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Florida Democrats Welcome First Lady Jill Biden to Florida

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT

[email protected]

 

FLORIDA DEMOCRATS WELCOME FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN TO FLORIDA

Miami, FL — Today, First Lady Jill Biden is visiting Florida to launch Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris, a national organizing program for Biden-Harris 2024. In response, the Florida Democratic Party has issued the following statement:

“The Florida Democratic Party is proud to welcome the First Lady to Florida today,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. “As a state with 21 military bases and nearly 67,000 military spouses and families, Florida is the right place to launch Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has done so much work to support and protect our veterans and military families — from expanding VA eligibility to reducing homelessness and suicides — while Donald Trump has called fallen troops ‘suckers’ and ‘losers and threatened to rip away their hard earned benefits to support his tax cuts. We’re grateful to have Dr. Biden here to draw attention to that contrast today.

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Florida Realtors® Education Foundation Awards $242,500 in Scholarships

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Contact: Marla Martin, Senior Media Relations and Communications Manager or

Janet Valentine, Legal Assistant, Florida Realtors®, 407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2426

 

Florida Realtors® Education Foundation Awards $242,500 in Scholarships

ORLANDO, Fla., June 25, 2024 – As young people head off to college this fall, 179 of them from communities across Florida will receive financial help for their costs through scholarships from Florida Realtors® Education Foundation Inc.

A not-for-profit corporation established by the state Realtor association, the Florida Realtors Education Foundation Inc. provides real estate-related educational scholarships. The Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded $242,500 in scholarships to help pay for higher education expenses for 179 young people in the 2024-2025 school year. All recipients are Florida residents and will attend community colleges, four-year universities, graduate programs or law schools, both in state and out-of-state. Some students are considering careers in real estate.

“For 14 years now, the Florida Realtors Education Foundation Student Scholarship Program has helped 1,986 young people realize their dreams for the future by continuing their education,” said Brett Brown, chair of Florida Realtors Education Foundation Inc. “Florida Realtors has awarded a total of $2,745,000 in scholarships to help these students and their families with financial support for college. These scholarships are an investment in the future. Realtors across the state are honored to support these deserving young people and give back to our communities through this program.”

Scholarship recipients are enrolled at institutions of higher learning throughout the state, such as the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University and University of South Florida, as well as other colleges throughout the U.S., including Dartmouth College, University of Mississippi and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, to name a few. A variety of criteria was considered for successful applicants including academic achievements, financial need, relationship to the Realtor family and contributions to family, school and community.

Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to 238,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at http:// floridarealtors.org/newsroom.

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ICYMI: SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses and Residents of Florida Affected by Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds and Tornadoes

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2024

CONTACT: FDEM Communications Team, [email protected] | (850) 815-4940

ICYMI: SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses and Residents of Florida Affected by Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds and Tornadoes

WASHINGTON – Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to businesses and residents in Florida following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration for severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that occurred on May 10.

“SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help Florida small businesses and residents impacted by this disaster in every way possible under President Biden’s disaster declaration for certain affected areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

The disaster declaration covers Leon County, which is eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla in Florida; and Grady and Thomas in Georgia.

Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.688% for homeowners and renters, with terms of up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Building back smarter and stronger can be an effective recovery tool for future disasters. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

“The opportunity to include measures to help prevent future damage from occurring is a significant benefit of SBA’s disaster loan program,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “I encourage everyone to consult their contractors and emergency management mitigation specialists for ideas and apply for an SBA disaster loan increase for funding.”

With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.

Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Aug. 16, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Mar. 17, 2025.

