COMMISSION & STAFF
Irby G. Pugh, Commissioner
City of Orlando Appointee
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Mr. Pugh attended public school through the 9th grade in Lakeland, Florida, moved to California with his parents, and graduated from Glendora High School, Glendora, California. He worked as a fireman for the U.S. Forestry Service in California before returning to Florida and settling in Orlando in September 1966 to take a position as systems engineer for Martin Marietta.
Mr. Pugh earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from California Polytechnic University in 1967 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida in 1972. He also did graduate studies in systems engineering at the University of Florida.
From 1972 – 1973, Mr. Pugh was Assistant Attorney for Brevard County. Beginning in 1978, he was in private law practice with emphasis on environmental and land use law. As a trial lawyer, his more notable cases included Rosie Bass vs. State, a 1989 First Degree murder case tried before a jury, in which he won acquittal for the defendant; and several Civil Trial victories, including Ormond vs. OUC in 1986, in which Leon Handley represented OUC and the jury found for the plaintiffs; and Kingsland vs. Benham in 2004, in which Mr. Pugh won a non-jury plaintiff verdict against Larry Phalin represented Benham.
Mr. Pugh was an Adjunct Professor of Law in Land Use Environmental law at Rollins College from 1989 until his death. He was an Adjunct Professor of Law in Land Use at Barry University's Andreas College of Law, 2002-2003. His message to students was, "this is for my learning; hopefully, if you listen, you'll learn too."
From 2002-2003, Mr. Pugh was president of the North Orlando Kiwanis Club. In 2005 he was awarded the George Hixson Life Achievement.
From 1980 until his death, Mr. Pugh was active in Democratic politics. He was a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in 1984, the chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party from 1986-1992, a delegate to Democratic National Convention in 1988 and 1992, and an honored guest at the January 1993 Clinton/Gore inauguration.
He served on the 1988 Committee for Responsible Growth that voted 5-4 to inaugurate first urban service line, a very controversial decision that was later adopted in most large Florida counties.
Mr. Pugh served as chairman of Orange County Animal Services 1993-1994.
Mr. Pugh's honors included being listed in Who's who in American Law, the
Martindale Hubbel Preeminent Lawyer Listing from 1998 until 2006, and the Best Lawyers in Florida. He was an American Bar Association Fellow.
