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Governor Scott Awards Small Business Javi’s Salsa with Business Ambassador Award

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During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott recognized Javi’s Salsa with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award. President and founder, Javier Nava, started the family owned business with his wife and children in the Tampa Bay area. Javi’s Salsa is now distributed to stores throughout Florida.

Governor Scott said, “I’m proud to recognize Javi’s Salsa with the Business Ambassador Award. We work hard to cut taxes so we can make Florida a great place for small businesses like Javi’s Salsa to succeed.”

President and Founder of Javi’s Salsa, Javier Nava, said, “It’s an honor to be receive the Business Ambassador Award from Governor Scott. My family and I started Javi’s Salsa based on my mother’s recipe, and it’s great to carry on a family tradition and share with others throughout the state. I’m grateful for our success so far, and I look forward to continuing our growth in Florida.”

For more information on Javi’s Salsa, click HERE.

Senator Brandes to hold press conference on health data bill

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State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) will hold a press conference on February 8, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss new legislation regarding innovations in healthcare data accessibility. He will be joined by several members of the Legislature and the Florida Medical Association.
The legislation announced by Senator Brandes seeks to improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and has the potential to save thousands of lives. If passed, Florida will be the first state in the nation to adopt such legislation.
Health Data Legislation Press Conference
Date: Wednesday, February 8th
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: – Front of the Senate Chamber
4th Floor Rotunda
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Governor Rick Scott Recognizes Eight Educators with the Governor’s Shine Award

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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. The teachers honored today were recognized for their commitment to student success. 

Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to present these eight educators with the Shine Award today. Great teachers help ensure our students are prepared for higher education and careers. I’d like to thank these teachers and educators around the state for their impact on today’s students and generations of students to come.”

The following educators were presented with the Governor’s Shine Awards: 

Antonio Alves, Manatee County – Alves teaches mathematics and geometry at Lincoln Memorial Middle School and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

Matthew Burton, Broward County – Burton is a fourth grade teacher at Oakland Park Elementary School. He was the 2017 Oakland Park Elementary Teacher of the Year and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

Khea Davis, Sarasota County – Davis teaches English and Creative Writing at Booker High School and is the 2017 Sarasota County Teacher of the Year.

Vicki Forte, Putnam County – Forte teaches mathematics to seventh and eighth grade students at George C. Miller Middle School. She was the 2015 Miller Middle School Teacher of the Year and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

Dr. Wilhelmenia Jacobs, Palm Beach County – Jacobs is the AVID teacher for students in grades 6-8 at Lake Shore Middle School and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps.

Yolanda Pittman Martin, Hillsborough County – Pittman Martin teaches fourth grade English and  Language Arts at Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

Susan Rodriguez, Pasco County – Rodriguez is a fifth grade English and Language Arts teacher at Pasco Elementary School and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

Benjo St. Fleur, Orange County – St. Fleur is a fourth grade teacher at Shingle Creek Elementary School and is a member of the High Impact Teacher Corps. 

For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

Two Seminole County Women Arrested for Medicaid Fraud

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office today announced the arrests of two Seminole County women for allegedly defrauding the Medicaid program out of more than $4 million. Maria Navarro, 44, owner of Angels Creative Children Therapy, and office manager Judith Benech, 37, allegedly billed Medicaid for behavioral therapy services for disabled children that the defendants never provided.

“Fraudulent billing is one of the most common forms of Medicaid fraud, and we will not allow unscrupulous individuals to defraud the Medicaid program,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Using disabled children to fraudulently bill Medicaid is despicable, but thanks to the collaborative efforts of my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and our local and federal partners, this scheme has been stopped and those responsible will be held accountable.”

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began investigating Benech and Navarro after receiving information from the parent of a child Medicaid recipient, who noticed an unusually high amount of Medicaid billing on their explanation of benefits. According to the investigation, the defendants billed eight hours a day for services supposedly provided to a school that is not open long enough for such billing. A review of billing records revealed that Angels Creative Children Therapy allegedly inflated the Medicaid invoices to reflect eight hours of one-to-one therapy per child every day when the children rarely, if ever, received such therapy. Not only did Angels Creative Children Therapy allegedly fail to provide vital therapy to the children, but also significantly over billed for the services not provided, drawing millions from Medicaid resources.

