Governor Rick Scott appointed Ryan Matthews as the Interim Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Governor Scott said, “Ryan’s hard work and dedication to protecting Florida’s environment have led the way to improved water quality and stronger environmental policies for Florida. I am confident that he will continue to fight to protect Florida’s pristine environment as Interim Secretary.”
Ryan has been at DEP since 2015 serving as Director of the Office of Water Policy, and most recently, Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs. Prior to joining DEP, Ryan served as the Associate Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida League of Cities. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2008. In 2009, Ryan obtained his Master of Laws degree Environmental/Natural Resources Law from the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law.
The Cabinet Governance Guidelines adopted by the Governor and Cabinet call for the Governor to name an interim appointee to temporarily fill this vacancy, subject to approval of the interim appointments by the Cabinet. The process of making a permanent appointment will also be governed by the Cabinet Governance Guidelines. Next week, the Governor and Cabinet will meet via phone to discuss this interim appointment.
Florida’s Opioid Crisis Takes Ten Lives a Day
Florida’s Opioid Crisis is signaling a death knell from the Panhandle to the Keys. Someone dies in Florida every two and a half hours from an opioid overdose—that means almost ten peoplea day die this way in our state—and that’s ten too many.
The Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA) and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) are calling for statewide attention to this epidemic by holding a press conference on Wednesday, January 25 at 12:00pm in House Press Room 333 of the Florida Capitol. FADAA and FBHA Executive Director Mark Fontaine said, “the goal of this opioid initiative is simple – to raise public discourse about the problem and to call for a unified approach to develop and implement solutions.”
FBHA and FADAA will provide a statewide platform for legislators, city and county governments, law enforcement, state organizations, first responders, hospitals, and many
other groups dealing with the consequences of opioid and heroin overdoses and death in their daily work. “Unfortunately, we see the consequences of opioid abuse in the emergency rooms when we work with first responders and handle both non-fatal and fatal overdose calls,” said Representative Cary Pigman, an emergency room physician in Sebring. “ We hope to offer more deterrents in the future in addition to the prevention, treatment, and recovery processes already in place.”
By facing the hard facts of opioid addiction as a united front, and with a united voice, a new coalition can begin to silence the opioid epidemic across our state.
What: Florida’s Opioid Crisis
When: Wednesday, January 25
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Where: Florida Capitol
House Media Room 333
Speakers:
Speakers for the press conference include Representative Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart;
Representative Cary Pigman M.D., R-Sebring;
Chief James Crutchfield, Manatee County Paramedicine;
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Pinellas County; Commissioner
Melissa McKinlay, Palm Beach County; Epidemiologist
Jim Hall, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University;
Katherine Johnson, person in recovery through Gateway Community Services, Duval County;
Executive Director Mark Fontaine, FADAA and FBHA.
Confirmed Attendees:
Senator Greg Steube, R-Sarasota
Representative Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach
Representative Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton
Representative MaryLynn Magar, R-Hobe Sound
Representative Kathleen Peters, R-St. Petersburg
Representative Bob Rommel, R-Naples
Representative Matt Willhite, D-Royal Palm Beach
CEO Patti Greenough, Epic Behavioral Healthcare; Pres. Florida Behavioral Health Association
Epidemiologist Jim Hall, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University
Chief Assistant State Attorney Al Johnson, Boca Raton
Executive Dir. Natalie Kelly, Florida Association of Managing Entities
President Michael McHale, National Association of Police Organizations
President John Rivera, Florida Police Benevolent Association
Captain Todd Shear, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office
Executive Dir. Melanie Brown-Woofter, Florida Council on Community Mental Health
Tiffany Kerns, Person in Recovery
Joanne Telfair, Person in Recovery
The purpose of the FBHA is to unite people engaged in the business of behavioral health and behavioral medicine with a specific focus on promoting legislation, funding, and policies that recognize and advance behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery. FBHA also serves as a liaison on the state and federal levels by working with other professional
organizations to promote the advancement of behavioral health and to increase the image and exposure of the behavioral health industry.
