Staff Writer
It takes more than a few people behind-the-scenes to make each legislative session look and feel as if it went off without a hitch. For close to 40 years, Earnest Sumner has been one of the session’s mainstays.
Sumner is the Sergeant at Arms for the House of Representatives, a nonmember officer appointed by the House Speaker, and knows just what it takes to keep things running efficiently.
“We’re kind of the piece that holds everything together,” said Sumner. “We have a lot of responsibilities and they’re pretty varied.”
Varied and lengthy would be an accurate description, as Sumner’s duties include: assigning committee rooms and office assignments to House members, equipment repairs within the House, housekeeping and janitorial services within the Capitol, installation and quality assurance of all audiovisual equipment House members use for presentations, training and supervision of all pages and messengers among others.
That’s not all, though.
Sumner is responsible for the building cosmetics as well, as he has overseen the orderly construction of renovations and additions to the Capitol’s multimillion dollar improvements over the years with the most recent being the renovation of the House office building.
His duties aren’t confined within the Capitol. Sumner also takes care of transportation and security needs for House members — he doesn’t handle lodging, though — who have to make public meetings. And, he works closely with Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local authorities to ensure things go just as smoothly on the outside as they do on the inside.
Sumner hasn’t always been the Sergeant at Arms. He spent his early career as an office assistant before spending 22 years as deputy sergeant until 1998 when one local figure officially appointed him in 1998 — then Speaker and current State Sen. John Thrasher.
“I’ve known John (Thrasher) for quite a while,” said Sumner. “One of the things about the job I’ve loved most is the relationships I’ve gained over the years. They’re all special.”
It’s not over yet, but Sumner does see a point in the future where he’ll step aside for the next House Sergeant at Arms to assume his duties. When the time comes, though, he’ll leave smiling.
“It’s been a wonderful career,” he said.
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