From the Driver's Seat: Lauren Melo Brings a Builder's Mindset to the Florida House
Rep. Lauren Melo
Lauren Melo has never been one to shy away from a challenge.
In 1991, lifelong Floridian and Southwest Florida native Lauren Melo built a commercial trucking company from a single truck to a fleet, eventually dispatching more than 100. In 2011, she took on a new venture: launching the local real estate brokerage she still runs today.
She faced a personal battle with breast cancer, spending more than a year and a half battling the aggressive disease while continuing to manage her businesses.
She supported her son as he signed up to serve our nation with the United States Army in Afghanistan. Upon his return to civilian life, he joined the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
By the time Melo ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2020, she had already spent more than 30 years doing what her district needed most: creating jobs, balancing budgets and fighting through the challenges that came her way.
She succeeded Byron Donalds as State Representative for District 82 and has represented Southwest Florida since November 2020. She is now running for Senate District 28, bringing the same pragmatic, business-focused vision to a broader stage.
Protecting Florida Jobs: HB 839 and Engineering Licensure
One of Melo's signature accomplishments from the 2026 session was her sponsorship of HB 839, which strengthens penalties for the unlicensed practice of engineering in Florida. The bill's Senate companion, SB 800, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne), was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2026.
Under existing law, penalties for unlicensed engineering range from $1,000 to $5,000. The new law imposes progressively higher fines for repeat offenses, starting at $10,000 for a second violation and reaching $25,000 for a fifth or subsequent offense. The legislation will take effect on July 1st.
For Melo, the bill was a natural fit. Her background in trucking and real estate gave her a ground-level understanding of what happens when contractors cut corners, inspections are skipped and unqualified actors practice engineering without proper licensure. Melo and her husband also run a home-building business, relying on the expertise of highly capable, trained engineers every day.
"Floridians deserve to know that the roads they drive, the bridges they cross and the water coming out of their taps meet the highest safety standards," Melo said following the bill's signing. "Licensed engineers make that possible. Protecting licensure requirements is how we protect Florida jobs, workers and the families who depend on them."
The legislation earned unanimous support at every committee stop before passing the Senate 37-0 and clearing the House with just one dissenting vote, 111-1. That margin reflects a broad consensus that licensure is not a partisan issue -- it is a public-safety one.
Melo also sees the new law as an economic opportunity. As a mother of three, she remains focused on building more pathways to good-paying jobs that keep skilled workers in Florida.
For someone who spent three decades building businesses before she ever ran for office, patience and persistence are not new concepts. Tallahassee is just the latest arena.