Cissy Proctor is Managing Partner of the LSN Partners Tallahassee office. She joined the firm in 2019 after serving for six years at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the state agency responsible for advancing economic, workforce and community development across the state.

Cissy started her career practicing law and handling state and local government issues with a Tallahassee-based law firm. In 2013, after nearly 10 years in private practice, Cissy joined the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity as Deputy Legislative Affairs Director. She was later promoted to Director of the Division of Strategic Business Development and then to Chief of Staff. In January 2016, Cissy was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the agency’s top job, Executive Director. She served the governor in this role for three years, before joining LSN.

While at the DEO, Cissy cultivated many partnerships from the national to the local level, championing pro-business policies and a competitive business environment. She was accountable for the agency’s $1.2 billion budget, nearly 1,600 employees and over 80 statewide programs and initiatives. Her efforts supported strong economic growth in Florida over the last eight years, resulting in the creation of almost 1.7 million jobs by businesses all over the state, consistently low unemployment rates, hundreds of thousands of job openings, record-breaking tourism and the consistent inflow of new residents. Cissy developed and championed the agency’s short and long-term goals, strategy and focus. She secured funding and favorable policies from the U.S. Congress and multiple federal agencies and represented the agency in front of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives and the Florida Cabinet. She has an excellent grasp of the executive and legislative branches of the state, and a deep understanding of local politics and government.

Due to the agency’s extensive reach, Cissy has strong relationships with businesses, elected leaders and policy experts across Florida and the country. Cissy frequently assisted the Governor in celebrating grand openings, ribbon cuttings, job creation and rate releases. She accompanied the Governor to roundtable discussions on strengthening Florida’s economy, to the Keys after Hurricane Irma, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Mexico Beach after Hurricane Michael. She regularly presented on all aspects of Florida’s economy to audiences including the Florida Cabinet, the Florida Legislature, the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors, Florida’s Base Commanders and the U.S. Ways and Means Committee in Washington, D.C., in addition to many local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations across Florida and Puerto Rico.

Cissy received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Florida State University College of Law and her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University.
She currently serves as a Trustee of the Florida House on Capitol Hill and is a graduate of Leadership Florida (Executive Class X) and Leadership Tallahassee. She is a member of The Florida Bar and serves on the Board of Directors of United Way of the Big Bend.

Cissy has lived in Florida most of her life, is a proud Seminole, and is a two-time graduate of Florida State University. She grew up in Tallahassee and still calls it home with her husband of 17 years, Stewart.