Rick Scott, Carlos Lopez-Cantera Honor 2014 Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees

Gov. Rick Scott and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera joined Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and Attorney General Pam Bondi Wednesday to honor three new inductees to the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.

The inductees were chosen from a list of 10 nominees selected by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. According to a press release, the inductees were chosen in part because they "have made significant contributions to the improvement of life for women and all citizens of Florida."

The three inductees were Dottie Berger MacKinnon,Louise Jones Gopher, and Sheriff Susan Benton.

MacKinnon served as an advocate for women who founded the Joshua House in Tampa and worked tirelessly to work for the safety of abused, neglected and abandoned children.

Gopher was the first female member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to earn a college degree and championed education for members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Benton serves as Highlands County sheriff, the first female sheriff to be elected in a general election in the state's history.In 2013, Benton was named president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, which is the first time a woman has served in this capacity in the associations 115-year history, and currently serves on the National Sheriffs Association board of directors.

The three women we honored are truly phenomenal Floridians, and I am proud that their contributions to making Florida a better state will forever be memorialized in the Womens Hall of Fame," said Bondi.

These women provide an example of service, sacrifice, and dedication for all of us, and it was an honor to recognize the contributions of these three outstanding Floridians," said Gov. Rick Scott. "The Florida Womens Hall of Fame is one more way Florida honors women who have dedicated their lives to serving the families of our state.