TALLAHASSEE, FL - On May 2, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the selection of Belle Yates Bear, Mary Brickell, and Dotti Groover-Skipper to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. Each year, the Governor selects three nominees from recommendations presented by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. 

Belle Yates Bear

Bear is a Principal of the Bear Family Foundation and a dedicated community member with a lifelong commitment to serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. She was a founding member of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, an organization dedicated to providing substantial grants to local nonprofit organizations. Throughout her decades of service, Bear has held leadership and advisory roles across numerous organizations. She was appointed to the Governor’s Mansion Commission and was a founding board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida. Her board service includes the YMCA of Northwest Florida, the Arc Gateway Foundation, and the Junior League of Pensacola. In addition, Bear founded the Program for the Advancement of Learning and Success, also known as PALS, a collaborative effort between Pensacola State College and local businesses to provide job training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her outstanding community impact has earned her numerous accolades, including the Florida Senate Presidential Medal, awarded by former Senate President and current Senator Don Gaetz, the Pensacola Blue Wahoo’s Community Player of the Year award, and the Pensacola Chamber’s Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement in community service.

Mary Brickell
Often celebrated as the Co-Founder of Miami and known as the "Mother of Miami," Brickell played a pivotal role in shaping the city's early development. She arrived in South Florida in 1871 with her husband after acquiring more than 2,000 acres of land along the Miami River. Together, the Brickells were instrumental in laying the foundation of what would become one of Florida’s most iconic cities. They established the area’s first post office, bank, and general store, all central figures in the community’s growth. During the 1873 typhoid outbreak, the Brickells opened their home as a makeshift hospital, offering care to all in need. Brickell and fellow pioneer Julia Tuttle played a key role in facilitating the arrival of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway, selling him land that would streamline Miami’s expansion. Through her vision, generosity, and commitment to community, Mary Brickell remains a foundational figure in Miami’s history.

Dotti Groover-Skipper

Groover-Skipper is a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking. She currently serves as the Anti-Trafficking Director at The NOMORE Foundation and Chair of the SAFE Alliance of Tampa Bay Board of Directors. Rooted in community service, she holds an appointment to the Florida Board of Massage Therapy and has previously served on the Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council, the Hillsborough County Commission on the Status of Women, and the Hillsborough County Commission on Human Trafficking. In recognition of her impactful work, Groover-Skipper was honored with the 2024 Women Who Win Award by Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine and the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. She founded the HeartDance Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit devoted to empowering individuals who are healing from exploitation, addiction, and other traumatic experiences. With deep expertise and a strategic, solution-focused approach, Groover-Skipper has helped drive policy change in anti-human trafficking efforts across Florida and the nation.