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FAMU Delegation Prepares for Energy, Water, Food, Climate Nexus Summit in South Africa

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For Immediate Release
June 21, 2024
 
FAMU Delegation Prepares for Energy, Water, Food, Climate Nexus Summit in South Africa
 
Florida A&M University (FAMU) President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., will lead a delegation of administrators, students, faculty and staff heading to Durban, South Africa, for the 2024 EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus International Summit.
The focus of the four-day summit is to expand the research frontier for new discoveries that integrate systems-based research and education to find solutions to the vexing environmental challenges.
“The 2024 EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit represents part of FAMU’s role in addressing some of the most urgent environmental questions of our time. It’s also an opportunity for both students and faculty to adopt a global focus even as they hone their research to confront complex issues on the home front in Florida and around the US,” said Robinson, the principal investigator on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Coastal and Marine  Ecosystems II formed in 2016 to address issues confronting marine and coastal communities and to educate the next generation of problem solvers in these areas.
Following registration on July 1, the Summit swings into high gear  on July 2 with a keynote address by Sierra Leone Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Jiwoh E. Abdulai. The 2022 Summit was held on FAMU’s Tallahasee campus. This year’s summit is a collaboration with Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), Durban, South Africa, focusing on addressing the challenges facing Africa.
FAMU School of the Environment Dean Victor Ibeanusi, Ph.D., is the founder and convener of the EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit.
“The FAMU School of the Environment is leading this summit to promote cross-cutting discussion, scholarship, and collaboration among researchers, students and entrepreneurs to advance science, policy and decision-making,” Ibeanusi said. “Most importantly, the summit creates a platform for global discussions that allow particpants to present innovative ideas for sustainable solution.”
Among those scheduled to address the summit are university administrators, scholars, business executives and government officials from Africa, Europe and North America.  More than 500 participants have registered thus far.
“As South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, Mangosuthu University of Technology celebrates 45 years anniversary by focusing on programs that will put the University on a global stage,” said Professor Nokuthula Sibya, MUT acting vice-chancellor and principal. “To advance the discourse, MUT takes pride in collaborating with the United States’ Florida A&M University in hosting the 2024 EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit on 1-4 July 2024 at Coastlands Hotel in the Ridge.”
Student Participation
The FAMU team is comprised of 13 students who will serve as notetakers at the summit. They will be assigned to take copious notes for all the sessions. At the end of the day Summit, they will be used to produce a peer-reviewed post summit proceeding. In addition, students will participate in the Why Hack, a session during which the students and their South African and African counterparts will be required to respond to questions based on the summit’s nine thematic tracks – water quality, microbial systems and bioinformatics, harnessing big data, zero GHG emission, achieving soil carbon goals, climate resilient agriculture, food security, AI-driven  circular economy, and let a new science enterprise lead the way.
 
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Photo:
Dean Victor Ibeanusi and student show the nine thematic tracks of the 2024 EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit. (Credit: FAMU School of the Environment)
Media Contact
Andrew J. Skerritt
Associate Director
FAMU Office of Communications
850-544-2675

Update – Tallahassee woman rearrested following FDLE fraud investigation

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Update – Tallahassee woman rearrested following FDLE fraud investigation

Arrestee faces new grand theft charge

For Immediate Release

June 21, 2024

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Paula Lynne Mrozek (aka Paula Lynne Burke), 52, of Tallahassee, for grand theft over $750 and less than $5,000. The Florida Highway Patrol assisted in the arrest.

FDLE agents received a new tip from a local credit union that Mrozek’s bank deposits were suspicious. The investigation revealed that Mrozek deposited 168 money orders that appear to have been stolen from the Florida Department of Revenue. Three of the deposited money orders were altered similar to the altered money orders in her Feb. 21, 2024 arrest.

The case is being investigated by FDLE Tallahassee Organized Crime squad.

Mrozek was booked into the Leon County Jail on June 19 under the name Paula Lynne Burke. Additional charges are pending completion of the investigation. She will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit.

 

Initial Release – February 22, 2024

 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) yesterday arrested Paula Lynne Mrozek, 52, of Tallahassee on grand theft charges of more than $20,000, a second-degree felony.

Mrozek, a Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) employee, is charged with altering money orders intended for motor vehicle taxes and depositing them into her personal bank account while she worked for DOR. In all, Mrozek made 41 deposits of altered money orders totaling $23,915.88. DOR has initiated dismissal procedures for Mrozek.

Authorities at DOR were alerted to the criminal activity when a local credit union noticed suspicious ATM activity and notified the agency.

Mrozek is being held in the Leon County Jail pending first appearance. She will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit.