Benech and Navarro each face one count of Medicaid provider fraud and one count of organized scheme to defraud, both first-degree felonies. If convicted, Benech and Navarro face up to 30 years in prison and more than $59,000 in fines and restitution. The State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case. Attorney General Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

The Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes providers that intentionally defraud the state’s Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices. Medicaid fraud essentially steals from Florida’s taxpayers. From Jan. 2011 to the present, Attorney General Bondi’s MFCU has obtained more than $500 million in settlements and judgments. Additionally, the MFCU investigates allegations of patient abuse, neglect, and exploitation in facilities receiving payments under the Medicaid program.

Governor Scott Awards Three Brevard County Deputies with Medals of Heroism

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During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott recognized three Brevard County Deputies with the Governor’s Medal of Heroism for their brave actions in response to a house fire.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Every day, our first responders put their lives at risk to protect our communities and families.  I’d like to thank Deputies Doucette, Fischer and Bennett for their quick response and selfless actions to rescue a woman trapped in a house fire. It’s an honor to present them with the Medal of Heroism today.”

The following first responders were recognized with the Governor’s Medal of Heroism:

  • Deputy Robert Bennett
  • Deputy Benjamin Fischer
  • Deputy Jesse Doucette

On January 20, 2017, Deputy Doucette arrived on the scene of a house fire and entered the burning home to find a woman unconscious in a wheelchair. Deputy Doucette carried her outside where he and Deputy Fisher began lifesaving first aid efforts until emergency rescue personnel arrived. Deputy Robert Bennett then arrived on-scene and entered the house to search for additional residents. He located a dog lying inside the home and was able to crawl to the unconscious dog, carry it outside, and utilize oxygen tank provided by fire rescue to provide aid until the dog started breathing again.

Sen. Lauren Book & Rep. Jared Moskowitz File Legislation to Aid Pregnant Women & Mothers with Infants

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Senator Lauren Book (D-Plantation) and Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-Coral Springs) have respectively filed SB 650 and HB 669 to aid pregnant women and mothers with infants while they are shopping. If enacted, this bill would require retailers and shopping centers with more than 100 parking spaces to reserve at least one parking space for expectant mothers and to maintain one clean and private breast feeding area that is not a restroom or changing area. 

“As a mother-to-be expecting twins, I’ve spent the last nine months watching moms attempt to balance it all while out in public with their babies,” stated Senator Lauren Book. “And I’ve seen that we’re just not doing enough to support women during this incredibly challenging time. A new mom simply shouldn’t have to sit on a toilet seat in a public restroom or out on a hot curb to feed their child. We need to provide more dignity, comfort and safety for both mothers and babies. This bill proposes a small change that would make a big difference.” 

“Being pregnant or having an infant shouldn’t act as a deterrent for a woman wishing to go about her daily routine,” stated Representative Jared Moskowitz. “The least we can do is make being a mother a little easier by ensuring that there’s always a place to park and to feed your child. It’s just commonsense that we would do all we can to help out Florida’s wonderful mothers.”

ICYMI: Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Liquor wall’ a relic that needs to come down

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Over the weekend, you may have missed a timely column authored by the Tallahassee Democrat editorial board, entitled “Our Opinion: ‘Liquor Wall’ a Relic that Needs to Come Down.”

In the column, the editorial board voices support for tearing down the alcohol separation wall through Senator Anitere Flores’ bill, SB106 – citing an evolving society as a reason to repeal the antiquated, Prohibition era law.

Our opinion: ‘Liquor wall’ a relic that needs to come down
By: Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board

Normally sensible legislators can make all kinds of laws about crime, education, transportation or taxation – but they seem to get a little tipsy when the topic is alcohol.

Spurred by the public’s thirst and their own appetite for the revenue “sin taxes” contribute to state coffers, state legislators have chipped away at liquor laws over the past 80-plus years. They left some local options, for communities that want to regulate the time, place and type of alcohol sales they will allow. But tourism-dependent Florida doesn’t really have the kind of “wet” and “dry” controversies that legislators in many states have had since the demise of Prohibition.