Gov. Scott Attends the Groundbreaking of Four Star Freightliner’s New Facility
Governor Rick Scott attended the groundbreaking of Four Star Freightliner’s new facility in Gadsden County today. This project was made possible with funding from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Rural Infrastructure Fund and will create ten new jobs in Gadsden County.
Governor Rick Scott said, “It’s great to see companies like Four Star Freightliner succeed in our state. This new facility will positively impact the Gadsden County community and create more jobs for families. We are doing everything we can to make Florida competitive for jobs, especially in rural communities. I look forward to many more years of success and growth for Four Star Freightliner in our state.”
Senator Bill Montford said, “Today’s groundbreaking is great news for the Gadsden County community. Thank you to Governor Scott and the Department of Economic Opportunity for helping make projects like this possible. I look forward to helping the continued growth of businesses and jobs in this community and throughout the Panhandle.”
Representative Ramon Alexander said, “I’d like to congratulate Four Star Freightliner for years of success in our state. I’m excited for the opportunities it will bring to the area. Gadsden County is the ideal location for infrastructure investments and I’m grateful to Governor Scott for his focus on helping to bring jobs to local families.”
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), said, “I am proud that Four Star Freightliner recognizes the opportunities for growth in Gadsden County. For more than two years, DEO has worked with this community to plan and implement economic development strategies that will continue to attract investment and new jobs from businesses like Four Star Freightliner.”
Jerry Kocan, Dealer Principal of Four Star Freightliner, said, “We are grateful that we have found the perfect location along Interstate 10 in Gadsden County for our dealership. The Gadsden County Development Council has been a true partner every step of the way. The cooperation between the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Gadsden County and the Gadsden County Development Council made it possible for us to make this investment in the city of Midway.”
Jim McShane, GCDC Chairman stated, “Gadsden County is centered along the I-10 Manufacturing, Distribution and Logistics Corridor of Florida. Fourteen thousand vehicles a day traverse I-10 in our county. This will only increase with the establishment of a Freight Logistics Zone supported by a grant from the Department of Economic Opportunity. Four Star Freightliner will benefit from the transportation advantages of Gadsden County. We are looking forward to the development of the surrounding acreage to bring even more jobs and capital investment to Gadsden County.”
Attorney General Bondi and FTC Jointly Settle Lawsuit Against Debt Relief Companies
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with several related debt relief and credit repair services companies and their principal. The settlement resolves allegations that Chastity Valdes and her companies, Consumer Assistance LLC, Consumer Assistance Project Corp. and Palermo Global LLC, engaged in unlawful debt relief operations targeting student loan holders. Among other things, the settlement bans the defendants from operating in the debt relief and credit repair industries.
In 2016, Attorney General Bondi’s Office and the FTC filed a joint lawsuit against Valdes and her companies, alleging the defendants took illegal up-front fees in return for their purported debt relief and credit repair services. According to the complaint, the defendants allegedly falsely claimed these services reduced consumers’ student loan debt and repaired consumers’ credit. The complaint also asserted violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Credit Repair Organizations Act.
As part of the settlement, the defendants are banned from selling debt relief and credit repair services and prohibited from making material misrepresentations about any products or services. The defendants are also barred from misrepresenting endorsements, profiting from consumers’ personal information and failing to dispose of personal information properly.
The order also imposes a judgment of more than $2.3 million, which will be suspended upon the surrender of virtually all of the defendants’ assets. If the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition, the full judgment will become due immediately.
To view the stipulated order, click here.
To view the motion for preliminary injunction against Valdes and her companies, click here, and for the complaint, click here.
Governor Scott Fights for Fairness to Protect Patients
Governor Rick Scott announced today that he will work with the Legislature to fight for Florida families to ensure health care works for patients and not for hospitals’ bottom lines. Last year, Governor Scott championed and signed House Bill 1175 and House Bill 221 to increase transparency for Florida hospitals and patients to fight against hospital price gouging.
