INFLUENCE Magazine - Fall 2023

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PUBLISHER’S | NOTE

Late, great, and golden S

@PeterSchorschFL

Michelle, Ella and Peter Schorsch, Summer 2023.

ome of you may have been wondering where the Fall edition of Influence has been and to you, I owe an apology.

This edition is overdue — it was slated to come out right after Summer — but as much as I’d love to blame the delay on a busy editorial calendar due to our Governor running for President, this one’s on me.

Many of our readers know, because I’m always inclined to share, that this year has been a rough one. In February, after losing more than 110 pounds over the preceding year, I suffered an injury and was taken, quite literally, out of the game. When you’ve accomplished that level of personal transformation, the process it took to get there becomes addictive. Simply put, without it, I was a bit lost.

It may be a case of TMI, but losing my ability to maintain an active tennis and exercise schedule and remain as physically mobile as I had recently become, well, it drained my creative juices.

But as is the case with all things, the show must go on and the people highlighted in these pages deserve the recognition, even if it’s been delayed.

This year’s Golden Rotunda honorees and others featured in this edition represent some intriguing choices.

These individuals aren’t just the familiar faces pounding the halls of the Capitol, they are people who enjoyed a particularly noteworthy Session. They may not have brought home the biggest appropriations or scored the highest profile wins, but their stories fascinated the Fourth Floor and political observers.

And the edition is chock-full of must-read content for those involved or otherwise interested in The Pro-

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cess. We took the time to speak with Dave Aronberg, a South Florida staple whose story includes pre-U.S. Senate Bill Nelson, the botched 2000 election and a whole lot of insight.

We also tackle the headache that is Florida’s insurance climate, with three questions for David Altmaier.

And for our readers in the political minority, we take a look at the road out of the wilderness for Democrats in a once-swing state hoping to shade it back to purple.

So while I am sorry that my recent gloom has delayed this edition, I’m proud of its contents, the political rockstars featured and the staff that helps bring it all together.

I also look forward to getting back into my groove in January, with the next round of Rising Stars, a much anticipated look at the upcoming class of political insiders who grease the wheels of progress in the Sunshine State.

We hope you enjoy this issue and find it useful as we plow forward to yet another year, this one complete with a presidential contest that could have sweeping implications for Florida. Until then, enjoy the upcoming holiday season and the needed reprieve it so often brings to those of us operating in this chaotic world.

Peter Schorsch Publisher

Peter@FloridaPolitics.com

PUBLISHER

Peter Schorsch

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Phil Ammann

EDITOR-AT-LARGE CREATIVE DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTORS Rosanne Dunkelberger Anne Geggis Andrew Meachem Jacob Ogles Drew Wilson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Allison Davis Abby Hart

DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER

Ryan Nicol Christy Jennings

A.G. Gancarski Daniel McAuliffe Ryan Nicol Jesse Scheckner Alex Workman

Colin Hackley Alex Workman

Daniel Dean

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe at InfluenceMagazineFlorida.com

INFLUENCE Magazine is published quarterly by Florida Politics, LLC, a subsidiary of Extensive Enterprises Media, LLC. 204 37th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33704. INFLUENCE Magazine and Extensive Enterprises Media are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged, but will not be returned.

INFLUENCE Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright October 2023, Extensive Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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The Team with the

20 TO P LO B BYISTS

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20 YEAR S IN B US

e Vision to Succeed

S INE SS

•

20/20 VISIO N FO R SUCC ESS

Tallahassee | Tampa | Fort Lauderdale | Miami cccfla.com | @CapCityConsult

FA L L 2 0 2 3

features

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THE GOLDEN STANDARD They’re multimillion-dollar practices and boutique shops. Seasoned veterans and relative newcomers.

Advocating for a single issue or client or representing a wide variety of interests. In this issue, meet the crème de la crème of the state’s influence industry with the stories of INFLUENCE Magazine’s Golden Rotunda winners.

68 Three Questions Answered

After a long career focused on insurance regulation, lobbyist David Altmaier untangles the Gordian Knot that is Florida’s home insurance crisis.

72 Regulating Construction with the Environment in Mind PHOTO: Allison Lynn Photography

As the lead lobbyist for national homebuilder Lennar, Jeremy Susac advocates for standards to protect the environment while keeping housing affordable.

152 What I’ve Learned

Involved in some of Florida’s most high-profile cases for 12 years, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg is switching career gears.

Cover photo left to right: Erica chanti, Kevin Comerer, Melissa Akeson, Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Artie Turnbull (dog), Jacqui Carmona, Zach Hubbard, Chris Finkbeiner

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F UL L R EPO RT & KE Y F I ND I NGS:

FLORIDA’S HOSPITALS: $177.76 BILLION

IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT CONTRIBUTIONS

1.24 MILLION

JOBS FOR FLORIDA FAMILIES

TIED TO FLORIDA’S HOSPITALS AND AFFILIATED HEALTH CARE BUSINESSES

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departments 32 Brews and a Bistro Beer lobbyist and enthusiast Josh Aubuchon shares his favorite Florida fall craft brews — and a new bistro is in store for an iconic downtown Tallahassee corner.

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14 Exposing the Underbelly The trio behind Rakontur studio makes it their business to shine a light on South Florida’s dirty political dealings.

29 The Big Picture As newsrooms across the state shrink, Spectrum News’ Jason Delgado serves as our eyes on state government.

56 A Session of Conservative Reform House Speaker Paul Renner takes a victory lap highlighting the new laws resulting from a very productive 2023 Session.

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PHOTO: The Workmans, Abby Hart Photography

11 On the Move

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Political Aficionado’s Guide

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Briefings from the Rotunda

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Fourth Floor Files

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Insider Takes

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Florida’s sheriffs and all of the law enforcement community are incredibly thankful to Speaker Renner for the cherished tradition of recognizing the Law Enforcement Officer of the Day on the Florida House Floor. flsheriffs.org

As the largest and most comprehensive

health system in Northeast Florida, Baptist

Health is committed to providing accessible,

high-quality care that meets the needs of our state and of Floridians at every stage of life.

Recognizing the behavioral and mental health crisis facing our region and our state, Baptist

Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital launched a Collaborative Care Model that uses a teambased approach with primary care providers to improve the quality and access to critical

“There is no health without mental health.

As the largest behavioral health provider in Northeast Florida, Baptist Health is firmly committed to working with our state’s leaders and policymakers to address this critical issue. Guided by compassion and expertise, we are working to shape a future where behavioral healthcare is accessible to everyone – fostering healing, understanding, and resilience within our communities.”

- DR. MICHAEL MAYO, President and CEO of Baptist Health

behavioral and mental health care. Over the past year, patient wait times to access our behavioral

health care services have gone from one year to three days.

Recently, Baptist Health’s CEO and behavioral health leadership joined Representative Sam Garrison and Chris Spencer of the Executive

Office of the Governor for a forum discussion on opportunities to address the behavioral health

crisis in Florida. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Florida leaders to bring forward

“Florida stands at a critical crossroads. Our approach to behavioral health requires strategic, comprehensive planning. The rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide, especially among our youth, call for immediate action. Working closely with dedicated organizations like Baptist Health and others, we are working to ensure access to accessible, high-quality behavioral health services for all Floridians. Our families deserve nothing less.”

- REPRESENTATIVE SAM GARRISON

innovative solutions to improve the mental health and well-being of Floridians.

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INFLUENCE Fall 2023

“Governor DeSantis and the Executive Office of the Governor are committed to the overall health and well-being of every Floridan.

By engaging in innovative approaches to tackle this complex issue, we are addressing the immediate needs of our communities and empowering Florida families struggling with behavioral health issues to get the support they need and ultimately find purpose, selfsufficiency, and paths to success.”

- CHRIS SPENCER, Director of Policy & Budget, Executive Office of the Governor

THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ...

GOOD READS

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FILM

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Straining for visibility, GOP contenders not named Donald Trump put pen to paper

By Anne Geggis

PHOTO: The Workmans

T

ruckloads of spilled ink have already spelled out how Donald Trump tweets from the toilet, throws ketchup at walls, hates sharks, fears germs and has paid for a porn star’s attentions.

The 45th President’s outrageousness, name ID, and predilection for appearing with a glowing complexion has made him a media obsession starting before about 40% of the country’s population was born. He’s sucking up all the air, becoming even more of a headliner as his legal woes increase and what seems like the legal cliffhanger of the century takes shape.

So, how does a Republican contender get a gulp of airtime to introduce him or herself to the country? For those without the TV experience telling people, “You’re fired,” pursuing a path to the White House in 2024 most certainly requires writing a book.

Save for Trump, everyone polling at an average of at least

0.6% support for the Republican presidential nomination, according to Real Clear Politics has timed a book release for this election. Trees are being sacrificed in the name of political ambition despite newfangled outlets for reaching the public like podcasting and casting pixels.

These books range from nearly pure policy with just a smattering of personal tidbits to almost entirely autobiographical with intimations about policy. And they all have a lot to say (even if the candidate does not address it) about this unprecedented moment in American history, when a substantial part of the electorate believes the last presidential election was unfairly won.

And the previous occupant of the world’s most powerful office is not letting the legal peril he faces from the last presidential election keep him from pursuing the office again.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ... G O O D R E A D S

In order of how many voters have propelled them so far, you might consider:

“So Help Me God” by Mike Pence

(Simon & Schuster, November 2022) The former Vice President’s 560-page book is the weightiest of this cycle’s crop of election tomes and heavy on praise for the Almighty. But when it comes to Pence’s relationship with the former leader of the Free World, it’s all very confusing, especially since there’s evidence Trump had a role in inciting the bloodthirsty crowd that surrounded the Capitol chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”

They had a falling out, Pence, who has since dropped out of the presidential race, writes. But still, he repeatedly refers to Trump as “my friend.”

The prologue brings the reader to that fraught moment on Jan. 6 when an armed mob surrounded the Capitol to apply the pressure to keep Pence from certifying President Joe Biden’s election. He performed his constitutional duty. Even so, Pence never acknowledges that the current occupant of the White House was installed there after a free and fair election.

The reader gets plenty of glimpses of Pence’s Midwestern sunniness. In one scene, he comes face to face with then-President Ronald Reagan and thanks him for inspiring his generation to believe in America again.

“I will always believe that in that moment the President almost blushed,” Pence writes.

That’s easier than the territory Pence spends most of the book staking out: Angry about what happened on Jan. 6, but striving not to offend the Trump base.

“The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival”

by Ron DeSantis

(Broadside Books, February 2023) “Make America Florida” is the proposition behind this slim, 288-page book that is the Governor’s second foray into publishing.

For some people, that sounds more like a threat than a desirable outcome.

Don’t look for any Socratic dialogue here, or any sort of admission of missteps in life. Other election tomes feature stumbles: Pence bombed his first attempt at taking the LSATs required for law school, Tim Scott saw his dream of becoming a football player slip away.

In “Courage,” however, DeSantis paints the nation as a society in turmoil and his certainty he can correct what’s gone wrong. Paragraphs in, he’s describing his

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ability and willingness to lead with conviction — and one can almost hear the echo of Trump’s declaration, “I alone can fix it.”

The origins of DeSantis’ aversion to higher education and mission to remake it are here — his own attendance in the ivied halls of Harvard and Yale universities. There, he learned, his own rust-belt upbringing afforded wisdom about how to live.

We learn he named his daughter, Madison, in honor of the author of “The Federalist Papers,” James Madison because he loves the constitutional foundations of the country so much. But there’s no discussion of the event that could have sent Madison’s grand design tumbling down: Jan. 6.

“Republican Rescue: Saving the Party from Truth Deniers, Conspiracy Theorists and the Dangerous Policies of Joe Biden”

by Chris Christie

(Threshold Editions, November 2021) If DeSantis won’t mention anything about the last presidential election, the former New Jersey Governor’s book pushes the argument that Republicans must address the proverbial elephant in the room so the party can move on.

His sentences are short and quick, and the sentiments come at the reader like a boxer’s one-two punch.

“We need to renounce the conspiracy theorists and truth deniers, the ones who know better and the ones who are just plain nuts,” he writes. “Hating the other side is not enough. Calling them wrong is not enough. Pretending we won when we lost is a waste of time and energy.”

He’s clearly not playing to get on the shortlist for Vice President.

With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace”

by Nikki Haley

(St. Martin’s Press, November 2019) Nikki Haley’s second book since climbing onto the national stage as the first female, first-generation Indian American South Carolina Governor is not her election release. That would be “If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women,” which was published last October. But this book includes the perhaps more salacious behind the scenes Trump World drama.

Trump urged people to buy the 272page “With All Due Respect,” and it’s no wonder. The way Haley takes down the figures widely known as the adults in the White House, former Secretary of State Rex

Tillerson and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, set tongues wagging.

“I will confess I have never been impressed with people who are so convinced of their superiority that they refuse to hear anyone else out,” she said.

That’s Tillerson she’s writing about.

Read it for the irony and Haley’s verbal jujitsu around the Orange One.

“America, A Redemption Story: Choosing Hope, Creating Unity”

by Tim Scott

(Thomas Nelson, August 2022) This 256-page book is the second memoir from Scott, the first Black Senator elected in the South since the turmoil of post-Civil War Reconstruction, and he’s still got stories aplenty about growing up in North Charleston, South Carolina after his mother fled Scott’s abusive, alcoholic father.

“Hollywood isn’t the only place where happy endings exist,” he writes.

No, he didn’t achieve his original dream of playing professional football, but his story proves that the country is on a trajectory forward, despite its painful history. He employs his story to argue for moving past the victim-oppressor mindset.

He has a chapter called “Jan. 6” but it seems like he’s still processing it, confining its discussion to the scene of terror and saying the protestors were wrong.

Takeaway: Extremely likable, accomplished pol could be on the shortlist for Trump’s Vice President.

“Woke Inc.: Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam”

by Vivek Ramaswamy (Center Street, Aug. 2021) This 368-page volume is actually the first in a trilogy. Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur successful enough to fund his own presidential campaign, has published on the same theme as recently as last April.

Born and raised in Ohio to India-born parents, he makes the argument that while America’s corporations are virtue signaling on environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, corporate masters make themselves richer by hollowing out the unity that brings Americans together.

Here’s the game as Ramaswamy sees it: “Pretend you care about something other than profit and power precisely to gain more of it.”

Getting into the part about BlackRock, one of the world’s largest asset management firms, will ring a bell. It’s the same company DeSantis said he would be

divesting the state’s retirement investment funds from in 2022 due to its ESG investment strategies.

Maybe DeSantis read this book too.

“Stupid Black Men: How to Play the Race Card — and Lose”

by Larry Elder

(Phoenix Books, January 2008) The popular radio host, with a more recent book about his troubled relationship with his father, didn’t write this for the current turn of events, but it does provide a window into what he’s selling — even if he’s in the basement on polling.

He’s inventing his own words that could make him an entertaining figure at the stump in a supporting role: Raging against the “viticrats,” the party that gives the Black man every excuse to stay lazy, and the “mainscream media” ready to exploit every outrage.

