. Their son, Robert Anthony (a Fort Stewart Military Police Soldier presently deployed to Afghanistan), lives in Hinesville with his wife Elisabeth, son Robert Jr. and daughter Charlee Sue.

For more information, please visit: www.PickPrendergast.com
Contact: Brian Graham at (904) 376-5288 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Prendergast to Run for Congress
U.S. Central Command Colonel challenges Castor

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Paid for by Prendergast for Congress

Bio Brief Feb 2010

* Values based, interdisciplinary skilled, and internationally experienced strategic leader.

* Proven portfolio of world class success as a visionary and relationship building senior executive throughout a career spanning more than 31 years in progressively challenging opportunities.

* Proven diplomat at the most senior levels of the government / corporate enterprise environment.

* Keenly developed leadership, training, mentoring, coaching and team building skills.

* Ability to collaborate and foster cooperation across small, medium and large sized organizations.

* Consistently deliver mission critical results. – Driven by a visceral need to be challenged to strategize, innovate and disprove the words “It can’t be done.” Gifted with the entrepreneurial spirit, vision, determination and skills needed for high-level team-building strategies and tactics designed to produce outcomes that exceed expectations.

* Effective and accountable in high-profile executive roles. – Overcome complex corporate challenges and make high-stakes decisions using experience-backed judgment, strong work ethic and irreproachable integrity. Respected as a proponent of empowerment and accountability.

* Strategy and Development Specialist. – Characterized as a visionary, strategist, and tactician. Consistent record of delivering extraordinary results in growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability. Heavy executive oversight background including financing, budgeting, cost control, project planning, transformation and restructuring. Skilled at crisis management.

* Strong orientations in operations and finance. – Participate in high-level operational initiatives, including infrastructure design, process reengineering, turnaround management, transformation and reorganization. As an innovative negotiator, use instincts, insight, judgment and timing to succeed no matter how difficult the problem.

* Respect and leverage human capital. – Motivate, mentor and lead talented professionals. Live the corporate culture and lead by example. Direct complex, cross-functional teams using interactive and motivational leadership that spurs people to willingly give 100% effort and loyalty. Recruit and simultaneously retain top performers while implementing sweeping changes.

* Developed “just in time” transportation, delivery and fielding plan for a new, critical system valued in excess of $1.1 billion dollars, which resulted in a seamless, on-time delivery of materiel.

* Synchronized development of $50,000,000.00 program of key enablers and, thereby, removed institutional impediments to full realization of technological exploitation. Reorganized an underperforming division by providing hands-on coaching, mentoring and teaching its leadership.

* Peerlessly administered multi-million dollar contracts (in excess of $250,000,000.00 annually) that included requirements for integration and synchronization with operations in foreign countries.

* Successfully negotiated international agreement with German Ministry of Finance, which resulted in an annual cost savings in excess of $27,500,000.00 (US$).

* Directed complex, highly sensitive and demanding investigative operations and support across 92 nations, which recouped more than $40,000,000.00 in theft recoveries and compensation.

* Trained, mentored and coached underperforming organizations to standard, which resulted in a 25% improvement in performance during an external audit.

* Led a Directorate of Public Safety during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which resulted in the development of a flagship “Operational Protection” program for the DOD.

* Led a Directorate of Public Safety during the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which resulted in no loss of life or property and a threat mitigation / consequence management plan that became the model for the Department of the Army. Proactive innovations led to a 26% reduction in crime.

* Led, trained, and mentored 11 separate divisions as they conducted sensitive and highly complex investigative operations and support from India to the International Date Line.

* Led Congressional affairs strategy development operations on behalf of the Secretary and the Chief of Staff, Army. Personally led Congressional delegations on trips to Europe and Asia.

* Wrote and submitted language for the Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills.

* Participated in Congressional Staff Exchange with Parliament of Canada.