Biography of First Lady Carole Crist
First Lady Carole Crist grew up in Roslyn, New York, a suburb of New York City, as the youngest of five children. After graduating from Roslyn High School with honors in 1987, Carole attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in accounting. In 1991 she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, along with the high academic honor of magna cum laude.
As a result of her education in accounting, coupled with a strong interest in the financial markets, Carole was recruited to work as an auditor in New York City’s financial district. She later obtained her real estate brokerage license in New York and joined The Corcoran Group, one of the city’s top firms.
Carole later joined Franco American Novelty Company LLC, a wholesale distributor specializing in designing and manufacturing Halloween costumes and accessories. Founded by her grandfather Sam Oumano in 1910, Franco is the oldest American Halloween company and distributes products all over the world. After her grandfather’s death in 1977, her father Bob became the company’s president. Upon his retirement, recognizing her strong business acumen and integrity, Bob then entrusted to Carole the management of the day-to-day operations of Franco.
Carole’s drive and determination resulted in record sales and profits for the company, and she went on to become president of the company in 2000 after her father’s death . While Michele Oumano, Carole’s sister and vice president, has taken over the management of Franco, Carole continues to work as a consultant for Franco.
First Lady Crist’s community service includes support for charities that enrich the lives of children. She supports the March of Dimes, which is dedicated to ensuring the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Another organization she has assisted is the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which enriches the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The First Lady also supports “ARTrageous,” an art auction which benefits foster children in New York City through the Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families.
In 2006, Carole moved to Florida with her two daughters. She became First Lady of Florida on December 12, 2008, when she married Florida Governor Charlie Crist in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. As Florida’s First Lady, Carole will focus on the state’s most critical issues, as well as continuing her philanthropic work.