Ultimately, the essential truth of the coming election seems to lie in the title of a book, even if much of its content has already become outdated.

“In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of GOP

by David Drucker

(Twelve, October 2021).

The author, a Washington Examiner reporter, spends a lot of words on those whose names were whispered as contenders but are not currently in the running: Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (who did write a 2022 book that seemed to be setting himself up for a 2024 run).

Drucker handicaps some of the contenders as they couldn’t do themselves. Scott is an expert politician but would have to buck the tide of more than a century — a bachelor hasn’t been elected President since James Buchanan in 1856. Haley is good on the issues for traditional Republicans — acknowledging the truth of the 2022 election — but she has a dry stump speech that doesn’t leave the crowds clamoring for more.

Ultimately, the book ends its discussion of the future with Donald Trump Jr. Maybe there’s no moving on from the Trumps.

PHOTO: The Workmans

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ...

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Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman shine light on shady politics

By Jesse Scheckner

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P

olitics has always been a dirty business, and Miami has long been a magnet for some of its worst actors.

But it’s getting worse, according to director Billy Corben and producer Alfred Spellman, whose South Florida-centric documentaries through their Miami-based Rakontur studio rank among the most riveting and jaw-dropping of this century.

From “Raw Deal” in 2001 to their most recent release, “God Forbid” — which links Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Miami Beach sex scandal to the rise of Donald Trump — Corben, Spellman and their partner, David Cypkin, have distinguished themselves as the area’s preeminent filmic truth-tellers.

There’s no shortage of stories to tell about the shady, weird, occasionally wonderful and never boring world of South Florida, and few, if any, do so as gleefully and deftly as the Rakontur team.

In recent years, however, the studio’s focus has shifted from crime (“Cocaine Cowboys”) and sports (“Broke”) to deep dives into the manipulation and misdeeds at the heart of Florida’s biggest political stories.

In 2020, there was “537 Votes,” which examines the election chaos around the 2000 Florida recount and how it presaged the recent undermining of faith in the nation’s electoral process. Before next year’s General Election, the studio plans to release “From Russia with Lev,” which will examine the untold story of Trump’s first impeachment as told by a key player in the tale, Ukraine-born South Florida businessman Lev Parnas.

The common thread through their recent film output — including “Screwball,” which chronicles baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez’s rise, fall and resurgence as a FOX Sports commentator following a steroid scandal — is the seemingly fleeting currency of truth in America over the past decade.

“Around 2015, people started embracing demonstrable lies as not just fact, but dogma, and it became distressing for people in the nonfiction business like us,” Corben said.

“It’s even more incumbent upon us that we speak truth to power.”

Corben and Spellman sat down with reporter Jesse Scheckner in mid-May to discuss the state of politics across Florida in general and Miami specifically. The interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

Documentarians Alfred Spellman (left) and Billy Corben (right) have made a career of taking a critical look at what’s wrong with Florida and its politicians.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ... F I L M

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Q: Are we headed toward the most “Florida” race for the White House ever?

Alfred Spellman: Certainly. There’s been a lot of reporting that Trump’s strategy was to smother Ron DeSantis’ campaign in the crib before it could even walk.

He may not have achieved that exactly, but Trump weakened DeSantis so much that now all these other folks are willing to jump into the race. And the greatest gift to Trump is another 15-person race.

The winning strategy for the DeSantis crew was, “Let’s make this a one-onone with Trump, and to the extent we can keep this a race where it’s apples to oranges, we have a shot.” With Trump weakening him to this degree and all these other folks jumping in, it’s going to look like 2016 all over again.

Billy Corben: This race is a cesspool. It’s the Florida conman Primary. And true to Florida style, it’s a race to the bottom. This is not the marketplace of ideas we grew up thinking about, where we hear plans to make this country and our lives better.

Look at the last Legislative Session. Our health insurance isn’t any better. Our property insurance isn’t any cheaper. We’re still the highest-tolled state per square mile in the country. We have over 5,500 vacancies for teachers in our public schools, which are ranked 48th for teacher pay.

Nobody’s life got better in Florida. This was short-term politics and private-profit gains for DeSantis. That’s not what people want out of leadership.

Q: How would you rank Trump, DeSantis and Francis Suarez in terms of potential benefit or harm to the country?

(Editor’s Note: This interview happened before Suarez became the first Republican candidate to drop out of the Republican Presidential Primary on Aug. 29.)

Corben: Suarez might do the least damage because he’s so unqualified, but I’m not really sure. None of it’s good. The whole race is a disaster. I might even vote for Mike Pence if I voted in that Primary.

Spellman: Trump disqualified himself from holding any elected office. DeSantis might be one of the most malevolent politicians of our generation. Suarez presents as a moderate Republican with some swindler tendencies, like the crypto platform, so he might do the least harm — but he was also on Fox News talking about bombing Cuba.

Corben: The second you scratch the surface on somebody as superficial as Suarez, the kind of guy who would float away like

tissue paper if you blew on him — I can’t wait for real journalists to sink their teeth into him.

The credulity with which local media have approached him is malpractice. But now he’s going to get a follow-up question and crumble under the pressure. Forget not ready for primetime. He’s not ready for Saturday morning cartoons.

Q: We’re some time removed from the end of what DeSantis called the “most productive” Legislative Session in Florida history. How would you describe it?

Corben: The most productive in passing the least popular legislation in Florida history. There isn’t a thing 70% of Floridians agree on except that a bunch of these bills are terrible.

Seventy-eight percent of Floridians opposed permitless carry. Eighty-six percent opposed the state law shielding the Governor’s and other top elected officials’ public travel records. Sixty percent opposed the abortion ban.

And can we stop calling it a six-week ban? It’s a ban. It might as well be called a six-minute abortion ban.

Spellman: For decades, the Republican Party had Roe v. Wade to backstop their outrageous claims of what they’d do if it was overturned. Now the dog caught its tail and it’s not hypothetical anymore.

The ban DeSantis signed is not going to be a position you can hold and be a credible candidate for President. The fact he continues to be treated that way is sad.

“

Q: How much are Democrats to blame for the current state of Florida?

Spellman: I mean, the Democratic Party lost Miami Beach.

Corben: The Democratic Party has basically been a nonentity in Florida since 1999. You can tell by the seriousness of the candidates they nominate, the investment of capital and seemingly endless revolving door of Democratic grifters who run these campaigns and siphon away money while doing little to nothing to connect with people on the ground.

Certainly in Miami, but really statewide, you hear about fair-weather fans.

If you’ve got a losing team, people don’t show up. They don’t show up to watch the Marlins play, and they’re not going to show up to vote for the Democrats.

There needs to be a wholesale rebranding, a new logo, even new name.

They need to come up with something to breathe life into this thing. The national party doesn’t even take them seriously. And they shouldn’t.

Mazel tov on the Jacksonville election, but that has nothing to do with the statewide Democratic Party. (Mayor) Donna Deegan ran a hell of a race.

She and her campaign are what won that race. All due respect to Nikki Fried, she’s not entitled to an iota of credit.

In the short term, it’s not about winning elections either. The party might even have to take a few hits in order to right this ship. You’re turning an aircraft carrier.

This race is a cesspool. It’s the Florida conman Primary. And true to Florida style, it’s a race to the bottom. This is not the marketplace of ideas we grew up thinking about, where we hear plans to make this country and our lives better.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ... F I L M

Q: You guys are known for your political skewering. Who’s your favorite, or easiest, target?

Corben: My knee-jerk is (Miami Commissioner) Joe Carollo, who’s been a cancer on this town since 1979. And like a cancer, there were periods where you thought it was in remission. Then it comes surging back to kill you all over again.

He’s had such a well-documented record of criminality, demagoguery, racism, antisemitism and misogyny. If he feels like low-hanging fruit, he is.

Spellman: We’ve always been politically active and engaged, but a couple things happened during the Trump years that made us take a turn in our filmmaking in terms of the subjects we choose.

There have always been debates about tax rates and foreign policy, but when you start debating whether the Earth is flat, you know you’re in uncharted territory.

In 2015, it was like the tables were overturned and everything was up for grabs.

Corben: While I am appalled by the war on women, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community — the culture wars in general — the war on truth, the idea of alternate facts and that you can lie with such impunity to the public and still be elected radicalized us.

I’m not just talking about Trump. I’m talking about elected officials from Miami — Suarez, Carollo and (Miami Beach Rep.) Fabián Basabe — and the level of gaslighting they’re capable of doing with a straight face while they damage our community, exploit their public office for private profit and then say, “I feel your pain.”

(Miami-Dade County Mayor) Daniella Levine Cava just did that. There are all these escalators and elevators that don’t work at county transit stations. You have elderly and disabled people having to walk flights of stairs, and she’s like, “It breaks my heart.”

She has the power to do something about it and isn’t doing a thing. I’m tired of it.

We have a reputation down here in South Florida of being a third-world banana republic, and that’s only because it’s true.

People are afraid of this government and its retaliation against them for telling the truth.

They can’t express their views on how to make our government function better.

They know the government will come after them, shut their businesses down, take food out of their children’s mouths and shelter from over their heads.

We’re seeing it with Carollo’s attacks on 20

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businesses and residents in Miami and DeSantis against, of all people, Disney World.

The number of people who send us emails, call and DM, are desperate. They feel they don’t have a voice or platform.

They say, “You can use this, but don’t mention my name or business.” It’s distressing. It doesn’t feel like we’re in the United States of America.

Q: To what degree do Floridians at large and Miamians in particular vote against their own best interests, and how much of that is due to misinformation?

Spellman: It’s a combination of that and, unfortunately, the failing nature of local media. Take Fabián Basabe. The Miami Herald endorsed him in his Primary against a woman who wouldn’t disavow the Proud Boys. They maybe had their back against the wall there, but they didn’t have to endorse anyone.

The Herald failed to uncover that Basabe was charged with strong-arm robbery of a neighbor in his building. Miami Beach police demanded he surrender, he refused, fled and they enlisted the help of the U.S. Marshal Services’ Fugitive Task Force.

He was arrested at a marina in Charleston, South Carolina, and returned to Miami, where (State Attorney) Katherine Fernandez Rundle had to recuse herself because Basabe enlisted a mutual friend to contact her. She had to have the Governor appoint a special prosecutor for the case.

The Herald told readers none of this. So, in October 2022, we started posting about it. We’d gotten the police reports and mugshots through public records requests. Not a single member of the local media would pick up the story.

One prominent political reporter in South Florida — I won’t say who it is — said, “I can’t be bothered with that. He’s going to lose anyway. It’s not worth my time.” And then Basabe won.

Corben: To be fair to Fabián, though, these are the youthful indiscretions of a man in his mid-40s.

Spellman: I challenge you to find another candidate, for dog catcher or any elected office across the country, who had to be arrested by the U.S. Marshals. Find me one.

Coben: That was like three years ago, wasn’t it?

Spellman: 2020. And he’s a “law-and-order Republican.” Basabe won by 207 votes. So to your question about how to get people to vote in their own best interest, the first thing we need is trusted information sources.

We need people doing the good work of local journalism. We failed that here in

Miami-Dade. El Nuevo Herald was busy publishing 32 weeks of outrageous, antisemitic propaganda as an advertising insert.

Apparently, nobody at the Miami Herald reads their own newspaper because nobody saw it.

Corben: In a Presidential Election year, no less.

Spellman: The primary role of the free press, if nothing else, is to inform the electorate about elected officials and people seeking office. If they can’t, refuse or fail to do that, or allocate resources in a way that makes it impossible, they’ve failed. As much as we’d like to blame the Miami-Dade electorate, the Miami Herald has failed the electorate time and again over the past several years.

The Herald has some very talented journalists who do some great work, but it’s not enough. I understand there’s budget cuts. They’re hanging by a thread.

Local TV news needs to pick up the slack.

That’s not happening, and the result is people getting elected and re-elected to jobs they shouldn’t have.

Corben: The Herald and TV news stations aren’t allocating resources the best they could. Improving that would not only be better for the community, it would help their business model, which they’re constantly complaining is in a death spiral.

Spellman: As an example, there’s a murder case, and on the 11 p.m. news they have a reporter standing in front of a darkened courthouse downtown.

Nobody needs to see that. It’s a waste of resources to send a reporter there, put up lights with a truck and satellite uplink to broadcast from a vacant courthouse. But it’s been a trope of TV news for decades.

That needs to be reinvented.

Corben: I got a call from a lawyer last year who had a really tragic case, a classic miscarriage of justice. He said, “I reached out to you because I was dining with a friend, a judge, and telling him about this and how I didn’t know what to do about it. And the judge said, ‘Call Billy Corben.’”

That’s terribly flattering and absolutely petrifying. Our inbox and DMs are filled with local and national stories of injustice. A lot of people reach out to us who don’t necessarily trust or know people in the local media.

But what the f**k am I supposed to do about that? I lose sleep. How can I be sleeping when these people are suffering and feel there’s no other outlet or recourse?

Q: Which local or state pols do you think are doing the best job?

Corben: I can name people like Dotie Joseph and Anna Eskamani. Carlos Guillermo Smith is gone, but he’s going to run for Senate. I like Javier Fernandez, the Mayor of South Miami.

But what’s the difference? It’s become such a toxic environment, particularly in some of these municipalities that are nothing more than racketeering enterprises masquerading as local government, where no one will run for office or even go to work in the bureaucracy because they know they’re working for crooks or swimming with sharks. It’s gotten that bad.

But to say they’re doing a good job in Tallahassee — at this rate, Florida Democrats doing a good job in Tallahassee is getting arrested at the Capitol.

That includes Trump. Michael Cohen came down to negotiate building studios in Homestead. Many wondered where the demand came from. What we realized was there was no demand. It was just a real estate hustle.

Corben: It was always a public-private partnership. They wanted publicly owned properties. And you know the kind of acreage you need to build soundstages.

Spellman: No matter what you hear from our elected officials, you can pretty much guarantee everything comes back to real estate or a subset of that.

Art Basel was a tourism hustle with wealthy people coming to town and hopefully buying some art and maybe a condo.

There aren’t indigenous arts here.

Underneath all these things, whether it’s a tech hub in Miami, “Hollywood East,” a new Silicon Valley, soundstage or medical arts building, it all comes back to real estate.

Corben: As a serious answer though, I stand by what I said initially, Miami is the mistress, not the wife. I don’t know what you expect to find here, but you’ll enjoy it for a while and then think, “It’s time to return to the real world.”

You really can’t — and this is becoming a Florida-wide issue — raise and educate your children here. You can’t get a real, good-paying job here. You can’t afford housing. Soon, you’re not going to be able to get health care, not just women, but probably everyone. The quality of doctors will be that low.

You might not be able to hire anyone to clean your house, pick your food, or build or remodel your home. I’d extend the recent travel advisory that civil rights group issued warning immigrants, legal or otherwise, to not come to Florida to the rest of the world.

Q: One could argue, for Democrats, that it’s passing bills despite their being so outnumbered in the Legislature. For instance, Rep. Christopher Benjamin passed a measure with co-sponsorship from Republican Rep. Randy Fine to ensure African American history is being taught to state standards. Sen. Jason Pizzo didn’t let a single bill he thought was bad cross the finish line without scrutiny.