There is, however, one relic of the Noble Experiment still affecting our booze market – the requirement that liquor stores have a separate entrance from regular retail establishments. They call it the “liquor wall” down at the Capitol, where the move to repeal the separation rule this year is a textbook example of special-interest legislating.

There has been no great public clamor from citizens who feel oppressed by having to walk out of Walmart or Target, go 50 feet down the sidewalk, and enter the store’s liquor store when they want to buy a bottle. The “big box” stores just want to put the hard stuff on shelves next to their beer and wine, making shopping and restocking more efficient. The liquor store operators, like ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, have lobbied for years to make things the way they are – and don’t want the big boys to muscle into a bigger share of the market.

It’s not exactly the Capone gang fighting Bugs Moran for control of some speakeasies. But in an era when you can order online and have a bottle delivered, the idea of walling off liquor stores from the rest of a big market seems like an almost charming anachronism.

There is one good argument against the bill (SB 106) by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, that would tear down the alcohol wall. At a Senate committee hearing last month, ABC’s chief executive and some lobbyists for independent dealers said shoplifting is a lot easier in the big box stores. You can’t stuff a six pack of beer, or a case, under your jacket and kids don’t want wine, but a flask-like bottle fits easily into a pocket.

Minors aren’t allowed in a liquor store alone, and are very conspicuous when they come in with an adult. Plus, those stores have more employees and security cameras per square foot to guard against theft.

But those superstores are national chains, and their locations in states without the separate-door requirement have not reported any major problems with liquor thefts.

Since the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, for more than a century, state and federal legislators have had a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Governments need the revenue and people want to drink – but nobody feels real good about it. Politicians like to say you can’t legislate morality, but that doesn’t stop many of them from trying.

Here in Tallahassee, alcohol regulation has a storied history, much of it probably embellished in the retelling. The fabled Silver Slipper restaurant, long gone now, used to have little rooms off of its main floor, where lobbyists and legislators could pull a curtain and cut some deals. Privacy was important, not just for the subject matter under discussion.

At various times, many places had “brown bagging.” Waiters, who had no idea what patrons had in those little sacks, would bring a glass of ice and a pitcher of water, Coke or ginger ale. We can only wonder how much of Florida history was shaped at Wakulla Lodge, which financier Ed Ball built to entertain the state’s decision-makers of a long-gone era.

Back before the legislative gift ban, there was the famous “beer fairy,” who’d leave a case at a legislator’s doorstep every morning of the session. In fact, when South Florida legislators tried to move the Capitol to Orlando, one of the reasons local members were able to stop them was that Leon County had finally gone wet. (Another reason was that Big Bend legislators had real power back then.)

Innocent children are not going to be scarred by the sight of a Jack Daniels label, next to a row of beer and wine on a grocery shelf, if the Flores bill passes. Nor will keeping the alcohol wall, and requiring customers to make a second stop in their shopping, impede law-abiding adults who are buying their booze.

It’s not going to affect drinking habits or state revenues but, on balance, we’d say it’s time to scrap this hangover from a long-gone, more innocent age. 

Floridians for Fair Business Practices is a coalition of retailers and business groups whose purpose is to identify rules and regulations, which prohibit the growth and expansion of Florida business. For additional information, please visit to www.FairBizinFlorida.com.

University of Florida office to welcome alumni, provide enhanced engagement in South Florida

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To further its commitment to the thousands of alumni, students, research, programs, partnerships and shared aspirations that the University of Florida enjoys with South Florida, the University has dedicated UF Coral Gables, an office that consolidates a multitude of operations that already have a Miami footprint. 

Located at 1 Alhambra Plaza in downtown Coral Gables, the office is not intended as a site for instruction, but will house advancement and admissions staff, UF Online, and the UF College of Education’s Lastinger Center for Learning, creating efficiencies and consolidating staff already located in the area.

“UF Coral Gables is part of the vision for the University of Florida to impact the lives of people across our state and beyond,” said President Kent Fuchs. “This office embodies the many connections the flagship Florida university has in South Florida, and helps support our goal toward becoming a premier university that the state, nation, and world look to for leadership.” 