Governor Scott said, “This session, I want to fight to make the healthcare system fair for families and ensure health care works for patients and not for hospitals’ bottom lines. I will champion legislation that will repeal the outdated certificate of need program, repeal the cap on trauma centers and ensure transparent and upfront pricing for patients.
“I’ve traveled across our state and spoken with Floridians who have been charged unconscionable prices for procedures. The way patients are charged for services at the hospital should mirror a free market system. We must ensure that prices and quality outcomes are aligned so Floridians receive the best care possible when they visit a health care facility. We will also continue to make sure hospitals provide patients with anticipated costs prior to receiving services.
“I look forward to working with our sponsors Senator Bradley and Representative Alex Miller who have committed to fighting to repeal outdated certificate of need regulations. We will continue to work with the Legislature on these important measures to help bring greater access, quality, transparency and fairness to patients.”
Governor Scott will fight for legislation that will do the following:
- Repeal the outdated certificate of need program – Governor Scott wants to eliminate barriers for new health care facilities in order to increase competition and eliminate government restrictions on the availability of health care services. This will enable nursing homes, hospice services and hospitals to add needed beds without having to request a review. This will also allow Florida hospitals, nursing homes and hospice services to add facilities for those who are in most need, without making them wait due to red tape regulations. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, by 2010 there were 14 different states that had no existing certificate of need programs, including California, Texas and Pennsylvania.
- Repeal the cap on trauma centers – Governor Scott wants to repeal the statewide cap of 44 trauma centers in order to create a free market approach to allow future growth of trauma centers in Florida. This will ensure accessibility to high quality care for severely injured patients throughout Florida. It will also allow verification of trauma centers to be completed by a national accrediting organization to ensure Florida’s trauma centers are evaluated by a trusted national standard. Capping trauma centers, which is currently done in Florida, adds barriers for Floridians that are in need of immediate care due to severe injury.
- Ensure transparent and upfront pricing for patients – Governor Scott will continue to keep fighting for patients and protect families against surprise medical costs by requiring hospitals, insurers and practitioners to provide patients with anticipated costs prior to receiving services.
Senator Jeff Brandes Files Bill on Personal Delivery Devices
Legislation will allow operation of autonomous delivery drones in Florida
Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) today filed Senate Bill 460, personal delivery devices, authorizing autonomous delivery drones to operate in Florida. If adopted, Florida could be among the first states to officially embrace this new technology. This legislation on personal delivery devices builds on Senator Brandes’ continued focus on innovative, autonomous technology policy.
“With this legislation Florida continues to lead in transportation policy,” stated Senator Brandes. “This technology could revolutionize home delivery and will usher in new business models. This type of innovative technology should be embraced by policymakers, and I am excited to focus Florida on the future.”
Personal delivery devices operate on sidewalks, at low speeds, and deliver goods directly to consumers. The devices operate autonomously, with remote operators monitoring them for safety and compliance with applicable local ordinances and laws. The devices operate on sidewalks and, when necessary, bike paths or crosswalks. SB 460 defines a personal delivery device in statute and exempts the devices from registration requirements and other regulations that apply to automobiles. The proposed legislation allows local jurisdictions to implement ordinances restricting the use of a personal delivery device if deemed unsafe in a local area, and the bill requires operators of personal delivery devices to carry insurance in any event of an accident.
For more information on SB 460 please visit http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/0460.
Governor Rick Scott Recognizes Terrence Donnelly with the Young Entrepreneur Award
During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott recognized Terrence Donnelly, 30, with the Young Entrepreneur Award. Terrence is the co-founder and CEO of Teeps, a mobile phone application development company. Teeps was founded in December 2012 and is based in Orlando.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I’m proud to present Terrence Donnelly with the Young Entrepreneur Award today. It’s great to see entrepreneurs like Terrence follow their dreams of starting a business in our state. It takes dedication and hard work to start a business, and Teeps is on the path of continued growth and success.”