Corben: The Democrats cross-examining Republicans to the point where they have to admit the unconstitutionality of the legislation very much comes in handy later in the litany of litigation that inevitably results from it.

It ensures that people like Fine and friends admit they were targeting Disney for political retribution. But that and making deals with the devil to pass some legislation is the best they can do and the best you can hope for.

Q: What advice would you give today to a friend thinking of moving to Miami?

Corben: Don’t.

Spellman: That’s pretty good advice. It depends on what you’re moving here for.

Miami essentially has one industry, a real estate hustle.

It’s always been that way. Growing up and getting involved in filmmaking in the 1990s in Miami, you couldn’t go far without someone announcing a new soundstage development.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ...

TRUSTED. TESTED. TENACIOUS. Governmental Consulting, Administrative Law and PAC Management 22

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INFLUENCE Fall 2023 119 South Monroe Street, Suite 202 | Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1591 | (850) 681-6788 | Rutledge-Ecenia.com

Thank you Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and Speaker of the House Paul Renner

for putting Florida consumers and local businesses above billboard trial lawyers.

We would also like to recognize bill sponsors Representatives Tommy Gregory and Tom Fabricio, and Senator Travis Hutson for carrying this historic Chamber-backed legislation.

For more information visit: www.flchamber.com/lawsuitreform Fall 2023

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ...

G E A R 3c

1

W

hether you’re traveling for business, pleasure or both, jet-setting has never looked or felt so good with these must-haves.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said the journey is just as important as the destination, but for most of us, travel delays, cramped seating, stale snacks and snoring seat mates can make the journey quite the drag. With the right gear — whether it’s the perfect carry-on or the best, most noise-cancelling headphones — you can travel in style and comfort.

1

TUMI INTERNATIONAL FRONT POCKET CARRY-ON $975 Looking for the perfect

carry-on that will fit all your needs sans baggage claim?

Look no further. This carry-on has enough room for all your travel needs, it’s easy to maneuver and it’s durable.

Plus, it’s an international carry-on size so it will meet all of your travel needs, while still fitting in overhead compartments in more planes. Tumi.com 2

TUMI 4-PORT USB POWER ADAPTER

$75 The perfect, compact and versatile power adapter, it is one charger that works in more than 150 countries. While outlets vary from country to country, this takes the guesswork out and keeps packing simple — especially on multi-country trips. Tumi.com

7a

AYR THE FRENCH FRY 3a LONG SLEEVE TEES $78 AYR THE EXEC 3b SHORT SLEEVE TEE $78 AYR THE FLEX 3c SLEEVELESS TEE $68

These incredibly comfortable, stylish shirts pack well, wash well and have the perfect weight to wear alone or as a layer for colder weather. AYR.com 4

BEATS BY DRE STUDIO3 OVER-EAR HEADPHONES. $255 Earbuds aren’t for

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PHOTO: The Workmans

everyone. And even for those who love them, these headphones prove to have better sound saturation, they’re more comfortable and good luck losing these on an airplane. Amazon.com MAGNETIC WIRELESS CHARGER FOR IPHONE, FOLDING, 3 IN 1 CHARGING STATION $40 Never fight for the hotel’s lone USB port 5

ever again with this charger that powers up your phone, smart watch and earbuds all in one spot. It sits great on any surface and packs small. Winning! Amazon.com

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LOEWE FLOW RUNNER SNEAKER AND TRAVEL BAG $850

Runners and style haven’t always been synonymous, until these came along. The darker color combinations are greater for fall and winter, while lighter colors work great for spring and summer. And best of all, they pair just as well with casual dresses, pants and denim as they do joggers for your plane ride, with a handy travel bag to protect all of your belongings from whatever you might have stepped in on your adventure. Bergdorf Goodman

3a

PARAVEL SEE ALL VANITY CASE $95 7b PARAVEL MEDIUM ZIP TOP POUCH $60 7a

These travel pouches are addictive. No matter the style, they’re beautiful and well-made. As a bonus, Paravel offers monogramming, so they also make a great gift! ShopBop.com

4

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10b

travel size that fits well into a small handbag or a pocket. It goes on smooth without the sticky residue you might get from drug store sanitizers. Sephora

10a

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TOUCHLAND GLOW MIST REJUVENATING HAND SANITIZER $16 — This is a great

9

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SUPERGOOP! MINI UNSEEN SUNSCREEN $22 Supergoop is a go-to sunscreen

that goes on light as lotion, but lasts just as long as the cakey stuff. And it’s better for your skin, too. Sephora WESTMAN ATELIER MINI FACE TRACE CREAM CONTOUR STICK $25 WESTMAN ATELIER MINI BABY 10b CHEEKS & LIPS CREAM STICK $25 FRESH MINI ROSE & HYALURONIC ACID 10c DEEP HYDRATION MOISTURIZER $18

6

10a

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3b

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Flying can suck all the moisture out of you skin. This moisturizer is heavy on hydration, but small to pack, which makes it perfect for getting through TSA. Sephora

7b

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HUDA BEAUTY FAUXFILTER SKIN FOUNDATION STICK $39 Sephora

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SEPHORA COLLECTION MINI PRO FOUNDATION BRUSH $20 Sephora

SAINT JANE BEAUTY LUXURY LIP SHINE LONGWEAR HYDRATION LIP OIL $28 Sephora 13

This guide has been curated by Lesley Cohen, a luxury travel advisor with SmartFlyer.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ...

We're in Your Corner People today can spend nearly half their lives over the age of 50.

That’s a lot of living. So, it helps to have a wise friend and fierce defender like AARP in your corner and in your community so your money, health and happiness live as long as you do.

AARP offers digital resources to help you achieve your goals and stay connected.

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This program is sponsored by the Florida Health Care Education and Development Foundation, Inc. and the State of Florida, Agency for Health Care Administration.

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T E L E V I S I O N

Jason Delgado Camera-ready Camera-ready to to report report on on Florida’s Florida’s politics politics

By Danny McAuliffe

PHOTO: The Workmans

I

t wasn’t until his 2013 deployment to Afghanistan that Jason Delgado saw a news story from start to finish. Then a 19-year-old military police officer, he recalled a BBC reporter appearing at his Army camp and asking questions. Delgado made a mental note to watch the story and when he returned to the States a year later, he searched for the report and streamed it.

That process “planted a seed,” he told me. And that seed grew into a flourishing and dynamic career in journalism. Fast forward a decade, and the once-teenaged MPO with journalistic curiosity is now a trusted source for all things politics and policy to countless Floridians.

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THE POLITICAL AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO ... T E L E V I S I O N

“putSpectrum’s a lot of emphasis and focus into political journalism, and that’s not always the case everywhere else. – delgado

”

Delgado, 30, is Spectrum News’ Tallahassee correspondent. He regularly produces video stories in the Capital City for broadcast in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area. His reach is massive and his audience could be anyone — from lay to expert — which means his reporting must not only be fair and accurate, but also of universal interest.

“It’s a big-picture focus, everything is concise,” he said. “It’s the most important information distilled into 60- or 90-second segments.”

But Delgado hasn’t always had to refine the wonky policy in Tallahassee. In fact, his previous roles permitted exploring the nitty-gritty and embracing it. He boasts a unique résumé with a solid background in digital-print journalism. Before appearing in front of the camera, he cut his teeth at outlets like POLITICO Florida and our news affiliate, Florida Politics, both of which invite details that broadcast might eschew.

He still relies on that print background to create his video-news products, and 30

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said his different reporting experiences “complement each other” and make for better stories.

“I consider that as the foundation of my professional news career because it opened the door for what I’m doing today,” Delgado said of his non-camera-facing roles.

Becoming a reporter in Tallahassee was in part born out of Delgado’s attending the University of Central Florida during a spending scandal that fetched ire from state lawmakers and put the institution into the fore of Capitol news.

Delgado joined POLITICO as an intern in 2020, meaning he dove into a Legislative Session right as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. It was very much a baptism by fire.

“The Capital Press Corps is competitive,” Delgado said. “And as an intern, you’re scrambling to try to find your sea legs and get established. On my first day, I realized how policy was a different language and the process, how a bill moves through the Legislature, is something you really do have to watch to learn on your own.”

As a result of the pandemic — which sprung Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida into the national spotlight — Delgado’s internship extended beyond the 60-day Legislative Session. He described the first gig in Tallahassee as “learning to swim in the deep end.”

Others said he adapted rather quickly to the plunge — no floaties needed.

“He was good from the start,” said Matt Dixon, who at the time was the POLITICO Florida Bureau Chief. “His ability to pick up complex subject matter was immediately evident.”

Dixon recalled Delgado’s first day on the job. He was aware that a new intern was joining the team but didn’t know who to expect. When a rather tall, matured and confident Delgado appeared at the Florida Press Center, it took Dixon by surprise.

“I was expecting someone more nerdy and slightly-more nervous,” joked Dixon, now a Tallahassee-based Senior National Politics Reporter for NBC News. “He wasn’t who I expected but it worked out very well.”

After POLITICO, Delgado spent two years at Florida Politics, which he described as an educational experience given the “policy-heavy” nature of the publication and the politically savvy audience it serves.

Now, Delgado is settled into his current role at Spectrum, which he joined in summer 2022. He credits his employer with supporting him heartily in his new role.

“Spectrum’s put a lot of emphasis and focus into political journalism, and that’s not always the case everywhere else,” Delgado said.

Delgado’s role as a broadcast political reporter isn’t a vestige, but there aren’t many doing what he does. Further, state-government coverage generally has been in flux over the past few decades as newspapers shuffle through ownership changes and coverage strategies.

That trend is a “sad reality,” Delgado said, because “the more eyes on state government, the better.” He acknowledged the uncertainty facing the industry but noted there are “waves of newer, younger reporters coming in, including myself.” Still, he said new cohorts can’t rival the institutional knowledge that veteran reporters bring.

But it might not be long before Delgado himself becomes the veteran on which other reporters rely. He has an impressive portfolio of work that includes hits like a wide-ranging interview with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner at the end of the 2023 Session and nonstop coverage of Gov. DeSantis’ re-election campaign — his favorite reporting experience to date.

“It was mile after mile, late nights, crossing back and forth across Florida and keeping up with the Governor all the way through election night,” Delgado recalled.

Now national outlets are trailing the Governor, now a presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, Delgado is focused on what’s coming down the pipeline next Session, during which he expects to report on the dynamic between the campaigning Governor and the Legislature, along with high-profile issues including education, the Second Amendment and abortion.

And given that he delivers news to Orlando and surrounding areas, he’s also keeping an eye on Disney — recently a fixture in Florida politics — because “a lot of people’s paychecks are tied to” the entertainment giant.

Delgado grew up in the area, so the Orlando population gets political coverage from someone who cares deeply about it.

Local coverage played a role in his childhood, too, during which he wasn’t so much focused on the news as he was the people he saw viewing it.

“I grew up watching my dad watch the evening news,” Delgado said, noting that his father did it habitually. “There was a large part of me that always kind of wanted to be part of that.”

To borrow a phrase from his previous career, mission accomplished.

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FOOD AND DRINK

“Hayward House draws inspiration from the history of this corner..., once the house of Dr. Thomas Hayward and his family.

Our new restaurant will capture the warmth and inviting nature of home in a chic bistro concept.”

— ASHLEY CHANEY

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D

owntown Tallahassee is experiencing a renaissance. The historic streets and iconic squares surrounding the Florida State Capitol are transforming into new restaurant concepts, elevated accommodations and unique retail storefronts.

Hayward House is the latest dining establishment set to open this year. Restaurant owner Ashley Chaney is breathing fresh life into the space that was previously occupied by Andrew’s Downtown for 50 years.

Chaney signed an agreement for the space in August and immediately began a major remodel to transform the old Andrew’s grill. The new concept is expected to offer a chic dining experience with the inviting warmth of Southern hospitality.

“Hayward House draws inspiration from the history of this corner,” Chaney revealed in October.

“Once the house of Dr. Thomas Hayward and his family, our new restaurant will capture the warmth and inviting nature of home in a chic bistro concept.”

The town doctor and his family occupied the corner nearly 100 years ago. The Hayward House name may be an homage to history; however, the menu will be anything but old.

“Guests can expect American classics with a modern twist,” Chaney shared.

Chaney said the new menu will be a culinary blend of heirloom family recipes and flavors inspired by her world travel and experiences for a fresh take on a classic bistro menu.

The restaurateur also provided a preview of the much-anticipated cocktail menu. One must-have on the menu? Without skipping a beat, the Hayward House owner exclaimed, “The Rascal Yard!

The cocktail is a refreshing mix of tequila and peach puree. It strikes the perfect balance of sweet with a little bit of heat.”

Across the street from Hayward House, where City Hall now stands, was once known as the Rascal Yard. It was a public square, where citizens would tie up their horses in town and trade stories and gossip.

Chaney hopes to encourage and foster the development of Tallahassee’s broader downtown scene with more foot traffic, support for neighboring businesses and community gatherings beyond the Legislative Session.

“The corner of South Adams and West Jefferson Street has been an iconic landmark in Tallahassee for generations,” Chaney explained. “I was fortunate enough to start my professional career in this very space, and I had the pleasure of celebrating life’s milestones and birthdays here. It feels like a full circle moment. I am honored to have the opportunity to reinvent and refresh the space.”

Chaney is well-equipped for this new endeavor, bringing expertise and experience from her previous work as director of business development at a local hospitality and catering business. Her career began, coincidentally enough, at Andrew’s in 2007, where she worked on the catering team.

“It has been wonderful to see Ashley develop as a professional and now as an entrepreneur,” shared Andy Reiss, who owned and operated Andrew’s and still owns the building where Hayward House will open. “Her work ethic, passion and fresh perspective will help downtown flourish. I am proud to see her take the helm and embark on this exciting new chapter. I wish her and her team all the best.”

Andrew’s was a go-to for people in The Process for five decades. Former Gov. Reubin Askew used to get his hair cut in the basement. Former Gov. Jeb Bush was known to favor the burger on the menu. If diners were not lucky enough to see lawmakers there in the flesh, they could still find them on the menu, which was updated regularly to honor those in charge. Items over the years included the Rick Scott “Let’s Get to Work” salad bar, the “Marco Rubio Cuban Sandwich” or the “Haridopolos Metropolis Gorgonzola Burger.”

Chaney’s vision for Hayward House builds on the history of the location and its impact on the Tallahassee community over the years. At the heart of it all, she aims to evoke a memorable dining experience.

“Hayward House will serve more than just meals: guests will have an opportunity to craft their own memories at this historic landmark,” Chaney said. “We are excited to open our doors and celebrate life milestones, enjoy a date night or offer professionals a sophisticated environment to host business meals and negotiate agreements.”

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When policy impacts your business…

You need a team to help you impact policy.