“South Florida is the home of thousands of alumni, friends, parents, corporate leaders, and current and future students,” said Tom Mitchell, UF’s vice president for advancement. “UF can now offer a unique way to share the Gator experience with our diverse constituencies.”

Some of the University’s successful and active alumni and donors include: 

Al Warrington, BSBA ’58, namesake of the Warrington College of Business, is UF’s most generous benefactor. Following a 32-year accounting career with Arthur Andersen, he founded several companies, including Sanifill, which became Waste Management. Instrumental in creating UF’s School of Accounting and Business Advisory Council, he also served as president of the Alumni Association and Gator Boosters and was a Trustee and Foundation director. A Distinguished Alumnus, Warrington and his wife, Judy, established endowments for UF’s libraries, athletic programs and Florida Opportunity Scholars and were honored with the Academy of Golden Gators Lifetime Philanthropy Award in 2014. 

John Dasburg, BSIE ’66, MBA ’70, JD ’73, led numerous American companies, including Burger King, Northwest Airlines and Marriot. A UF Trustee and Foundation director, he received Honorary Doctorate and Distinguished Alumnus awards. Dasburg and his wife, Mary Lou, (JD ’80) contributed endowed chairs in Business, Engineering and Law and provided the lead gift for the Dasburg House, the new family residence for UF’s president. In 2014, they received the Academy of Golden Gators Lifetime Volunteer Award.  

Charles Stuzin, BSBA ’64, a retired attorney and banker, is president of Stuzin Enterprises, a group of affiliated businesses that provide financial advisory services and real estate loans. He has served on the Foundation board and the Business Advisory Council for many years. To honor the family patriarch, a gift by the Stuzin Family named the David A. Stuzin Hall, a building in the College of Business. 

Herbert Wertheim, Engineering ’72-’73 is the namesake of The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. He is founder of Brain Power Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments and chemicals. A scientist, clinician and entrepreneur, his enduring discoveries have touched millions. He has served on the boards of numerous companies in banking, healthcare, aerospace, real estate, transportation and high-tech industries. A Distinguished Alumnus, Wertheim and his wife, Nicole, received the Academy of Golden Gators Transformational Leaders Award in 2014.  

Earl Powell, Liberal Arts & Sciences ’60, is chair of Powell Investment Advisors. With more than 25 years of investment experience, he is chair emeritus and co-founder of Trivest Partners, the oldest private equity firm in the Southeast. Powell helped establish and served as chair of the UF Investment Corporation and was a Trustee and Foundation director for many years. A Distinguished Alumnus, Powell and his wife, Christy, are generous supporters of UF, and have contributed endowments to Medicine and Athletics. 

Bernard Levine is president and owner of Jungle Island, an interactive zoological park in Watson Island, Miami. He is an active board member for R.B. Birds, Serpentarium, Parrot Jungle & Gardens, Pet Food, Ltd., and Last Chance Farm. Levine has owned a variety of pet-related companies. A UF undergrad alumnus, he received his DVM from Auburn University. Levine supports UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine and has served on its campaign council. 

Alan Pareira, BSBA ’60, is CEO of Florida Atlantic Securities and has been active in the investment business since 1961. He has served as director of several public companies and on multiple finance committees. He is a founding member UF’s College of Business Advisory Council and the UF Investment Corporation, and served on the Foundation board for many years. A generous supporter, Pareira has established funds in Business, Education, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. 

Juan Galan, Jr., BSIE ’66, is the former founder and principal owner of GATO Distributors, a Miami-based beverage company and one of the top 50 Hispanic businesses in the United States. A former chair of the UF Foundation board, he has served as a member since 1991. Galan has been instrumental in UF fundraising efforts, serving as the regional chair for Dade County during UF’s first capital campaign, “Embrace Excellence,” and as national regional chair of the university’s “It’s Performance That Counts” campaign. Galan and his wife, Martha, have also supported UF through generous contributions to Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 2005, Galan was recognized as the “Gran Caiman,” an award presented to an outstanding member of the UF Hispanic alumni community.