Terrence Donnelly, co-founder and CEO of Teeps, said, “It’s an honor to be recognized with the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award. Our talented team at Teeps works incredibly hard to build world class mobile applications for our clients. I look forward to enabling visionary businesses to reach further, I’m grateful for the success we have seen, and I can’t wait to create more high paying jobs in our beautiful state.”
To learn more about Teeps, visit Teeps.org. To learn more about the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award, visit HireFloridaGrads.com.
Attorney General Bondi Presents Resolution Recognizing Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Attorney General Pam Bondi today presented a resolution recognizing January 2017 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month at a meeting of the Governor and State Cabinet in Tallahassee.
“I am dedicated to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking and this Human Trafficking Awareness Month I am asking all Floridians to take an active role in the fight to end this form of modern-day slavery. Floridians should know how to spot a trafficking victim and who to contact to report the crime. I encourage everyone to take an active role and visit YouCanStopHT.com to learn how to identify a victim and report it,” said Attorney General Bondi.
To view the resolution, click here.
At today’s Cabinet meeting Attorney General Bondi also awarded Floridians dedicated to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking and helping victims recover.
The award recipients honored today are as follows:
- Dr. Brook Bello, founder and CEO of More Too Life, Survivor Advocate of the Year;
- Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Brenda Mezick, Prosecutor of the Year;
- The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Community Advocate of the Year, represented by CEO Clara Reynolds; and
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Jeffrey Vash, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
In addition to the Attorney General’s efforts through her Office of Statewide Prosecution to prosecute human trafficking crimes, Attorney General Bondi also chairs the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. The Council builds on existing state and local partnerships working to combat human trafficking and serve victims. Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, legislators and experts in the fields of health, education and social services sit on the council.
Governor Rick Scott Recognizes Eight Educators with the Governor’s Shine Award
During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott recognized eight outstanding educators with the Governor’s Shine Award. The Shine Award is presented to teachers and administrators in Florida who make significant contributions to the field of education. In recognition of Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! all the educators honored today are 2017 District Teachers of the Year and teach language arts.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to present these eight educators with the Governor’s Shine Award today. These outstanding teachers go above and beyond to educate students in our state. I applaud these educators for their dedication to helping our students learn and ensure they are prepared for higher education and careers.”
The following educators were presented with the Governor’s Shine Awards:
Sarah Dobes, Pinellas County – Dobes is the 2017 Pinellas County Teacher of the Year. She teaches language arts and English Honors to eighth grade students at East Lake Middle School.
Kristi Imhof, Escambia County – Imhof is the 2017 Escambia County Teacher of the Year. She teaches seventh grade language arts at Ransom Middle School.
Maryann Kelly, Collier County – Kelly is the 2017 Collier County Teacher of the Year. She teaches ninth grade Writing, Intensive Reading and tenth grade English at Gulf Coast High School.
Rachel Moree, Indian River County – Moree is the 2017 Indian River County Teacher of the Year. She taught eighth grade English Language Arts at Storm Grove Middle School.
Susan Perkins, Sumter County – Perkins is the 2017 Sumter County Teacher of the Year. She teaches Reading at South Sumter High School.
Teryl Sampson, Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind – Sampson is the 2017 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Teacher of the Year. She teaches language arts and social studies to hearing impaired students at the Deaf Middle School.
Precious Symonette, Miami-Dade County – Symonette is the 2017 Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year and one of five finalists for 2017 Florida Teacher of the Year. She teaches creative writing at Miami Norland Senior High School.
Charlotte Wadsworth, Okaloosa County – Wadsworth is the 2017 Okaloosa County Teacher of the Year. She teaches tenth grade English and English Honors at Baker School.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.
Power of Data to be Discussed at UCF Symposium Thursday
In the past, the biggest threat from a data breach was to the individual. But now with the onset of Big Data, there are much bigger threats and even bigger opportunities.