Our lobbying team’s racial, ethnic, gender, and political diversity provides you with the distinct advantage of working with an array of state and federal legislators and local government officials from both sides of the aisle, as well as the various caucuses. Like all highly functioning teams, our lobbyists rely on each other’s unique set of political contacts, knowledge of various issues, and political intelligence to best help you tell your story. Our team enjoys access to the resources of a large law firm but operates like a “boutique” lobbying practice, providing you with personal attention and “on call” availability.

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Fearlessly Moving You Forward | beckerlawyers.com Fall 2023

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FOOD AND DRINK

A taste of FALL

Curated by Josh Aubuchon of the lobbying firm Delegal Aubuchon.

For the past 10 years, I have been fortunate enough to represent members of the craft beer industry — both as their attorney and as their lobbyist. In that time, I have occasionally brewed my own beer but more importantly, gained a wealth of experience about the alcoholic beverage industry as a whole. I am probably uniquely qualified to pass along insights about the craft beer scene around the state.

Now that the weather has finally started to cool down around the state, there’s no better time to grab some fantastic beers from your local craft brewery. Here are just a few of the Florida craft beers that are perfect to enjoy this fall:

Prooftoberfest

by Proof Brewing Company 1320 S Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32301

Nothing says fall quite like an Oktoberfest beer! This German-style Märzen is malty, sweet and pairs well with an oversized pretzel and mustard. It has a full-bodied mouthfeel balanced with a delicate hop note and a taste reminiscent of fresh bread. And at 5.3%, it’s just light enough that you won’t feel too guilty about knocking back a liter or two in celebration — prost!

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Drift

by First Magnitude Brewing Company

1220 SE Veitch St., Gainesville, FL 32601

Deeptoberfest

by Deep Brewing Company

PHOTO: The Workmans

2524 Cathay Court, Tallahassee, FL 32308

You really have to have more than one Oktoberfest in your arsenal if you are decked out in lederhosen. This German-style Festbier is another outstanding example of a traditional Oktoberfest beer. It is a bit more floral on the nose thanks to the traditional German hops and a light malt backbone finish to the beer. Deeptoberfest comes in at 5.6%, not so strong that you can’t enjoy a couple while tailgating before the game.

Although it is available year-round, this 4.4% session brown ale is absolutely perfect on a fall evening cozied up next to a firepit. With notes of hazelnut, coffee and chocolate, you might want to be sure you have your s’mores ready to pair with this beer. Drift is fantastic, but you don’t have to take my word for it — this Florida beer won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2018 and a Gold Medal at the 2023 World Beer Cup.

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FOOD

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Bee’s Squeeze

by Swamp Head Brewery

by Copperpoint Brewing Co.

You knew we would be remiss if we did not have a pumpkin beer on a fall beer list! This is not-your-average pumpkin beer, however. This version is a notoriously-difficult-to-brew white stout and clocks in at 5.0%. PSL has your typical pumpkin pie spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice with a robust note from the added espresso coffee. It has a bit more of a limited run, so grab these while you can!

Just to change the pace a bit, we wanted to highlight a blonde ale. While not necessarily fall-specific, this ale is perfect for those who think those previously mentioned might be a tad heavy for their tastes. But don’t let the 5.0% ABV fool you — it’s still a knockout. Bee’s Squeeze is brewed with McCoy’s Florida Honey from Loxahatchee and orange peel from Indian River County. It is well-balanced with a biscuity malt base and the honey adds just the right amount of sweetness without being overly cloying. If you’re looking for something refreshing to enjoy in the Florida sunshine, Bee’s Squeeze is just the ticket.

3650 SW 42nd Ave., Gainesville, FL 32608

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RONALD A. CHRISTALDI

Tampa Managing Partner President/CEO, Shumaker Advisors Florida, LLC

MEET OUR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

JIM C. TAYLOR

MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN

SENATOR LESLEY “LES” MILLER, JR.

SPEAKER PRO-TEM AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE SANDY MURMAN

RYAN P. WALKER

HAGIR H. ELAWAD

MIKE HAMBY

MAYOR RICK KRISEMAN

MAYOR ASHTON J. HAYWARD

CONGRESSMAN DAVID JOLLY

JENNIE GRANAHAN TARR

RJ MYERS

Columbus - Dade City - Sarasota - Tallahassee - Tampa - Toledo - Washington, D.C. 40

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JOHN DAVID "JD" WHITE

MICHAEL "MJ" B. JOHNSTON

ALAN J. SUSKEY

ANDREW J. MAYTS, JR.

GINO CASANOVA

shumaker.com

Briefings from the Rotunda

RFB

Kyle Dunaway launches Minute Mail Consulting S

aying that Kyle Dunaway is “launching” a new communications firm is a bit of a mischaracterization. Yes, he’s taking the bold step of hanging his own shingle and has formally unveiled a new communications strategy firm, Minute Mail Consulting. But in reality, Dunaway is simply turning his longtime passion project and hobby — helping candidates and issues win with effective messaging — into his full-time job.

“I’ve kind of built this up slowly throughout the years,” said Dunaway, who last year moonlighted for out-ofstate campaigns, authoring and designing 900 pieces of mail. “Eventually I decided it was time to get back in the game and focus on doing what I love 100% of the time.”

Dunaway is more than prepared for the endeavor. For nearly five years, he’s been leading issue campaigns professionally for the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers, a statewide advocacy organization. He was most recently the Marketing and Communications Director there, where he developed strategies to accommodate the association’s legislative efforts. He credits his time there with giving him a holistic view of state-based advocacy.

That in-house experience complements his other work, too. Before his time at the association, Dunaway was the Creative Director at Data Targeting, where he led graphic design efforts for the full-service consulting and communications firm.

Data Targeting owner Pat Bainter said Dunaway’s prowess extends beyond graphic design and noted Dunaway’s talent in campaign planning, messaging, copy writing and production management.

“He understands that design is only (one) part of effective communication,” Bainter said, adding that Dunaway also emphasizes the “wit, creativity and appropriateness of the written word.”

Dunaway brings more than experience from Data Targeting to his new venture. He’s also carrying with him the firm’s motto that “good enough never is.” It makes sense in an industry where the work product — whether it be a specific mailer or other communication — is everything.

“It was something of a mantra that was burned into me throughout the years,” Dunaway said. “To me it means constantly pushing the envelope, constantly working to hone the craft and not just deliver something that’s going to be successful, but deliver something that’s going to be wildly successful.”

Dunaway announced the formal establishment of the firm just weeks ago. But he already has clients and will continue to scale up. His firm offers political communications, creative strategies and — as the name Minute Mail Consulting suggests — effective direct mail campaigns. He’s responsible for more than 60 million (yes, you read that right) individual mail products. That impressive portfolio will continue to grow at Minute Mail Consulting, where he offers clients speedy results without compromising quality.

The firm will focus on conservative candidates and nonpartisan issues, es-

pecially for pro-business organizations, Dunaway said. But that might be the only common thread across the clients.

“Every campaign is different,” Dunaway said. At the end of the day, “all of the tactics, strategies and communications that you’ve put out should be specific to the political environment, the survey work, the budget and the context of each campaign.”

That’s partly why he offers more than direct mail, although data he personally has tracked often suggests that direct mail is “incredibly effective.”

Nothing, however, is more important than the “issue or candidate,” Dunaway said. On the candidate side, for example, he said an “authentic candidate” — in other words, a person who matches the campaign messaging — is always easier to communicate about.

Dunaway is operating out of New Smyrna Beach but works on campaigns around and beyond its borders. Outside of his new venture, which hasn’t left him too much free time, he focuses on his family, including his two boys and 6-month-old daughter.

“Part of (running my own firm) is to show them that I can build something,” Dunaway said. “There’s a lot riding on this.”

Fall 2023

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Briefings from the Rotunda

Danielle Alvarez joins Florida Crystals as Director of Public Affairs D

anielle Alvarez has joined Florida Crystals Corporation as its director of public affairs, bringing with her years of experience in the fast-paced world of politics and public affairs in Florida and the nation’s capital.

Alvarez will support the company’s education and communications efforts in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. She will also work to strengthen com-

Jamie Champion Mongiovi to leave AARP S

aying someone is “leaving to spend more time with family” is usually code for scandal.

But when Jamie Champion Mongiovi stepped away from her job as Director of Communications at AARP Florida after two and a half years, she really was taking a break from high-level strategic communications to do just that.

Circumstances over the past several years led Mongiovi to her decision.

Her father, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, passed away in October. Her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

But Mongiovi’s No. 1 motivation is her 3-year-old son, Holden.

“I’ve been in the world of communications for nearly 20 years,” she

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munity and business partnerships at the local, state and federal levels.

“We are excited to welcome Danielle Alvarez to our team,” Florida Crystals Executive Vice President Pepe Fanjul, Jr. said. “We have known and worked with Danielle for many years. She is well respected within the public and private sectors, and we couldn’t be more pleased to bring her talents in-house.”

A Miami native, Alvarez has extensive experience in politics and government. She has worked on federal and state campaigns,

most recently serving as communications director for the Republican National Committee (RNC). Prior to that, Alvarez was the RNC regional communications director for the Southeastern United States, which served the battleground states of Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. She also served on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ inaugural team and was part of former Gov. Rick Scott’s administration as director of external affairs for Enterprise Florida.

She previously served as Senior Vice President of public relations at Mercury Public Affairs, where she developed and implemented successful public affairs strategies for clients across various industries, including multinational corporations, political campaigns, market disruptors, healthcare clients and commercial real estate clients.

“I am ecstatic to be joining a team that is committed to providing sustainable homegrown foods and protecting our environment through regenerative farming practices,” Alvarez said. “Florida Crystals is a very well-respected, family-owned company, and I’ve seen firsthand their genuine dedication to their employees and support of their communities.”

said. “It’s a big step for me because this is very different than what I’m used to doing.”

Mongiovi began her career in the Florida Department of Education, ultimately becoming its Public Information Officer, then went on to spend two years at the CoreMessage PR shop. Mongiovi spent seven years doing comms work at the Florida Office of Financial Regulation before moving on to AARP. Her decision to step out of the political whirlwind for a while was first floated by Mongiovi’s husband, Joe Mongiovi, after her father died. He is also part of The Process, as a partner at Capital City Consulting, overseeing the firm’s IT practice.

“Joe has been my rock,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without him.”

But she called the decision “bittersweet.”

“When our work life and our identity is so tied together, it feels like you’re kind of jumping off a cliff — especially when you’ve never had a career break or stepped away from something you really love doing,” Mongiovi said.

AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson had sweet parting words for Mongiovi.

“In Jamie’s two-plus years at AARP Florida, she has led our communications work to new heights and has been a key to our success in Tallahassee and around the state. By all the metrics that communicators use, she is leaving us in a far better place than she found us,” he said.

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In partnership with Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, we are leading the charge on a hub of world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology — creating a more prosperous economy and healthier population.

We would like to welcome the Moffitt Community Engagement Center and Verséa to the district and the city.

NEW AND EMERGING NEW NEW AND AND EMERGING EMERGING

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Florida’s Leading Academic Health System For Over 50 Years

Fall 2023

INFLUENCE

TGH.org |

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Briefings from the Rotunda

Wesley Hevia joins LSN Law W

esley Hevia is joining LSN Law as a partner, bolstering the Miami-based firm’s expertise in land development and local government practices.

“We are delighted to welcome Wesley Hevia to the LSN Law team. Wesley’s extensive experience in the field of land use and zoning coupled with his comprehensive understanding of the legal landscape, make him a valuable asset to our firm,” said Alex Heckler, the Managing Partner of LSN Law. Hevia comes to LSN Law from Akerman, where he specialized in land use and zoning matters and built a reputation for his informed and creative approach to addressing the legal intricacies inherent to real estate development in the South Florida market.

Hevia will continue to focus his practice on land use and zoning at LSN. There, he will provide clients with

RESULTS WORTH WAGGING ABOUT!

guidance on real estate development issues; appear before municipal zoning and planning boards; draft and negotiate agreements with local governments; advocate for legislative policy; and assist clients in developing entitlement strategies.

“Wesley’s active role as pro bono land use counsel for the nonprofit organization Bakehouse Art Complex, in addition to his private practice, validates his seamless alignment with the values and culture of the LSN family,” LSN Law partner Tracy Slavens said.

“Wesley’s commitment to pro bono work exemplifies his unwavering dedication to the nurturing and empowering of the local community.”

Hevia earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and environmental studies from Fordham University and a master’s degree in real estate from the

PinPoint Results LLC • Government Relations • Legislative & Executive

Lobbyists Committed to our Client’s Success!

110 E. College Ave., Suite 110 • Tallahassee, FL 32301 850.445.0107 or 850.766.1410 • www.PinPointResults.com

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Hough Graduate School of Business.

While attending law school at the University of Florida, he clerked under judges serving on Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Briefings from the Rotunda

RFB

RSA welcomes Natalie Brown T

ampa-based lobbying firm RSA Consulting has welcomed an experienced legislative staffer to its team as part of the firm’s recent expansion.

Natalie Brown is serving as Government and Community Affairs Consultant after working for Tampa Bay-area Sens. Danny Burgess and Tom Lee. Brown was the third new hire to the firm in August, a hiring blitz that represents the firm’s commitment to charting a strong path toward continued growth and responding to new regional powerhouses within the firm’s client roster.

“Natalie’s transition into RSA feels like both a natural step and the start of an exciting new chapter,” RSA Consulting Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Natalie King said. “She has been a close friend for several years, and her blend of professionalism and approachability adds an extra layer of synergy that we believe will greatly enhance our team’s collaborative spirit.”

During her time working in the Senate, Brown oversaw more than 90 bills that became law, spanning various policy areas. In her new position, Brown will work primarily on education, nonprofits and economic development.

The firm said they have “long agreed” Brown “is a perfect fit” for its “culture and values.”

“Having witnessed her can-do spirit, work ethic and thoughtfulness firsthand, I can confidently say that RSA is gaining a valuable asset in Natalie Brown,” Burgess said of his former staffer’s hire. “Their gain is our team’s loss, and her presence will undoubtedly be missed within our office. However, I am thrilled that she has chosen RSA for her next chapter.”

Brown’s hire brings the RSA Consulting team to 10, as it maintains strong roots in the Tampa Bay region.

Firm President and CEO Ron Pierce, who also previously worked as a legislative aide to Lee when Lee was Senate President, launched the firm in 2009 with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a top client. The Lightning are still on board, along with 90 local and state organizations.

The firm’s most recent additions include the Florida Aquarium, TECO and BayCare Health System.

“The decision to bring Natalie Brown on board is underscored by our unwavering confidence in her capabilities, remarkable work ethic, and most importantly, her alignment with our company’s values” Pierce said. “Natalie’s nuanced understanding of Tampa Bay’s dynamics and legislative experience position her as an excellent fit for

the team, and we are truly excited about the bright future she has ahead of her.”

Brown is a Florida State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics. As an undergraduate, she completed two legislative internships before working for a national advocacy firm in Washington, D.C., after graduation.