Gary Gerson, BSBA ’54, MBA ’55, is the namesake of Gary R. Gerson Hall, home of the Fisher School of Accounting. He is the founding partner of Gerson Preston, one of Florida’s leading accounting firms. At age 21, Gerson distinguished himself as the youngest CPA in the country and has continued his role of leadership as a philanthropist, civic leader and entrepreneur. He and his wife, Niety, have generously supported the Warrington College of Business and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A Distinguished Alumnus, Gerson has served on the Foundation board and campaign committees since the 19901. He was inducted into UF’s Athletic Hall of Fame and received the first-ever UF Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Hon. Bob Graham, BA Poli Sci ’59, is a retired United States Senator and former Florida governor with more than four decades of public service. In 2006, he founded UF’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service with a mission to train the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community. A Distinguished Alumnus, Sen. Graham received an honorary doctor of public service degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the UF Hall of Fame. His wife, Adele, was honored in 2007 as UF’s Alumnae of Outstanding Achievement. 

Roberto Vizcón, BSBR ’79, is an award-winning broadcaster and producer with nearly 40 years of experience in newsgathering and television station management. He is the news director of WLTV- TV Univision 23, a Spanish-language newscast, and previously worked for Univision Puerto Rico and WFUN TV, the largest independently owned TV station in the United States. In 2013, Vizcón received an Emmy Award for News Excellence and in 2002 another Emmy Award for News Series Producing. He is the recipient of two additional Emmy Award nominations and the Silver Circle award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for 25 years or more in television

Aminda Marques Gonzalez, BSJ ’86, is the executive editor and vice president of the Miami Herald, where she began her journalism career as an intern and later became the paper’s first Hispanic editor. Under her leadership, the Miami Herald was twice named a Pulitzer Prize finalist. In 2016, Gonzalez received the Presidential Award of Impact from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. A Distinguished Alumnus, she serves on the boards of the Pulitzer Prize, the Associated Press Media Editors and the Poynter Institute’s advisory council.

Paul Castronovo, BSBR ’84, is the host of the Paul Castronovo Show on Big 105.9, a commercial radio station, and president of Castronovo Vineyards in Italy. He previously co-hosted the Paul and Young Ron show, a morning radio program that consistently led ratings on five stations from Vero Beach to Key West. The show ran for 26 years and featured celebrity interviews and trademark banter about entertainment, idiosyncrasies of life and Miami sports. Castronovo was named a UF Distinguished Alumnus award in 2013.

The University of Florida enjoys the following programs in Miami, among others:

  • The UF College of Veterinary Medicine partnership with Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center.
  • The UF College of Dentistry’s Hialeah Dental Center provides all phases of dentistry care to thousands of residents of all ages.
  • The UF Lastinger Center for Learning, part of the College of Education, has a long track record of innovations in teaching in every county in the state, including partnering with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Programs to create the VPK Academy, a job-embedded form of professional development to help teachers and paraprofessionals from Title I schools improve teaching practices and child outcomes in Miami’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) classrooms.
  • Since UF is the university partner to New World School of the Arts, NWSA graduates can easily apply for enrollment after completing Associate degree requirements.
  • UF brings the arts to STEM education at St. Thomas Episcopal School
  • UF’s climate variability and change research through the Florida Climate Institute.
  • The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office works on commercial vegetable, tropical fruit and ornamental industries, offers pesticide training, commercial urban and homeowner horticulture, and water quality research; and the IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center does research, extension and teaching in ornamental, vegetable, and tropical-subtropical fruit and biofuel crops.
  • Through UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, UF assesses healthcare and educational needs of Miami-Dade children and provides the state with the gold standard of population data.

UF Coral Gables is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. To schedule a visit contact, Alexa Butler, 786-482-6350. To learn more visit ufcoralgables.com.

Florida Health Care Association to Address Managed Care in Senate Committee Presentation

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The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) will present valuable information and perspective during a Senate committee discussion of the managed long term care component of Statewide Medicaid Managed Care. The testimony will explain why long-stay nursing center residents should be exempt from this program, addressing such concerns as increased administrative and case management costs and delays in payments. The meeting of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8, in Room 401 of the Senate Office Building. For interview opportunities and more information following the meeting, please contact Herbie Thiele.

What: Florida Health Care Association presentation on Managed Care Program

When: Wednesday, February 8, at 2:00 pm

Where: Room 401 Senate Office Building (Florida Capitol Complex)
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services