 

For Further Information Contact:

FDLE Office of Public Information

(850) 410-7001

FDLE arrests two north Florida men for possessing, transmitting child sex abuse material

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FDLE arrests two north Florida men for possessing, transmitting child sex abuse material

Arrests made in Suwanee and Bradford counties

 

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2024

LIVE OAK, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) yesterday arrested Benjamin Gerard Smith, 57, of Live Oak, and Donald Howard, 57, of Starke, on felony charges for possessing and transmitting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Smith and Howard are retired correctional officers. After retiring from his corrections position, Smith was terminated from his job at an elementary school following allegations of inappropriate contact with children.

The Smith investigation began on June 3 when FDLE agents received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip that an account holder was sharing files depicting the sexual of abuse of children.

The investigation identified Smith as the account holder residing in Suwanee County. Agents also located records showing Smith’s account sharing child sexual abuse material with another account holder who agents identified to be Howard residing in Bradford County.

On June 18 agents served separate warrants on Smith and Howard’s residences. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office assisted in serving Howard’s warrant.  Electronic devices were seized at both locations and preliminary forensic exams of each of the suspects’ devices located multiple files of children being sexually abused.

The investigations are being conducted by the FDLE Live Oak and FDLE Gainesville field offices.

Smith was arrested and booked into the Suwanee County Jail. Howard was arrested and booked into the Bradford County Jail. Additional charges are possible pending further forensic analysis. Smith’s case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit. Howard’s case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Please visit the FDLE website to review tips for keeping your children safe online at https://secureflorida.org/Family-Safety/BPParents.htm.

For Further Information Contact:

FDLE Office of Public Information

(850) 410-7001

Florida House Representative Ashley V. Gantt Responds to the Governor’s Budget Vetoes

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CONTACT

Alexis Roberson

Office of Representative Ashley V. Gantt

[email protected] 

STATEMENT: Florida House Representative Ashley V. Gantt Responds to the Governor’s Budget Vetoes

MIAMI – Representative Ashley V. Gantt (D-Miami) responds to Governor DeSantis’ budget vetoes:

“After reviewing the veto list and digesting the full measure of its impact, it is clear that substantive programs that fund the arts, mental health, and assistance for the opioid epidemic were not valued when it came to the budget being signed by the Governor. Projects that support first responders, such as our police officers and firefighters, were vetoed indiscriminately. What is that a reflection of? It is a reflection of the longstanding lack of leadership we have in the state, from the Governor’s office, in understanding the true needs of everyday people. As a first-time legislator, it has been a sobering experience to learn about the process, to see how the process works, and to see how much regular families are not valued by people who have been elected to serve them. I hope that this veto list and the impact it will have will encourage people to get out and vote, and not just vote, but vote for Democrats, so that we can have an opportunity to create a better Florida for ourselves and for the next generation of Floridians.”

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Sachs Media Honored on Inc’s 2024 Best Workplaces List

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2024

Sachs Media Honored on Inc’s 2024 Best Workplaces List

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sachs Media has been named to Inc.’s 2024 Best Workplaces list, honoring the firm’s commitment to creating a dynamic, inclusive, and supportive workplace. This prestigious national distinction further establishes Sachs Media’s status as one of the nation’s top communications firms – regularly earning national accolades for its high-impact work.

“Being recognized by Inc. as a top workplace is a tremendous honor because it reflects our core values: impact, excellence, and caring,” said Michelle Ubben, President and CEO of Sachs Media. “This honor underscores our dedication to fostering an environment where creativity, collaboration, and professional growth thrive – and the unparalleled collaborative spirit of our team.”

The 2024 Inc. Best Workplaces list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company cultures. After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 543 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, that included such topics as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The companies’ benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.

This recognition follows Sachs Media’s recent listing among PRNews’ “Agency Elite Top 100” for the third time, celebrating its innovative impact in communications and digital content creation. Additionally, Sachs Media recently celebrated as two team members, Dr. Karen Cyphers and Amy Climenhage, were honored in Ragan’s 2024 “Top Women in Communications” Awards and two others, Kelly Corder and Kayla Poe, were recognized among PRNews’ 2024 Top Women in Communications.