She now lives in Lakeland with her husband, Ethan, a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Fall 2023

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BFR

Briefings from the Rotunda

Tim Stapleton’s long FMA tenure turbocharges his health care advocacy efforts for Gunster in 2023 T

im Stapleton may have only been at the Gunster lobbying firm for a year and a half, but he’s far from a rookie in The Process.

Stapleton’s extensive background leading the Florida Medical Association (FMA) through a turbulent time in the realm of health care policy put him in good stead as he helped quarterback a series of budget project and policy wins during Session this year.

For the past 25 years, Stapleton was at FMA, including stints as its CEO and leading its public affairs division. The group advocates for doctors in Florida, and his time there coincided with the Great Recession and Obamacare, which both produced massive legislative fights over how to fill budget shortfalls and approach the possible expansion of Medicaid. It was also a time when large health systems took over small, independent practices.

“Being at the FMA for so long … I really saw everything,” Stapleton said. “I saw how the business of health care and medicine in Florida, and really across the country, has changed. When I started at FMA most of our members had an ownership interest in their practice. … That’s no longer the case.”

In January 2022, Stapleton moved to Gunster, a large corporate law and lobbying firm with offices throughout the state. It pulled in between $250,000 and $500,000 in the first quarter of 2023, according to its compensation report, and boasts a long list of clients.

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Stapleton cited his colleague Simone Marstiller’s reminder that they are business advisors, not merely lobbyists for their clients, helping them navigate the complex realm of health care policy in the state.

“Having that expertise, and understanding the providers’ perspective, has really helped me transition into the private sector and help clients that are maybe employing large groups of physicians or buying physician practices or figuring out how to manage those businesses,” Stapleton said.

Stapleton and the Gunster team procured $199 million in the budget for their clients, mostly from the $195 million for petroleum contamination cleanup projects throughout the state. But it also includes $1 million Stapleton pulled down for the Els for Autism Foundation.

The Els for Autism Foundation was started 10 years ago by former professional golfer Ernie Els and his wife, Liezl, in honor of their son, Ben, now 20, who was diagnosed with autism. The group runs two charter schools for children with autism. The funding in this year’s budget will go toward building an aquatic center for teaching children water safety and drowning prevention.

Another project Stapleton worked on was HB 387, which allows a physician to renew a patient’s certification for medical marijuana treatment, following their required initial in-person certification visit.

The measure would help some of Gunster’s telehealth clients.

The bill was approved unanimously in the Senate and passed 105-8 in the House.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it on June 26.

Stapleton also has his eye on the future and what it holds for the health care sphere. The ongoing consolidation and drive for market share among health care systems will continue to spur changes, he forecasts, as will the surge in the elderly population in Florida. There’s already a move towards more home-based care, the use of telemedicine and the growth of outpatient surgery centers.

And then there’s artificial intelligence, the latest development, which could upend health care and require a new set of regulations for companies to monitor and manage.

“We have a lot of health care technology companies that are looking to do innovative things in Florida and we help them navigate that process,” Stapleton said. “It just shows you how much health care is changing.”

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www.YellowFinchStrategies.com Fall 2023

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FOURTH FLOOR>FILES

Grandmom’s two bucks brings luck Significant other? Children? Grandkids?

Married to Melanie with two daughters, Elizabeth (6) and Katherine (4), and our pup, Finn.

In 25 words or less, explain what you do. Navigate government on behalf of my clients, identify solutions, provide educational opportunities and create agreement amongst stakeholders.

Without using the words Democrat, independent or Republican, conservative or liberal, describe your political persuasion.

Traditionalist that believes the system is designed to work, in fiscal responsibility, and that hard work should be rewarded — without unnecessary government intervention.

During your career, have you had a favorite pro bono client? This year I represented Crosswinds Youth Services (CYS) out of Brevard County for the first appropriation they have requested in over two decades. Just learned that it survived the Governor’s veto pen. CYS was important to my Aunt Cynthia (now deceased) and Uncle Jim. Both were past board members and it was a passion project of theirs to help the at-risk youth CYS supports. This project should help keep CYS and their clients a little safer.

Three favorite charities? Tree House of Tallahassee, Inc.; Take Stock in Children; Dreams Come True.

PHOTO: The Workmans

Greg Black

Any last-day-of-Session traditions? The last day tradition continues to change, but only for the better. Now it is more important to be ready to report when the Legislature adjourns and send quick updates to clients and then home to see my family and celebrate.

What are you most looking forward to during the 2024 Legislative Session?

See what unfinished business the House and Senate bring back and watch Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and Speaker Paul Renner put the finishing touches on impressive legislative careers.

Professional accomplishment of which you are most proud? Working to ensure that naloxone can be prescribed to third party individuals so that they can administer in an overdose situation. Given

the severity of the opioid crisis in Florida and the country, it is important to provide access and protect against liability or criminal charges for people that are willing to help save lives of those that accidentally overdose.

Who is your favorite Florida Capitol Press Corps reporter and why? If just picking one, probably Matt Dixon. Enjoy the sarcasm he includes, but also think he pretty fairly calls balls and strikes.

Other than FloridaPolitics.com, your reading list includes … POLITICO and News Service of Florida, recently some of the new City & State. (Since the time of this questionnaire, City & State has ceased operations.)

What swear word do you use most often?

Equal opportunity offender for most of them, working to be better …

What is your most treasured possession?

A $2 bill that my grandmother gave me as a stocking stuffer and I carry daily. It had been picked up by my grandfather for Christmas 1985, right before I turned 1, and was lost for 20+ years. When she found it years later, she gave it to me for “good luck” and it has boomeranged back a few times when temporarily misplaced.

The best hotel in Florida is … Gasparilla Inn, Boca Grande. Our oldest daughter first rolled over there and the place is classic Old Florida.

You’ve just learned that you will be hosting a morning talk show about Florida politics. Who are the first four guests you’d invite to appear? Mac Stipanovich for his storytelling, Rich Heffley for his prognosticating, President Passidomo and Speaker Renner to discuss where they feel they may have missed on policies/funding this year and what it is like presiding over their respective legislative bodies with (now) 3 Floridians running for the highest office in the land. (Since the time of this questionnaire, that number has now become two.)

Favorite movie? “Iron Man” — any of them — I will get pulled in and watch to the end, no matter how late it will finish. Also, “Shooter” or “The Rock.”

When you pig out, what do you eat? Love a good steak, but if I had to pick one thing that I can pig out on it would be some sort of sour candy — like Sour Patch Kids — that has been in the freezer for a bit. I can do some damage on a bag of those.

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FOURTH FLOOR>FILES

Significant other? Children? Grandkids?

Shirley Sharon, best friend and fiancée.

In 25 words or less, explain what you do. I advocate for clients by being aggressive, direct and always telling the truth.

Without using the words Democrat, independent or Republican, conservative or liberal, describe your political persuasion. True split ticket voter: I like smart elected officials with a sense of humor.

During your career, have you had a favorite pro bono client? I’ve always loved working with the Florida Humane Society; happy to help them whenever they call.

Three favorite charities? Lauren’s Kids, Jewish Federation of Broward County and the above-mentioned Florida Humane Society.

Any last-day-of-Session traditions?

I normally have a martini and take a long nap.

What are you most looking forward to during the 2024 Legislative Session? I enjoy representing municipal governments before the Legislature; the issues they have are always unique and diverse. I look forward to running around the halls of the capitol for my cities and counties.

Professional accomplishment of which you are most proud? Working alongside Sen. Ileana Garcia and Rep. Adam Botana on the hotly contested Florida Boating Safety Act (and its subsequent sequel).

Who is your favorite Florida Capitol Press Corps reporter and why? Gary Fineout is a mensch.

Other than FloridaPolitics.com, your reading list includes … POLITICO, Drudge and Congressman Jared Moskowitz’s twitter feed.

What swear word do you use most often? Your iPhone autocorrects it to “duck.”

What is your most treasured possession? I have a jar of surgical staples in my office that remind me of a time where I battled cancer; it gives me perspective when I think I am having a bad day.

The best hotel in Florida is … Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club.

You’ve just learned that you will be hosting a morning talk show about Florida politics. Who are the first four guests you’d invite to appear? Ron Book, Scott Ross, Congressman Moskowitz and Congressman Matt Gaetz.

Favorite movie? “The Godfather Part II.” When you pig out, what do you eat?

Any variation of spicy pasta with a big glass of wine.

Jared Rosenstein PHOTO: The Workmans

Just like George Washington, he’s a truth teller

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FOURTH FLOOR>FILES

In the corner for Florida’s HBCUs Significant other?

Children?

Grandkids? No significant other yet. No children yet either. But I am an auntie to my 10-year-old niece, Lyric, and my 5-year-old nephew, Larry III. I am also a godmother. It’s great practice for when motherhood comes.

In 25 words or less, explain what you do. I’m a relationship builder, a connector and an advocate. I help my clients by advocating on their behalf and connecting them to the right people that will help facilitate their needs.

Without using the words Democrat, independent or Republican, conservative or liberal, describe your political persuasion. I am for the people and I am on the right side of right. I do understand the nature of politics and the nature of business. However, in the forefront of my mind, I always ask myself two questions: “Is this helping the people or is it harmful to the people?” and “What can I do to help?”

During your career, have you had a favorite pro bono client? Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association. I love advocating on their behalf so that they can receive the tools they need to help advocate for others.

Three favorite charities? Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

LaToya Sheals

Any last-day-of-Session traditions?

Honestly, taking a moment to breathe and to be thankful for the accomplishments and the success of completing another Legislative Session.

What are you most looking forward to during the 2024 Legislative Session? Sine Die. … Just kidding. I am looking forward to continuing to advocate for my clients.

I am also excited to see the trending topics that will be discussed during this Legislative Session and hearing the positions of both chambers.

PHOTO: Abby Hart

Professional accomplishment of which you are most proud? Helping secure a record $30 million in recurring funds for Florida’s Private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Edward Waters University, Bethune Cookman University and Florida Memorial University. As an

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HBCU graduate myself, it was an honor to secure those dollars as I know how beneficial it would be to the students and the universities.

Who is your favorite Florida Capitol Press Corps reporter and why? I do not have a preferred Florida Capitol Press Corps reporter. I enjoy reading and appreciate all of the reporting that is done by members of the Florida Capitol Press Corps. The timeliness of an article and the consistency keeps me well informed and knowledgeable about pertinent issues within the state.

Other than FloridaPolitics.com, your reading list includes … I am a big memoir person. I recently read “Finding Me”

by Viola Davis. Prior to that I read “Will”

by Will Smith. If I am not reading a memoir then I’m usually reading anything relating to personal development or anything that tells a good story.

What swear word do you use most often?

The F-bomb or the S-word! They work so perfectly together.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family. They keep me grounded.

I would also say the local newspaper announcing President Barack Obama as the first African American elected President of the United States. To see him on the front cover, to see the headline, to be alive in that moment, I will never forget it.

The best hotel in Florida is … It’s between the Four Seasons or the JW Marriott, both in Orlando. It’s the most luxurious and peaceful stay.

You’ve just learned that you will be hosting a morning talk show about Florida politics. Who are the first four guests you’d invite to appear?

Justice Peggy Quince, House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, Pamela Burch Fortand and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. Honorable mention: Yolanda Cash Jackson.

Favorite movie? “Erin Brockovich.”

When you pig out, what do you eat?

Honestly, anything that my mom cooks.

Because I am often traveling, eating out has now become a habit. I love those moments when I can take a quick minute, go visit my family in Central Florida and get a home-cooked meal from my mom.

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READY TO PROTECT, DEFEND AND ADVANCE YOUR BUSINESS BUCHANAN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

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Tallahassee I Miami I Fort Lauderdale I Tampa I Washington, D.C. 15 Offices Nationwide I BIPC.com 54

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FOURTH FLOOR>FILES

Champion for abused children Significant other? Children? Grandkids?

I’m lucky to call Sam my very significant other. Though he doesn’t work in “The Process,” he understands the craziness that comes with it. He and my son, Benny, a 2-year-old miniature Dachshund, keep me sane.

In 25 words or less, explain what you do. I am my client’s problem solver, strategist and cheerleader and advocate for their public policy interests before state and local governments. Their success is my success.

Without using the words Democrat, independent or Republican, conservative or liberal, describe your political persuasion. As a young person working in politics, it’s become increasingly difficult to put myself into any of these boxes due to the polarizing nature of today’s national and state politics. That being said, I pride myself on maintaining an open mind and well-researched brain before stepping into the voting booth.

During your career, have you had a favorite pro bono client? I was recently appointed to the Kids House of Seminole County board of directors, an organization that offers victims of child abuse and their families access to a comfortable environment with resources to expertly handle all aspects of their case. I’m honored to be chosen as a champion for the children Kids House serves and I’m looking forward to advocating for the organization in Tallahassee next Legislative Session.

PHOTO: The Workmans

Kaley Slattery

Three favorite charities? I’m still in awe of the amazing work Kids House of Seminole County does for the children in our community. For four years, I volunteered with The Donna Foundation to Finish Breast Cancer with my sorority in college and can’t say enough positive things about the impact this organization has made in the fight against breast cancer. And Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a dedicated community organization that tirelessly works to support a vulnerable population in Orlando.

What are you most looking forward to during the 2024 Legislative Session?

Delivering more client wins at the state level and getting back to Orlando to focus on local clients. The grind never stops.

Professional accomplishment of which you are most proud? Working for the state of Florida while completing my master’s degree from Florida State University. A big shoutout to everyone at the Public Service Commission who made doing both much more manageable.

Who is your favorite Florida Capitol Press Corps reporter and why? Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics and Jason Delgado (formerly of Florida Politics).

Peter always has the scoop and shares information in real time, my personal favorite being the text message subscription. Jason is an old Master’s Academy alum and writes an unbiased story very well. Two great reporters.

Other than FloridaPolitics.com, your reading list includes … Orlando Business Journal, The Wall Street Journal, POLITICO and too frequently, Twitter.

What swear word do you use most often? Big fan of shit … ake mushrooms.

What is your most treasured possession? My extremely supportive family and loyal companion, Benny.

The best hotel in Florida is … The Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island.

You’ve just learned that you will be hosting a morning talk show about Florida politics. Who are the first four guests you’d invite to appear?

Paul Mitchell, Mike La Rosa, Kathleen Passidomo and Stephanie Smith.

Favorite movie? “10 Things I Hate About You” (or any film starring Heath Ledger, for that matter).

When you pig out, what do you eat?

Anything to satisfy the sweet tooth, preferably chocolate-covered strawberries, or Ben & Jerry’s Tonight Dough.

Tallahassee I Miami I Fort Lauderdale I Tampa I Harrisburg I Washington, D.C. Any last-day-of-Session traditions?

Getting out of Tallahassee and landing somewhere beachside.

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Florida’s transformational 2023 Session Passing a raft of major “principled conservative” reforms will benefit all Floridians

By Speaker Paul Renner

“...better off than we found it.”

F

lorida’s 2023 Legislative Session was a triumph for all Floridians. We accomplished more in some weeks than we would typically expect in an entire Session. Universal choice in education, reforms to allow more attainable housing, tort reform and reforms to address property insurance were done before the halfway mark of our 60-day Session. Any one of those bills would have objectively made our Session a roaring success, but we were just getting started.

