Albie Kaminsky, 33

For many in the business community, government can be a slow-rolling machine and sometimes be an obstacle to projects. 

Those people most likely haven’t interacted with Albert “Albie” Kaminsky, a government lobbyist who moves fast and decisively. For one Kaminsky, at 33, earned a leadership role in government affairs leading a lobbying team for a large cable company that some people don’t reach until they are at a career peak. Kaminsky was promoted to the position, senior director of state government affairs for Charter Communications, which operates Spectrum cable, in February. He spent some five years before that quickly working his way up to the role.

Photo by Mark Wemple

Ditto for Kaminsky’s fast rise in politics. He spent four years working for three state legislators: Doug Holder, R-Sarasota; Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City; and Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton. With Boyd, who has since been elected to the state Senate, Kaminsky led a team of staff members and interns that conducted constituent services. He was also Boyd’s surrogate and top official while meeting with constituents, lobbyists and others. 

For both the legislators and with Charter/Spectrum, Kaminsky has had some solid successes. One, which Boyd sponsored in the Senate, was to spearhead the creation of Florida's first broadband grant program, a $400 million initiative.

Boyd, who is also chairman of Boyd Insurance & Investment Services, says Kaminsky is so much more than your typical government affairs professional or in-house lobbyist. “His unparalleled dedication to his profession and the community makes him a ‘must-know’ in political and business circles throughout the state,” Boyd writes in Kaminsky’s 40 under 40 nomination. “Since our first meeting over 10 years ago, Albie has consistently demonstrated exceptional talent and passion.”

Kaminsky speaks highly of Boyd, calling him a mentor and something of a second father. “He’s a true statesman,” Kaminsky says. “Everybody in Tallahassee knows him as that, everyone in Bradenton knows him as that. He’s a great father, a great businessman and a great politician, something I try to embody in my life as well.” 

Kaminsky says Boyd had some key sayings that stuck with him. One was iron sharpens iron, a biblical phrase that essentially means to surround yourself with a top-flight team. Another was ‘all work and no play makes Albie a dull boy,” encouraging Kaminskly to have fun at work, not just wake up and grind. 

One other Boyd phrase that resonated with Kaminsky was think, plan and act, or TPA. Kamisky has since added measure to TPA, something he learned from another mentor.