“Each year, Inc.’s Best Workplaces program recognizes the very best in terms of companies that have fostered a truly amazing culture,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Mike Hofman. “We use hard metrics and data as well as qualitative measures for judging in order to find the very best — and we’re proud that the program is highly selective.”

These acknowledgments highlight Sachs Media’s dedication to delivering outstanding results for clients while maintaining a workplace culture that values each colleague’s contribution and fosters professional development. The firm’s sustained success is rooted in its mix of skilled professionals, nurturing work culture, and steadfast commitment to client success.

“Our aim is to lead the communications industry, in both the quality of our work and our internal culture. These recent honors from Inc., PRNews, and Ragan affirm that we’re on the right path,” Ubben added.

Sachs Media continues to set benchmarks in the industry, driven by a team that blends creativity, strategic insight, and a commitment to delivering results that matter. The firm has been recognized as a Top 100 Agency Elite by PRNews in 2024, a Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan in 2024, and a Best Company to Work For by Florida Trend in 2023.

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About Sachs Media
Sachs Media is the go-to strategic communications partner for organizations with high-stakes challenges, offering a full range of capabilities – including public relations, public affairs, digital and social media, creative, research, crisis management, web development, video production, and media buying. The firm is focused on elevating bold organizations, leaders, and agendas; supercharging clients’ public policy advocacy efforts; and driving audiences to action with campaigns that educate, inform, and persuade. The firm has been recognized as a Top 100 Agency Elite by PRNews in 2024, a Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan in 2024, and a Best Company to Work For by Florida Trend in 2023. It has also been ranked as a Top 5 national PR firm for nonprofits (#4) and #1 in Florida by O’Dwyers PRNews. For more information on Sachs Media, please visit SachsMedia.com.

About Inc Media.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About Quantum Workplace
Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

Fresh From Florida Hits 1 Million Followers Mark

Posted on

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2024

Contact: Communications

850-617-7737

Fresh From Florida Hits 1 Million Followers Mark

Fresh From Florida’s online followers increased by 90% under Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson 

Fresh From Florida Program

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) Fresh From Florida program is celebrating the more than 1 million consumers who follow Fresh From Florida on social media, signed up for the Fresh From Florida newsletter, and joined the Fresh From Florida Club. Since January 2023, Fresh From Florida’s online followers have grown from just over 500,000 to over 1 million – a 90% increase in just 18 months.

“When I took office as Commissioner of Agriculture, we set a 4-year goal of reaching 1 million Fresh From Florida followers, and we did it in a little over a year. I am very proud of our team and their efforts to grow the Fresh From Florida brand,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “The continued success of the Fresh From Florida program stands as a testament to the dedication and hard work of our farmers, fishermen, and producers who provide us with the freshest and finest products. Through strategic marketing and branding efforts, Fresh From Florida has not only elevated the visibility of Florida-grown products, but also fostered a strong sense of pride among our consumers and producers alike.”

Fresh From Florida is a widely recognized brand that identifies and promotes Florida’s more than 300 commodities produced on the 44,703 farm operations throughout the Sunshine State. As the state’s #2 industry, agriculture and agribusinesses contribute more than $213 billion to Florida’s economy, with Florida ranking first in production of bell peppers, grapefruit, Valencia oranges, sugarcane, fresh market tomatoes, and watermelons.

Purchasing Fresh From Florida supports farmers throughout the state and helps agriculture continue to thrive. To learn more about what’s in season and discover recipes featuring Florida’s top commodities, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

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Florida Public Power Leaders and Utility Recognized

Posted on

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2024

Florida Public Power Leaders and Utility Recognized

National awards recognize service to industry and contributions to their communities

Tallahassee, Fla. – Three Florida public power leaders and one Florida public power utility earned national honors for their contributions and service to their communities and municipal electric utility customers. Recognized today by the American Public Power Association (APPA) were Lynne Tejeda (General Manager and CEO for Keys Energy Services), Stephanie Madden (Commissioner, City of Lakeland), Jody Finklea (General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for Florida Municipal Power Agency and General and Regulatory Counsel for Florida Municipal Electric Association), and JEA in Jacksonville.

