ACCENT Speakers Bureau is proud to partner with Bob Graham Center for Public Service and Chomp the Vote to bring former US Senators, Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson, to UF, virtually. The show will take place Monday, October 26th at 6pm on Zoom. Students can register for the show with their UFL email address at bit.ly/UFSenators.

Mel Martinez served as the Republican Senator for the State of Florida from 2005 to 2009. During his time as Senator, he also served as general chairman of the Republican Party from 2006 to 2007. Prior to serving as a senator, Martinez was appointed at the 12th Secretary of the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) by President George W. Bush. He served from January of 2001 to December of 2008.

Bill Nelson served as the Democratic Senator for the State of Florida from 2001 to 2019. Nelson became the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space when he served as a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986. Nelson served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1965-1971 and was active duty for 2 of those years, earning the rank of Captain.

ACCENT Speakers Bureau is the nation’s largest student-run speakers bureau and is celebrating fifty-four years of bringing prominent, influential and controversial individuals to inspire, engage and enlighten the University of Florida community. For more information about the organization, visit www.facebook.com/accentspeakers or contact ACCENT Chairman Steven Wolf at accent@sg.ufl.edu.