Few people, however, understand what Big Data is or how it can be used, said Lee Odess ’99, vice president of UniKey and the keynote speaker for UCF’s Big Data Symposium on Jan. 26 at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center.
“The goal of my presentation is more or less to give real life examples of what Big Data is and the impact it can have,” Odess said. “Typically you are either supersmart on Big Data and have a hard time communicating it, or you are a person who has heard of it but isn’t too sure how to get started. My goal is to bridge the two.”
Practical examples of Big Data are everywhere and can be implemented by both big and small companies. For instance, a company can analyze marketing impacts via its social media reach; predictive analytics can narrow in on customers shopping preferences; or it can help analyze where a business should open up its next retail location.
Big Data’s role in our society is one of the reasons UCF’s colleges of Science, Business, and Engineering and Computer Science came together to host the symposium. UCF business professors Robert Porter and Amit Joshi, statistics professor Shunpu Zhang, and Ivan Garibay, director of UCF Research Information Systems and chief information officer at the UCF Office of Research and Commercialization, are among the speakers who will talk about practical ways companies, nonprofits and individuals can tap into Big Data to benefit their communities and society.
Odess was a natural choice for the keynote because of his familiarity with the use of Big Data within his own profession.
“For UniKey we didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, we need Big Data.’ We did however say ‘Hey, we need to start understanding exactly how, when, where our customers are using the locks and mobile applications powered by UniKey,” he said. “So we put the systems and tools in place to be able to collect every bit of data we could. Then once we had it, we spent the time to come up with the algorithms and dashboards to easily digest the information. Now, with a touch of a button we are no longer guessing how, when and where customers are using the product. We are 100 percent clear on it.“
In 2012, Odess was the director of sales operations for security company Brivo Systems, when he was watching Shark Tank on TV one night and saw fellow UCF alumnus Phil Dumas ’05 pitching his smart lock. It was the first time in Shark Tank history that all five investors wanted to buy into an idea.
Odess reached out to Dumas after the show and said that given their UCF roots and similar industries, they should get to know each other. Dumas agreed.
They kept in touch during the years, and when Brivo Systems was sold in 2015, Odess wanted to join a startup that had growth opportunity. He saw UniKey as that opportunity.
His day-to-day responsibilities as vice president include business development, human resources, participation in the overall strategy for the company and its existing customer base.
Dumas and Odess aren’t the only Knights with UniKey. Odess said 80 percent of the the company’s 50 employees are alumni.
“Initially people think we’re from Silicon Valley. When we tell them we’re from Orlando, we explain to them we have some hidden gems here, one of them being the university,” he said. “We look for people that want to be in this area. We think the school does a really good job preparing the students for work. It just makes sense. There isn’t a need for us to look outside what’s in front of our face.”
Odess speaks from experience.
Born in Cleveland, he grew up in South Florida before he moved to Pittsburgh, where he graduated from high school. He considered nearly two dozen universities and picked UCF because he said it just felt right.
“There seemed to be a lot of history to be written,” he said. “I liked that.”
The day after he graduated with his bachelor’s in business, he packed up his car and started driving toward Pennsylvania, where a job with Lutron Electronics awaited him.
After eight years with Lutron, he moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for a variety of companies, including several startups of his own, Fresh Confections and energy + light + control llc.
In order to become more acclimated to a new city, he rekindled his relationship with UCF by joining the D.C. alumni chapter.
Now that he’s back in Orlando, he is happy to have an opportunity to further his relationship with his alma mater by lending his time to the symposium.
“I’m proud of the fact that I have an opportunity to make a difference,” Odess said. “There’s a true partnership with the university – it has aspirations and goals, and I feel like it realizes that the people that have come out of it are going to help carry it in that direction.”
The Symposium will be held Jan. 26 from 6 to8 p.m. at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center. The event is free, but RSVP online is required. To learn more about the event, including a full list of speakers, click here.
