SENATE PRESIDENT STAFF Incoming Senate President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando) announced several staff positions in his office, with many from Senate President Don Gaetz’s advisors staying. Reynold Meyer will serve as his chief of staff; Carol Gormley as health policy chief; Lisa Vickers as senior policy advisor; Katie Betta as communications director; George Levesque as general counsel; Tony Cortese as education policy advisor; Andrew Mackintosh as economic policy advisor; and Stacy VanCamp-Garcia, who formerly worked in his District Office.
TWO COLLEGE PRESIDENTS RETIRE Charles Hall, president of Florida Gateway College in Lakeland, will retire at the end of the school year after 17 years at the college. Palm Beach State College is also losing their leader. President Dennis Gallon announced his retirement, also after 17 years.
And on September 8th, University of Miami president Donna Shalala announced that she will retire in 2015.
COUNCIL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING Attorney General Bondi and Governor Scott appointed members to the newly formed Council on Human Trafficking. Bondi will serve as chair of the committee. The members include: Interim Secretary of the Department of Children and Families Mike Carroll; State Senator Denise Gimsley; State Representative Jeanette Nunez; Dotti Groover-Skipper, Community Campaign Against Human Trafficking West Florida; Katherine Rundle, State Attorney for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida; Terry Coonan, FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights; Sheriff William Snyder, Martin County; Lee Lowry, The Junior League of Tampa; Chief Philip Thorne, Springfield Police Department; Commissioner Pam Stewart, Florida Department of Education; Secretary Elizabeth Dudek, Agency for Healthcare Administration; Dr. John Armstrong, State Surgeon General, Florida Department of Health; Gerald Bailey, Executive Director, Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and Interim Secretary Christy Daly, Department of Juvenile Justice. The 15-member committee met in Tallahassee for the first time on August 18th and another meeting will be scheduled for December. The Council’s goal is to build on existing state and local partnerships working to combat human trafficking.
STATE VETERINARIAN NAMED Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam has chosen Dr. Mike Short to be the State Veterinarian and Division Director of Animal Industry. Short earned his doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Florida.
JACKSONVILLE HEALTH COMMISSIONER Representative Mia Jones (D-Jacksonville) will oversee Jacksonville’s Medicaid enrollment efforts as the new health commissioner of Jacksonville. The appointment was made by Mayor Alvin Brown on July 16th