For principled conservatives, despondent with elected Republicans, especially in Washington, we delivered on the agenda our voters wanted: The Heartbeat Act; Constitutional Carry; parental rights; paycheck protection; term limits; multiple bills to protect children from indoctrination and sexualization; and robust measures to push back against the aggressive leftist movements of DEI and ESG. (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for DEI and Environmental and Social Governance for ESG) And there were plenty of major wins that all Floridians would applaud: better access to health care for children; billions in tax relief, especially for families raising children; the largest investment in land conservation and transportation in Florida’s history; better pay and benefits for teachers and first responders; strong data privacy protections; rural broadband; ensuring all students can achieve grade level in reading and math; enhanced penalties for those who commit gun thefts and crimes; ending corporate welfare; changes to make us more resilient to hurricanes and flooding; record funding for our universities that are, and have been, ranked first in the nation; better workforce and vocational opportunities; enhanced accountability over bad acting insurers; and governance reforms to make Florida more competitive in the rapidly growing space industry, among others.

In the end, the Legislature stayed true to our collective commitment when the Session began: to leave our state better off than we found it.

I am proud of our members for all they accomplished. The 2023 Legislative Session in Florida can be hailed as a triumph for taxpayers, families and all Floridians because the Legislature and our great Governor stood strong, with the courage of our convictions, and delivered the most transformative Legislative Session yet.

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3 hot-button issues facing early learning

By Vance Aloupis

T

here is little debate that early learning and pre-K programs provide developmental first steps to a child’s successful journey through K-12 and life. Yet, how programs are funded, developed and accessed can be a complicated winding road that varies from state to state. In an attempt to simplify the sometimes confusing dialogue in early education choices, I thought it would be helpful to highlight three pillars of the process I believe to be critical issues in need of focus.

Workforce retention efforts that keep teachers in the classroom, reimbursement and funding mechanisms, and accountability procedures all represent core criteria necessary for a successful early childhood system. While many other important aspects need attention, getting these three pillars set can allow for a foundational underpinning to additional advancements.

Much like a three-layer cake, concentrating on the integrity of these three layers is essential to avoid a program collapsing no matter what else might be added.

The following breakdown is a general overview of the three pillars as a jumping-off point for future discussions.

Although the breakdown pertains to all states, I’ve provided examples from my knowledge of working on early learning efforts in Florida.

WORKFORCE

The ability to retain teachers inside early learning classrooms remains an essential ingredient to a successful system.

While many conversations are being held nationally around K-12 teacher pay, far fewer people are talking about compensation for early childhood teachers, which has historically been far less than a K-12 teacher might make. The pressing bare economic issue is that a teacher who makes, let’s say, $15 an hour in a child care classroom can go down the street and work at the local box store for $18 an hour. Early learning teachers are forced to put their passion aside simply because the system cannot provide remotely competitive compensation.

The trickle-down impact is that child

care centers operate off of ratios. Many states have a mandated ratio of teachers per student. For example, a Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) classroom in Florida must have one teacher for every 18 children. When one teacher leaves, 18 children can no longer be served. As teachers leave the profession, child care centers are operating at limited capacity, which affects the overall economics of attendance, negatively impacting the system.

States are now looking at bonuses and/ or increasing reimbursement rates for teachers to pay them more while also trying to find ways to remove obstacles that allow more individuals to enter the profession. Creating new pathways for credentialing and online education opportunities that address background screening are issues that many states are beginning to look at regarding workforce improvement.

REIMBURSEMENT

The main issue at hand is that child care expenses have continued to increase.

In many states, the ratios of costs to reimbursement rates (the amount states provide to families for care) have remained stagnant. As a result, states are beginning to look at realistic full-time equivalent (FTE) costs per child per year. In the last few years, Florida, for instance, has significantly increased the base student allocation for VPK. But there are still questions about whether or not it’s sufficient to provide high-quality early learning, not just essentially state-mandated day care.

Conversations also continue around eligibility and the income threshold under which a family could get some form of state subsidy for child care. As the cost of care continues to go up, so does the percentage of a family’s monthly income going to care. This ever-fluid dynamic is expanding the dialogue around boosting the threshold so that more families can access these resources.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability comes down to focusing on the idea of measuring what matters. Florida has a long history of account-

ability in K-12 — and it is one of the main reasons our state has seen tremendous success in increasing student achievement. But what kind of a system should be implemented in early childhood to ensure that the programs are high quality? Obviously, very young kids can’t take standardized tests at the end of the year, so what’s the appropriate tool?

Historically, Florida used a readiness screener that dictated whether or not a child was ready for kindergarten. Unfortunately, it was a somewhat deceptive tool because it didn’t take into consideration where the child was when they entered the pre-K classrooms. Florida has now moved to an observational tool called the CLASS assessment. The system observes and assesses teacher-child interactions — how the teacher interacts with a child and organizes the classroom overall. Early results suggest it is a highly effective way to gauge quality in child care centers.

As states expand their early learning and pre-K options, there should continue to be a focus on accountability in ensuring that the dollars spent are invested in high-quality centers. A major question moving forward will be which tool states use to assess that quality.

Conversations will undoubtedly continue to swirl in the early learning and pre-K arena. Yet, it’s important to recognize that despite the absence of an easy fix or perfect solution to concerns, access and quality of care improvements will best take shape through compromise and understanding. Locking in reimbursement, workforce efforts and accountability can be a first step to synthesizing the discussion toward establishing high-quality systems.

Every dollar counts as pandemic relief funding nears its shutoff in 2024.

And even though Congress has begun to address increasing child care funding, the proposed amounts have some worried about keeping up with rising costs.

Ratcheting down these three hot-button areas will prove vital in understanding the fiscal and developmental trajectory of future programs.

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The road out of the wilderness Step-by-step, Florida Democrats can find their way to success in future elections

By Steve Schale

“How did the Democrats get here from there?”

“E

very time it feels like I hit rock bottom, sure enough, we turn over another rock and find a new abyss.”

That was Dan Gelber, sitting in my office around 2004, as we were getting ready to take over House Victory, the Florida Democratic Party’s arm that runs House races.

Things in those days felt eerily like today — we had just lost the Presidential Election by a half-dozen or so points, a cycle after losing the Governor’s race by double digits — and as a caucus, we had 35 members — the same number we have today.

In those days, I rarely referred to my job as running House Victory, choosing instead to call it the House Democratic Caucus’ political operation, largely because the caucus hadn’t seen a net gain in 14 years. There was nothing “Victory” about that operation.

We didn’t do everything right — but we got things pointed in a better direction, picking up nine seats between the General Election in 2006, and Special Elections that followed. If nothing else, we earned the right to put Victory back in the name, and for the first time since Republicans took control in 1996, you could legitimately plot out a pathway in a few cycles to a very competitive Legislature, if not a Democratic majority.

But it didn’t last long.

Fourteen years after I cashed my last paycheck as a party staffer, things look really familiar — and not in a good way for the home team.

How did the Democrats get here from there? I wrote about 10,000 words on this recently, but in a nutshell, combine a

mixture of truly bad decisions and comically bad luck. We can dwell on this for days — trust me, I’ve done it.

But what to do now? The list is probably 100 items deep, so I humbly offer a few I think are more important than others: Build consistency. Since I left the House operation, there have been at least six different political operations. Six. Compare it to the Republicans, who have largely had the same Senate and House operation my entire career. That’s a recipe for losing.

Candidates matter more for Democrats. I’ve watched way too many cycles (not every one) where candidate recruitment was largely celebrating the first person who got in. When you are running uphill — against money and often district performance, you better have a candidate who can transcend all that.

Invest in data and registration. The tens of millions spent outsourcing voter registration efforts to nonpartisan groups has not worked, period. Since the second Barack Obama campaign, the Republicans have added a million more voters to the rolls than Democrats. Invest in a real and accountable party operation to do that job.

The median voter is way more moderate than virtually every Republican or Democrat in Tallahassee. They don’t view issues along the same straight lines where political debate often falls. Democrats need to do a better job of playing in those creases.

I don’t think this is an overnight fix-it job, but as someone who thinks politics works better when the marketplace of ideas is a robust debate, I hope my side will use this as a real inflection point for conversation — because well, if not now, then when?

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OUR MEMBERS CONTINUE TO HELP

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3

F E AT U R E

THREE QUESTIONS FOR INSURANCE EXPERT DAVID ALTMAIER

By Peter Schorsch

D

avid Altmaier clearly remembers helping the grieving widow — 15 years ago — when he was selling insurance early in his career.

“I’ll never forget it,” Altmaier said. “We were able to pay her life insurance claim and take away a little bit of that anxiety.”

David’s early sales experience shaped his career. “Everything I learned was through the lens of people walking into my office asking for help,” he said.

Now, he is a giant in the Florida insurance industry scene — former top regulator for the state of Florida, recent past president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and the newest member of The Southern Group’s formidable national insurance practice.

Altmaier says the key to his clients’ success is trying to reduce uncertainties in an already uncertain business.

Several years ago, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners started looking into whether capital risk was correctly captured. In particular, the organization looked at catastrophic risk categories such as hurricanes.

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“He’s got a great focus on the affordability, accessibility, reliability and stability of the Florida insurance market.”

– FLORIDA CFO, JIMMY PATRONIS “Many Florida insurance companies were unaware,” Altmaier said. “We ended up doing some outreach and helping them engage in the process.” The advance notice helped insurance companies adjust their business plans. Now Altmaier is attacking a new wave of changes in the business, and helping to lead clients through those complex issues from a different perspective.

Altmaier’s ties to Florida’s government are strong — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Altmaier to lead the Office of Insurance Regulation in 2016.

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis worked with Altmaier across two administrations in Tallahassee. During the transition from Gov. Rick Scott to Gov. DeSantis, Patronis said Altmaier’s deep knowledge and sense of loyalty quickly won him over.

“I said to him, ‘David, we need to do a lot of big bold things in Florida. Some of those things are going to draw heat and I’m going to be taking bullets. I’ll support you if you’re willing to help me,’” Patronis recalled.

“David’s response was, ‘Well, my job is to make sure they never fire a shot.’”

“That got me in the mindset that I need to go to bat for David,” Patronis continued. “He’s got a great focus on the affordability, accessibility, reliability and stability of the Florida insurance market.”

Altmaier is joining The Southern Group’s Paul Mitchell and Monte Stevens to create a powerhouse national practice.

Recently, we sat down with David and asked him three questions about the rapidly changing insurance market in Florida.

1

Q: One of the things you used to say when you served as Florida’s Insurance Commissioner was how unique our market is. What makes Florida one-of-a-kind from an insurance standpoint?

A: Insurance companies, just given their business model, operate in an inherently uncertain environment. They’re selling a product when they don’t know ultimately how much those products might cost. They have sophisticated ways

of ultimately predicting costs, and therefore what their pricing should look like.

But when they’re off on those predictions, sometimes it can dramatically impact a company’s business plan. Exacerbating this, in Florida, we’ve managed over the years to add an extra layer of uncertainty, this kind much more man-made, and much harder to predict than usual insurance claims. That’s ultimately led to company failures, dramatic rate increases, and companies pulling away from the state all together. That’s created availability and affordability issues, and has caused our market to look much different than many other states around the country.

2

Q: Going back to 2019, you played a large role in multiple reforms designed to stabilize Florida’s property insurance market. What should insurance companies be thinking about post-legislative reforms?

A: I think each piece of legislation was appropriate to address the challenges our market has faced. The goal for each was to stabilize our market and bring relief to consumers. If I’m an insurance company, I’m going to make sure my underwriting department and my claims department are operating with these legislative goals in mind. There’s going to be a lot of eyes on these companies, and a lot of high expectations for each of them. I think the insurer accountability bill that was passed in the 2023 Legislative Session is a reflection of that.

3

Q: What are other things insurance companies should be thinking about besides catastrophes?

A: I think if you open any newspaper from any place in the world, you’ll read about any number of issues that should be on the minds of insurance companies. The speed at which AI has taken off this year is a good example. There are a lot of standard-setting bodies around the country and the world that are interested in if and how some of these emerging trends and technologies should be regulated.

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F E AT U R E

Jeremy Susac seeks a sustainable future for construction and Florida

By Jacob Ogles

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I

n a state where development still dominates politics, few names carry the weight of Lennar Homes. A national homebuilder based in Miami since its founding in 1954, Lennar now builds housing in 26 states. But Florida remains its corporate home. The public company operates in 12 separate Florida markets, more than in any other state.

In Tallahassee, Jeremy Susac has long served as the voice of the homebuilder when it comes to policy. Since 2015, Susac held the title of Vice President of Government Affairs for Lennar Ventures and the Lennar Corporation. In that time, he helped craft laws in Florida and across the country. Through his work, Susac lobbied for business-friendly policies that keep the trusses rising across Florida, but also worked to establish energy-efficient policies that preserve the state’s resources.

“We’ve created pretty transformative standards,” Susac said.

Among the most notable wins on Susac’s watch, Lennar played an outsized role in drafting a reclaimed water bill in Florida in 2021. The state statute requires domestic wastewater utilities that dispose of effluent, reclaimed water or reuse water by surface water discharge to submit a five-year plan to eliminate such disposal methods to the Department of Environmental Protection. But it also incentivizes using that graywater for residential uses like washing machines.

The idea is that by pressing installation of more filtering systems in homes, less potable water will end up being used where graywater will do. It was widely seen as a rare win for construction and conservation. Susac called the change “transformative” for making environmentally sound practices economically feasible not just for major builders like Lennar, but for the whole industry.

PHOTO: The Workmans

“We’ve created pretty transformative standards.” – jeremy susac That’s the type of policy Susac feels most proud of shaping in Florida and elsewhere. It also plays to Susac’s skill set and his resume before working for Lennar. He previously served as a partner at Berger Singerman, a West Palm Beach-based firm that markets itself as “Florida’s Business Law Firm.” While working there, Susac’s practice focused on energy and environmental law, recycling ventures and water/wastewater regulation. He worked in the Tallahassee office as a member of the firm’s Government and Regulatory Team.

Before that, he worked four years as a principal at Real Energy & Environment Strategies Group, also focusing on energy and environmental policy in the state.

But like many lobbyists, Susac knows government from the inside and as an advocate. Before his private sector successes, Susac served as executive director of the Florida Energy & Climate Commission. He also previously was director the of Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Energy Office. He spent four years as well on staff for the Florida Public Service Commission.

As Lennar’s chief voice on lobbying government, Susac also has worked on energy, water and land-use legislation in other states. He points to policy priorities and wins for Lennar in Texas, Nevada and California, a politically diverse set of states. He’s played a hand in standards for several states regarding solar power use regulations and policies. Ultimately, Lennar backed policies in those states that mandate certain energy reduction and smaller carbon footprints on homes, which upped the value of the housing stock Lennar brought online.

From Lennar’s point of view, Susac said the homebuilder feels happy to lead the way to best practices. Better energy codes across the country urge that process along.

