Born September 23, 1964, Bob “Coach” Henriquez was raised in Tampa.  A fourth generation native, he is the great-grandson of Enrique Henriquez, the last mayor of West Tampa and the cousin of State Senator Louis de la Parte, Jr. (1966-1974).  Bob has been happily married for nine years to Kimberly Kunath, a special education teacher originally from Detroit, Michigan.  They are active parishioners at St. Lawrence’s Catholic Church.  His interest includes community service, politics, fishing, boating and golf. 

In high school, Bob belonged to the National Honor Society and was an All-American football player.  He graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with a bachelor degree in Political Science and has been pursuing an advanced degree in Public Administration and Planning at the University of South Florida. 

Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1998, Bob “Coach” Henriquez successfully won reelection in 2000.  Currently, he is the Democratic Co-Floor Leader.  He serves on the Council for Lifelong Learning, the Council for Ready Infrastructure, the Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee.  Before seeking public office, Representative Henriquez was employed with the Builder’s Association of Greater Tampa as their Governmental Affairs Coordinator, and worked previously for the Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management Commission as a Senior Planner.  Until recently, Representative Henriquez proudly served as the head football coach to the Tampa Catholic High School Crusaders.  During his nine-year tenure, the Crusaders reached the state playoffs seven consecutive years from 1993-1999, including the state semi-finals in 1995.  As head coach Bob developed four All-Americans, and dozens of his student-athletes have gone on to earn scholarships to major universities. 

In his first term, he received the Freshman Friend of Education Award from the FTP/NEA.  In 1999, the American Cancer Society presented him with their annual Legislative Award.  He was the recipient of the “2001 Legislator of the Year” award from the Florida School Boards Association.  The American Planning Association awarded him the “2001 Legislative Appreciation Award for his skills in growth management.”  IBEW Local Union 108 selected Bob to receive their “Legislative Appreciation Award.”  The Hillsborough County National Board of Certified Teachers also recognized him for his support of education and excellence in teaching programs in the State of Florida.