Rachel Saunders Plakon was appointed to the Commission in 2018 by Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran. She has been a real estate entrepreneur since 2004, and currently owns Southeast Ingenuity Investments, Inc., an investment company and Saunders Plakon, a brokerage firm. She was elected to the Florida House in 2022 as Representative for the 36th District, Northern Seminole County.

She has focused on policies that protect and empower all Floridians, including women and girls. She has been a mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and has volunteered at local schools throughout her life. Recently, Commissioner Plakon was a guest speaker to groups of middle school girls in Seminole County as a part of the Girls in Government Program.

During childhood, she helped found a youth drug-use prevention program named after a song she performed and co-wrote, “Saying Yes to Life.” Her program was endorsed by Colonel Oliver North, Governor Chiles, Senator Graham and the Florida Sheriff’s Association.

The program’s success also led to national recognition, including an appearance as a guest host on CBN’s 700 Club and TBN’s, Kids against Crime. She is also the former Community Liaison for Governor Jeb Bush’s Mentoring Initiative. Commissioner Plakon earned her Corporate Master of Business Administration from Florida International University. She received her Bachelor of Science from Oral Roberts University in Mass Media Communications.

In 2020, she was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Florida Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, and was instrumental in helping both the FWSCC and the FCSW with their celebration and commemoration of Women’s Suffrage, traveling the state and speaking to groups both in person and online. She was later recognized and awarded a “Pearl of Seminole,” an honor for women who make a difference in Seminole County.

Married to widower Scott Plakon since 2019, she became part of a family that includes six children and six grandchildren. Rachel and Scott also have a daughter of their own, Gracie.