He rattles off examples. “As we go through energy code upgrades, we see better value on windows. Now everyone uses LED lights, when 10 years ago that’s not the case. We use higher performance walls …. There are so many upgrades since the ’60s and ’70s we are running out of things to do.”

At the same time, Susac said Lennar wants policies crafted in ways that don’t force costs burdening consumers. The goal often is finding environmental benefits — like a reduction in greenhouse

gases — but which don’t force a massive spike in the cost of construction. The company has also had a voice on issues like affordable housing, by encouraging strategic high-density building that can result in a boost in attainable home inventory without forcing urban sprawl.

Throughout every such conversation, Susac has kept sustainability in mind. Defying stereotypes of construction industry types seeing the environment as a barrier, Susac remains well-versed in ecological challenges facing Florida and everywhere Lennar builds. He notes a University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension study that shows by the year 2040 Florida will consume nearly 340 million gallons of water per day.

“Only 50 million can come from aquifer,” Susac said. “We knew something had to happen.” Data like that shows Susac how responsible policy must ultimately benefit both industry and the environment. Without a reliable water supply, Lennar won’t have much luck selling new homes, but policies so restrictive the company can’t build at a reasonable cost would do economic damage as well.

But Susac also looks for legislative reforms that explicitly protect businesses from frivolous and unnecessary litigation costs. Lennar deals with thousands of lawsuits each year, according to annual reports the public company releases to investors. “But often we are getting

sued on homes with nothing wrong with them,” Susac contends.

He makes the statement with some confidence because the corporation has looked into how settlements offered to plaintiffs often get spent. The company paid lawyers to conduct an audit and check into 50 settlement recipients who had claimed a defect in the home would bring unfair costs on the consumer. Not one of those ended up pulling a construction permit for the home regarding any repairs.

That’s part of why Lennar lobbied in 2023 for law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April that reduced the time period for bringing lawsuits against builders regarding alleged construction defects. The law now allows seven years for such litigation.

It used to give consumers 10 years. Also, the clock for filing lawsuits now starts with either the date of a certificate of occupancy or of abandonment for incomplete construction, depending which came first.

In the instance of that tort reform, Susac said the entire industry banded together to make the case with Florida lawmakers, who ultimately passed SB 360 with massive majorities in both the House and Senate.

“That was very meaningful legislation,” Susac said. “Sometimes it takes a village for all of us to pass something monumental.”

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Magazine’s

PHOTO: The Workmans

2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

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CURATED BY PETER SCHORSCH

L

ast year featured extraordinary conditions in the Capitol.

State financials were strong going into the 2023 Legislative Session and it was no secret that some policymakers — including the wielder of the veto pen — were incentivized to make a statement during the 60-day Session.

seized on momentum from last December’s Special Session and won big on issues that had previously failed to catch traction among lawmakers. Others matched the Legislature’s overall ambition and won big in areas like education and health care, and for state employees and first responders.

So it follows that this year’s Golden Rotundas recognize those who were able to capitalize on unique, and perhaps fleeting, opportunities. Session was a triumph for many — but not all. We’ve chosen to honor those advocates who left with something about which to write home. And as you’ll see in the coming pages, we did our best to do the inking for them.

We’ve also done our best to recognize incredible appropriations wins. Lobbyists had breathing room for their requests this year, but were challenged by the executive’s looming line-item veto and the general need to remain fiscally prudent in a state that prides itself on such. Ultimately, lawmakers passed a record spending plan. And as you’ll read, it’s chock full of important expenditures.

Across the board, this year’s Golden Rotunda winners demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and ardent advocacy.

As in years past, our Golden Rotunda selections are informed by industry professional submissions. We sought input and engaged in the difficult task of identifying the most exceptional standouts. In a year when victories were abundant, the Golden Rotunda awards give kudos to those who proved especially remarkable.

! s r e e Ch

On the policy side, some honorees at long last saw dividends from years of investment in pushing insurance and tort policies aimed at helping stabilize the rocky marketplace. They

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

Rubin Turnbull & Associates

PHOTO: The Workmans

I

t’s been more than 30 years since William Rubin first launched The Rubin Group, which evolved over time into Rubin, Turnbull & Associates. In a town with a constantly rotating cast of characters, the firm boasts a credibility that transcends administrations, leadership tenures and the passing politics of the moment.

The reputation also impresses his

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peer group, which selected Rubin Turnbull as the Lobbying Firm of the Year.

The Golden Rotunda adds another accolade for the advocacy, though the most important wins for the year surely came as bills became law and budget line items cleared Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

“I feel like every year we get stronger,” boasts Heather Turnbull, managing partner for the firm. A part of the

Rubin team since 2003, her name has appeared on the shingle since 2019.

She’s proud of the work achieved in that time. “I would say that the last few years, we have knocked it out of the park.”

The secret to the firm’s success is laid out in the open — hard work. Each year, Rubin Turnbull’s team, which includes Melissa Akeson, Jacqueline

Names here....

Melissa Akeson, Kevin Comerer, Erica chanti, Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Zach Hubbard , Chris Finkbeiner Carmona, Erica Chanti, Kevin Comerer, Jodi Bock Davidson, Christopher Finkbeiner, Zachary Hubbard, Matthew Sacco and Sharonda Wright-Placide, spends the Legislative Session booking back-to-back meetings and keeping seats warm through committee hearings. But even in the off-season, associates can be found scattered around the state meeting with lawmakers in

their districts. “We are constantly in front of elected officials year-round,” Turnbull says.

Lawmakers certainly notice the effort.

“What makes Rubin Turnbull stand out is the team’s incredible work ethic,” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo says.

“From the top down, everyone at Rubin Turnbull does their homework, invests the time and energy to understand the issues, and works to build consensus and support for an initiative. When Bill, Heather or any one of the team walk into a lawmaker’s office, they’re not looking to scratch the surface of an issue, they are ready to dive deep into the policies that affect their clients.”

Of course, for Turnbull, those kind words aren’t just flattery, but capital.

Lobbyists live off their credibility with those in power. It’s no accident the firm holds good standing in the eyes of the Senate’s presiding officer. Rubin team members developed similarly strong relationships with Sens. Ben Albritton and Jim Boyd, showing a forward-looking mindset that anticipates Senate leadership years in advance.

Similarly, the firm cultivated a closeness with Reps. Danny Perez and Sam Garrison, the House members lining up to seize the gavel in the lower chamber.

“They are a strong firm with a lot of integrity,” says Boyd. “What sets them apart is they bring a strong area of expertise in the interests of the client they represent. They don’t ask for much. When they talk to issues important to their clients, which are issues important to Florida and Florida businesses, it’s easy to listen to them.

They come well prepared and have a good grasp of the issues.”

Boyd could be Senate President himself in three years, so long as Republicans maintain a majority over the next couple of election cycles. And Turnbull makes clear her firm will do what it can to keep the GOP in power in Tallahassee. That means in an election year, you can often find Rubin Turnbull associates knocking on doors and campaigning in battleground districts.

“We’re not political consultants, and we don’t make a dime campaigning for folks,” Turnbull says. “But it’s our job to develop relationships and build all types of political cachet. Our team puts in the grind, going to members in their backyards and elevating their profiles.”

In turn, Turnbull said the respect and trust of lawmakers often translates into business for the firm. “The thing I think speaks the highest about us is that most of our referrals come

from legislators.”

That said, Rubin Turnbull lobbyists make sure to work with all lawmakers once they get sworn in. That’s not limited to Republicans. “Every member’s vote counts,” Turnbull says. “You get enough Democrats who aren’t on your side and who are savvy debaters, it makes leadership want to push issues away. So we don’t focus on one party.

It’s important to educate everybody.

And with many Democrats, I’ve found respect when you go see them and talk.

If you haven’t talked to them, they may feel slighted or think it’s leadership trying to slip through some nefarious legislation and maybe try and pull one over. But if you say ‘no, this is where we are coming from,’ surprisingly, a lot of them can be pro-business.”

Besides, many issues the firm handles cross party lines. When asked about some of the biggest wins this year, Turnbull mentions a bus patrol bill carried by Sen. Danny Burgess for the past three years. It allows school districts to work with law enforcement and equip traffic bars on school buses with cameras to catch motorists illegally blasting past stops.

“A large amount of children are killed every year by drivers who are texting or speeding around the buses,” she said. It took years to pass the bill, especially with a House that historically views stoplight cameras as a manifestation of Big Brother. But enough education convinced the right people to bring the legislation to a vote.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law this spring.

But Turnbull cautions against presenting any win above the rest. Every nonprofit, government and business hiring Rubin Turnbull receives priority treatment, she says. But she counts on many clients knowing that reputation before calling them up for the job.

And there are plenty of customers. Records show 97 clients hired Rubin Turnbull this Session, collectively spending $1.51 million to lobby the Legislature and another $1.45 million advocating in the executive branch.

The Rubin name, indeed, carries a lot of weight. Thirty-one years after founding the firm, Turnbull said there’s still no other lobbyist on the company roster as in demand as the founder. “He’s so humble and he’s not bombastic, but to this day, he remains our rainmaker,” she says.

Fall 2023

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79

2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

Runner-Up

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

Ballard Partners B

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Dane Eagle, Abby Vail and Jordan Elsberry But the firm also has planted roots more firmly within Florida, where the company came into existence in 1998.

The firm as of mid-2023 maintained offices in nine different cities throughout the Sunshine State.

Eagle now splits his time between handling business in the Capitol and overseeing the new office in Southwest Florida, which recently put political kingmaker Terry Miller on the payroll. Eagle, who grew up in Cape Coral, represented the area for eight years in the Legislature.

Eagle and Ballard Partners represented Lee Health and the city of Cape Coral with policy and appropriations matters this Legislative Session. The lobbyist counts a Lee Health-driven bill allowing privatization of a public hospital as a big win. But Eagle also feels honored to see enough hurricane relief coming to his hometown.

Ballard also made a big play in Jacksonville this year. Jordan Elsbury, the campaign manager who helped former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry pull off an upset of incumbent Alvin Brown in

PHOTO: The Workmans

allard Partners came just short of the Golden Rotunda, landing instead in the runner-up position. But folks at the firm have 7.4 million reasons to celebrate the 2023 Session anyway.

Lobbying disclosures show Ballard Partners earned more than any competitor this year, raking in $4.1 million to present agendas to the Florida Legislature and another $3.3 million to advocate to the executive branch. All that, and the firm remains unquestionably on the grow in Florida and beyond. The company expanded its physical presence with new offices in Jacksonville and Fort Myers, boosting its level of influence in some of the fastest growing markets in the Sunshine State.

Dane Eagle, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Secretary of Economic Opportunity through 2022, joined the firm in the spring.

“I had to decide when I left state government, which I had done for 20 years, what to do,” Eagle says. “Was it being a lobbyist? Do I do something on my own or join a large firm? I decided to go with the best.”

He said firm founder Brian Ballard brings a long history of advocacy. He didn’t have to think long when offered the chance to join the team. Eagle has known the firm’s namesake since 2006.

When it comes to running the firm, Eagle said Ballard has a gift for spotting growth areas. That’s why the outfit has expanded its lobbying presence to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and, most recently, Nigeria. Along with offices in Israel and Turkey, the Ballard brand truly has gone global.

2015, signed on as managing partner for the firm’s new office in the River City. “If you are going to join a team or a firm, you join the best,” Elsbury says. “It’s pretty undisputed what the premium lobbying firm in Florida is.”

He’s excited to see Ballard Partners playing ball in Jacksonville, a metropolitan market that historically hasn’t seen as much professional advocacy as other Florida cities. Yet the combined government there means Duval County has a robust legislative branch and a powerful executive office. Ballard Partners has quickly started to engage with local government on major issues.

“One of the first things we did was a large-scale downtown infrastructure plan,” Elsbury said. “We worked with local downtown developers and the City of Jacksonville City Council to approve $200 million in infrastructure projects downtown, and to spur development.”

The firm also signed on to advocate for Jacksonville’s AAA baseball team to secure $25 million in stadium enhancements.

And Elsbury notes the firm also represents local clients in state and government ef-

forts. That includes work for VyStar, one of the nation’s top five credit unions, lobbying Congress in Washington.

Of course, the most prominent work in Florida for the firm remains in Tallahassee. Abby Vail, who took over the Capitol office in May, said a mix of legislative and administration work keeps the team busy year-round.

“We operate 365 days a year,” she stresses. “It’s not just focused on the Legislative Session. When lawmakers are not here, we are supporting our clients at the executive branch level.” Indeed, a majority of clients Vail works with directly are primarily focused on lobbying executive agencies and state government based in Florida’s capital city.

She said the work of everyone at Ballard Partners helps cultivate trust in relationships. The reward from that work over the three years she has been with the firm has shown through exponential growth. “That’s always exciting and presents new challenges, but it’s frankly fun and interesting to deal with those,” she says. “Every partner in this office does an excellent job at bringing the highest

levels of integrity to the work.”

And the firm’s work has created significant change that could impact Floridians for generations. Looking at the 2023 Legislative Session, there were countless budget wins. Vail makes particular note of $2.5 million secured in the budget for the Simon Weisenthal Center’s Mobile Museum of Tolerance.

But she also said several clients for Ballard Partners had a strong interest in HB 1, the massive school choice expansion signed into law by DeSantis early in the Session. That makes private school vouchers worth up to $8,000 per pupil available to any Florida student regardless of income.

The budget also includes $850 million for the Florida Wildlife Corridor stretching from Ocala to Osceola. That had been a major priority this year for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and Ballard Partners worked from all angles to make sure the funding came together and stayed in the budget throughout The Process.

LEGISLATIVE, LOBBYING AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS With over 85 years of combined experience representing clients before the Florida Legislative and Executive branches, LLW’s Legislative team zealously advocates for our clients throughout the state, helping them navigate through the governmental and regulatory processes.

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25 YEARS OF TAKING YOU BEYOND THE BOARD ROOM. Organizational Management. Strategy. Leadership Development.

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1 in 4 Florida children will be treated in Florida’s four nonprofit, specialty-licensed children’s hospitals.

Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children are committed to staying at the leading edge of pediatric care and ensuring every Florida child has access to the world-class, specialized care they need.

This year, these four hospitals were recognized with 16 national rankings by U.S. News & World Report for their specialty pediatric programs.

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Represent the most pediatric subspecialty areas, treating children with the most critical and complex care needs

Expand Florida’s workforce of highly skilled, highly specialized pediatric care professionals

flspecialtyhospitals4children.com Fall 2023

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

MIDSIZE

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

W

ith top talent stationed throughout Florida and Washington, D.C., it’s no wonder Corcoran Partners has established itself as a powerhouse firm dedicated to client success.

The full-service government relations and public affairs firm represents clients at every level of government, from cities and counties to the state legislature and all the way up to Congress.

True to its mission — taking action on behalf of clients to solve problems and create opportunities — Corcoran Partners showed this Legislative Session what it means to win.

“Our approach is a true team approach. Mike and Jessica Corcoran have built a team that works well together, has each other’s back, works hard on behalf of every single client,” Corcoran Partners Managing Partner Matthew Blair said.