Lynne Tejeda received the James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award, which recognizes people who have made substantial contributions to the electric utility industry with a special commitment to public power. She has 35 years of experience in the electric utility industry and has led Keys Energy Services for the past 18 years.

Tejeda has contributed countless hours toward promoting public power. At the state level, she serves on the Florida Municipal Power Agency’s (FMPA) Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She is the vice chair of both governing boards and the chair of the former FMPA Conservation and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee, of which she was a founding member. She also currently serves as Committee Chair for FMPA’s ARP Solar I, II and III Project Participants Advisory Committees.

Additionally, Tejeda is a past president of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), served on FMEA’s Executive Committee, and is an active participant on FMEA’s Board of Directors and Legislative and Regulatory Committee. She received FMEA’s prestigious Member of the Year Award in 2017, and is a past recipient of multiple APPA awards, including the Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award and E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award.

Stephanie Madden received the Spence Vanderlinden Public Official Award, which recognizes elected or appointed local officials who have contributed to APPA’s goals. Elected to office six years ago, Commissioner Madden was assigned commission oversight for the city’s electric utility, Lakeland Electric, and since then, has been an active and highly involved member of both FMEA and APPA.

Commissioner Madden advocates tirelessly for not only Lakeland Electric, but for all municipal electric utilities as a member of APPA’s Policy Maker Council. She travels to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., multiple times a year to speak on behalf of her utility and her state and national public power associations. She regularly attends the APPA D.C. Rally, APPA Policy Makers Council Fly-In, and APPA National Conference.

Jody Finklea received the Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award, which recognizes member utility employees who have made significant contributions toward APPA’s goals and enhanced its prestige. Through his 22-year tenure with both FMEA and FMPA, he has served as a leading voice for public power, assisting and advising on legal and regulatory matters and representing the interests of Florida’s public power utilities.

Finklea is an active member of APPA and previously served as Chair of the Legal Section of the organization. In 2011, he was recognized by APPA as a Rising Star in Public Power. He frequently attends the APPA Legal Seminar, National Conference, and Legislative Rally, advocating on public power issues before members of Congress. He successfully argued before the Florida Supreme Court on the constitutionality of a proposed “energy of choice” constitutional amendment, and played an instrumental role in preventing the attempted privatization of one of Florida’s largest municipal-owned utilities.

JEA received the Sue Kelly Community Service Award, which recognizes utilities for their “good neighbor” activities that demonstrate commitment to the local community. Through its volunteer program, JEA team members contribute time and resources to nonprofit organizations and projects that improve the quality of life in the Jacksonville community. In fiscal year 2023, employees volunteered 4,329 hours in the JEA service territory.

In 2023, JEA made a five-year financial commitment to establish the JEA Sustainable Solutions Lab, as part of the University of North Florida’s College of Computing Engineering and Construction, to help develop the workforce needed to meet the region’s energy and water needs. Through a partnership with the Museum of Science and History, JEA’s Science Theatre provides an opportunity to educate visitors on how electricity is produced.

Since 1997, JEA employees have contributed nearly $9.6 million to United Way of Northeast Florida. JEA employees also have contributed nearly $1.3 million to Creating Healthier Communities since 2007. JEA’s Neighbor to Neighbor Fund has allowed employees and customers to provide temporary assistance to customers unable to pay their utility bill during a financial crisis. Each year, more than 550 families are able to maintain utility services as a result of the charitable giving provided through the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund.

The Florida public power award recipients were nominated jointly by FMEA and FMPA and selected as the winning entries by APPA. They were among 18 individual winners and nine utility winners this year. APPA is the national trade association representing more than 2,000 public power utilities nationwide.

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Florida Municipal Electric Association

The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 33 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.

 

Florida Municipal Power Agency

Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) is a wholesale power agency owned by 33 municipal electric utilities. FMPA’s mission is to provide low-cost, reliable and clean power plus value-added services for FMPA’s owner customers that benefit their communities and customers. The 33 members of FMPA serve more than 3 million Florida residents and employ more than 4,700 people.