Ernest Hooper brings a blend of experiences to his role as metro columnist for the Times.

He was born and raised in Tallahassee. The proud son of Gerald and Ann Hooper, two longtime Florida A&M professors, he grew up less than a mile from the Florida State campus.

But he graduated from the University of Florida. Yes, he's that rare breed known as a Tallahassee Gator.

Ernest is a general news columnist, but spent the first 15 years of his career as a sports writer, including a four-year stint as the paper's NFL writer.

Ernest's work has earned national and regional awards (a long time ago), but humility drives him to improve.

Now in his 22nd year as a journalist, and his seventh as a columnist, he files three pieces a week for the Times' Tampa and State edition and a fourth for the Times' South Shore and Brandon edition. Ernest relies on a broad canvas of topics that range from politics and nightlife to stories of perseverance and amusing anecdotes about his wife, Florence, and three kids, Matthew, Ethan and Madelyn.

But he's not afraid to occasionally challenge readers with a sharply-written opinion.

In 2007, Tampa Bay Illustrated magazine named Ernest to its Perfect 10 list as one of the area's most fashionable and charitable men. Fashionable? Maybe the magazine has a problem with fact checking.

But the charitable designation speaks to his efforts to shine a spotlight on Tampa Bay's most deserving nonprofit efforts, and his willingness to serve as an emcee or keynote speaker at various charitable events. His outreach efforts this year include serving as the honorary chairman of Cystic Fibrosis' Great Strides walkathon, and being a member of the SERVE Volunteers in Education speakers bureau.

Most of all, he strives to be a voice of the community by connecting with readers on a regular basis.

Phone: (813) 226-3406

E-mail: ehooper@tampabay.com