“Our team has a breadth of relationships and we work every day to leverage everyone’s strength for the benefit of every single client.”

Blair explained the firm’s cohesive approach to utilizing the whole team for the betterment of all clients by pointing to firm founder and CEO Michael Corcoran.

Corcoran founded the firm with his wife, Jessica Corcoran. In addition to Blair, who brings more than 25 years of state and local government relations and campaign consulting experience to the firm, the Corcorans have attracted top talent in Miami, Tampa, Tallahassee, St. Petersburg and Washington.

That includes Miami Partner Andrea Tovar, Tallahassee Partners Will Rodriguez and Bethany Swonson McAlister, Tampa Partner Samantha Greer, St. Petersburg Partner Helen Levine and Washington Partner and Special Counsel Jacqueline Corcoran. Rounding out the team are Director of Communications Madys-

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on Blair, Executive Assistant Michelle Kazouris, Legislative Assistant Noah Corcoran and Legislative and Operations Associate Alexis Searfoss.

“Reflecting on our journey since the inception of our firm nearly 23 years ago, Jessie and I find ourselves astounded by the remarkable growth we have witnessed. Today, we stand in awe of each and every member of our work family, profoundly proud of their unwavering character, integrity, work ethic, resilience, and unyielding determination.

Without a doubt, we are confident that our advocacy team is unrivaled, comprising the most exceptional talents in the entire nation,” Michael Corcoran said.

Added Levine: “The bedrock foundation of Corcoran Partners is service to clients offered through the lens of knowledge, respect and a work ethic that never stops. Deep connections gathered through decades of experience in the process ensures each client can benefit and achieve their goals. It is also a fun place to work. Keen senses of humor keep laughter and levity a daily ingredient to the team’s efforts.”

Together, team Corcoran celebrated wins in the 2023 Legislative Session on claims bills to make victims whole; appropriations to help clients grow and thrive; and policy work paving the way for client success.

The team had three claims bills pass this year. One of those sought nearly $6 million for the widow and son of Molly Parker, a 39-year-old woman who died after colliding with a Florida Department of Transportation vehicle that did not adequately observe a stop bar at an intersection. The funds approved through the claims bill by Sen. Ed Hooper and Rep. Shane Abbott (SB 2) will be partially held in a trust to provide for the care

and education for the Parkers’ minor son and are the remaining balance of a previously approved settlement agreement.

Corcoran Partners also successfully worked on a claims bill by Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Linda Chaney(SB 4) for $2.8 million for Maria Garcia, a woman struck by a Pinellas County Schools bus in early 2019. That accident resulted in blunt trauma, internal bleeding, a lacerated spleen, multiple fractures, a bilateral lung collapse and numerous other fractures and bodily injuries. The claims bill covers Garcia’s medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Additionally, Corcoran Partners helped secure $5.75 million for Kristen Stewart, who was run over by a Sarasota County utility vehicle and dragged beneath the vehicle for 60-65 feet. According to the claims bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters and Rep. James Buchanan, Stewart suffered multiple pelvic fractures, multiple rib fractures, lumbar fractures, liver laceration and kidney bruising, in addition to other non-life threatening injuries.

PHOTO: Allison Lynn Photography

Corcoran Partners

While it feels good for the Corcoran Partners team to help those injured by the government, the team has also proven adept at landing appropriations for clients.

This year they notched plenty of wins, including $24.3 million for a new Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching facility at the University of South Florida St. Pete campus; $1.5 million for the Florida Holocaust Museum; $30 million for a new dental program at Florida Atlantic University; $1 million for Tampa Bay Water; $975,000 for Who We Play For; and $1 million for the Nurse Family Partnership, among many others.

That’s just a small sampling of the firm’s appropriations work this year, which included more than 50 requests approved in the Legislature.

And Corcoran Partners doesn’t slack when it comes to policy either. The team lobbied hard for a measure (HB 319) to increase penalties for people who break into sporting and concert events. This was something sought by event venues

to further dissuade would-be disruptors, such as the person who ran across the field at Raymond James Stadium during the 2021 Super Bowl. It increases the penalty for such action from up to 6 months in jail to up to 1 year and raises the maximum fine from $500 to $2,500.

It also allows law enforcement to seize proceeds of anyone who pays for an individual to break into an event. While the new law gives more teeth to law enforcement, it does not affect college teams’ ability to have fans on the field at the end of a winning game.

Another bill (HB 331) was successfully approved to streamline paperwork that must be filed for notice of commencement by requiring local governments to accept forms as long as it includes what is substantially required in state statute. Contractors and others were experiencing additional regulatory delays because some local governments had added arbitrary requirements — such as submitting the form on a specific color or type of paper — that varied from place to place.

“Our track record speaks for itself.

By combining our unparalleled expertise in government relations with a team that is motivated and fulfilled, we consistently deliver exceptional results for our clients. We understand that their success is our success, and we go above and beyond to ensure that every client receives the personalized attention and strategic advocacy they deserve,” said McAlister, one of the firm’s Tallahassee Partners.

And Blair, the Managing Partner, also credited elected leadership in Tallahassee with successes for the firm’s clients and beyond.

“We are truly excited and honored by this recognition, but the real credit belongs with Florida’s elected officials and their staff who champion and tirelessly advocate for public policy that aligns with their principles and appropriations projects making a difference in their communities and our state.

Thanks to their leadership, Florida’s best days are still ahead,” he said.

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Runner-Up

MIDSIZE

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

RSA Consulting

A

t RSA Consulting, it’s all about teamwork and personalized client services.

The robust team is stacked with some of the smartest minds in politics, led by President and CEO Ron Pierce. The all-star lineup includes Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Natalie King, Vice President of Government Relations Edward Briggs, Senior Lobbyists Melody Arnold, Matt Herndon and Natalie Brown, Director of Client Experience Kaitlyn Bailey, Director of Internal Relations and Special Projects Gina Sisk, and Strategic Communications and Brand Manager Krista Landers.

Together, their approach aims to make every client feel like they are the firm’s only client. And it works.

“From Tallahassee to Hillsborough and Pinellas County, and from City Halls to the halls of Congress, there is no better government affairs firm that represents their clients and the Tampa Bay region better than RSA,” said Roger Germann, President and CEO of the Florida Aquarium, one of RSA’s clients.

He gushes about Pierce and the RSA team, noting that they “continually deliver big results for their clients by paying attention to the small details that matter most.”

“Since partnering with RSA earlier this year, the Florida Aquarium is rapidly becoming the state’s, county and city’s preeminent nonprofit aquarium for education, conservation, and community impact,” Germann added.

RSA represents clients in a number of industries, including education and early learning, health care, transportation, economic development, construction and — the team’s favorite — sports.

The RSA team was able to accompany

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Top row: Edward Briggs, Melody Arnold Middle Row: Natalie Brown, Krista Landers, Kaitlyn Bailey Bottom Row: Ron Pierce, Natalie King, Matthew Herndon the Stanley Cup into the House and Senate chambers two years in a row to celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning’s back-to-back championship seasons. The Lightning are among the firm’s most high-profile clients.

They, like the rest of the Tampa Bay region, had hoped for a three-peat that sadly never materialized despite making the Stanley Cup Final for a third year in a row.

Founded in Tampa in 2009, Pierce started the firm with family values in mind.

The firm’s name depicts that with the R representing his name; the S for his wife, Stephanie; and the A for his son, Andrew.

He’s maintained his sense of family through 13 years of growth. The Lightning were one of RSA’s first clients, as was Pepin Distributing Company, the state’s largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributor serving the Tampa Bay region, which joined RSA’s roster once King joined Pierce in his new endeavor shortly after its launch.

Today, the firm represents more than 90 businesses, associations and nonprofits throughout the state. Pierce and King, early on, began referring to the firm as Team RSA, a nod to the family values at its core. Those values remain embedded in the company’s culture and approach to client service.

“Our remarkable team, driven by dedication and expertise, has been the backbone of RSA’s success,” Pierce said.

“The fundamental culture at RSA is all about fostering collaboration, not competition. It’s this team mentality, unity,

and shared purpose that has enabled us to evolve and expand, creating a dynamic workspace that translates into the highest quality client services.”

In addition to the Lightning, the Florida Aquarium and Pepin, RSA also represents the Tampa Sports Authority, the Straz Center for Performing Arts, the Tampa Theater, Moffitt Cancer Center, BayCare, Advent Health, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, Film Tampa Bay, United Way Suncoast, and more.

But while RSA remains fully committed to the Tampa Bay region — Pierce began his career in the Legislature working for Rep. John Grant and, later, Sen. Tom Lee and the Lightning — it has grown to accommodate heavy needs in Tallahassee. A second office in the state capital serves as the team’s base during Legislative Session, and with the addition recently of three new staff members, now affords Team RSA a year-round presence in Tallahassee.

“Ron and I always joked that beer and hockey are a perfect pairing and joining RSA felt like the right fit,” said King, who was Pierce’s sounding board when first launching the firm.

She said the pair have “a natural synergy” that helps smooth the firm’s work.

“Frankly, I didn’t grow up intending to be a lobbyist, and I would not be doing this if it weren’t for Ron and his vision for building a team-oriented company.

I’m grateful for the friend and business partner he has become,” King added.

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

H

ow does a four-person lobbying team command so much respect, and presence, in Tallahassee? The team at Johnston & Stewart has that figured out — it’s all about relationships, experience and super hard work.

Johnston & Stewart is an all-inclusive, full-time government relations and strategy firm with offices in Tallahassee and Tampa. The team, led by founding partners Jeff Johnston and Amanda Stewart, with staff lobbyists Anita Berry and Omar Raschid, boasts an impressive roster of dozens of clients. That includes American Airlines, the American Heart Association, Florida Crystals, Florida State University, Habitat for Humanity, HCA Healthcare, Humana, TECO, Zoo Tampa and many more.

They’ve built the client base largely on fostering positive relationships, including with elected officials and their staff. And the team prides itself on relentless hard work and grit, all while maintaining an important team approach that ensures no matter the issue, clients have the right professional influencing their priorities.

“A lot of people in our industry say this but we really are lucky to represent our clients and we take special pride in having constant referrals from existing clients to new ones. There is no better endorsement than your current customer and we’re fortunate and honored to have the great ones that we do,” Johnston said. “They are easy to advocate for because we wholeheartedly believe in their mission.”

The firm just celebrated its fourth anniversary at the beginning of October. The organization provides consulting and lobbying at every level of state government, from the local level to the Legislature to the executive branch and the Cabinet.

Because the firm offers a full-service suite of products, the Johnston & Stewart team utilizes a tactical approach to ensure each team member’s skill set and relationships are put to the most effective and efficient use, ensuring clients receive

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Johnston & Stewart care and service from every member of the firm for the right tasks. The approach requires trust, communication and significant cooperation within the team.

“I could not be prouder of the way our firm operates. We share each client, so they are given the maximum benefit of decades upon decades of experience at every level of government. It’s so comforting to know that Jeff and I can immediately hand the ball to Anita or Omar, or vice versa, and have full trust that the client’s priorities will be expertly handled,” Stewart said. “We have a team that is not only efficient and talented, but it’s one we truly enjoy spending time with, too. Every single member of this firm is dedicated, hard-working and completely immersed in our clients’ issues.”

The hard work and strategic approach pays off. During the 2023 Legislative Session, the firm secured more than $400 million in funding for its clients, funds that benefit behavioral health initiatives, senior services, hospital programs, state university priorities, road and infrastructure improvements, emergency preparedness resources and law enforcement facilities, among others.

“Johnston & Stewart is always my first call when I need representation,” said Nathan Mick, Director of State and Federal Advocacy for the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). “Not only are they attentive, effective, and communicative — they have deep and lasting relationships where it counts.

The cutting-edge work they have done in Florida has set the bar and has helped launch AAO’s many successes across the country.”

Steve Screnci, President of 1st Racing and Gulfstream Park, another Johnston & Stewart client, likewise lauded the firm’s professionalism and record of success.

“Working with Johnston & Stewart has been a unique and refreshing experience. From the inception, they have demonstrated a sincere desire to learn and understand all aspects of our complex and intricate thoroughbred industry

and tell our story,” Screnci said. “Their efforts, together with the respect and trust they have noticeably earned with our lawmakers, has truly made a significant difference in the future of the Florida thoroughbred industry.”

Both founders are humble when it comes to the firm’s success, often pointing more toward their team and other valuable relationships than toward their own efforts. But make no mistake, both Johnston and Stewart are part of the successful recipe.

Johnston is recognized as one of the most powerful lobbyists in Tallahassee,

PHOTO: The Workmans

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with expertise on legislative, budgetary and political processes. He has developed crucial relationships by being a thoughtful leader with a competitive spirit and has a proven track record of developing strategic solutions to complex issues, accessing lawmakers and members of the executive branch and understanding Florida’s unique business industries.

Stewart likewise has more than 15 years of experience and engagement with the legislative process. Her years of experience has cultivated numerous relationships, both in the Tampa Bay area and in the halls of influence in Tallahassee, and established a firm knowledge base to provide quality engagement to clients in guiding legislation and directing communication to decision-makers and other influencers.

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Runner-Up

BOUTIQUE

LOBBYING FIRM

Delegal | Aubuchon

OF THE

YEAR

R

ather than asking, “What do you do?,” a better question for the talent at Delegal | Aubuchon Consulting (DAC) might be, “What don’t you do?”

Founded in 2020, the firm was more than productive last year across multiple industries and topics, from health care to tort reform to craft brewery regulations. It was a pivotal year for many in Tallahassee, and DAC’s clients were no doubt among those coming out on top. Thus, congrats are in order for the formidable trio consisting of Mark Delegal, Josh Aubuchon and Scott Jenkins.

“What sets us apart is our deep understanding of certain policy issues,” Aubuchon said. “We are a boutique firm but bring a great amount of substance and ability to move amid the nuances of a fast-moving process.”

In the health care space, DAC helped secure more than $100 million in research funding for Florida’s academic cancer centers, an investment that promises to advance cancer research and treatment in the Sunshine State. The team’s health care budget efforts also resulted in the establishment of recurring dollars (a particularly coveted line item) for brain cancer-related research, mental health initiatives and senior care monitoring for Florida’s leading academic medical center. One other health budget matter was particularly topical with respect to modern technology: funding expected to drive the development of an extensive artificial intelligence program for health care research and treatment.

On the policy side of health care, DAC was successful in championing legislation aimed at reducing costs for prescription drugs and promoting affordability within the pharmaceutical industry.

With respect to other policy matters, the team was also among a number of other advocates who ushered in a comprehensive tort reform package that overhauled the legal landscape by, among other things, requiring transparency in damages, third-party bad faith and comparative negligence claims.

DAC also helped secure legislation that lowered brand registration fees for craft beverage manufacturers, reducing regulatory costs to help industry growth.

(Cheers to beer!)

Other budget work by DAC also re-

sulted in millions for water quality improvement and invasive species removal, meaning the firm can hold its own weight in the environment space, too.

Also in the budget book was the feelgood matter of Robert DuBoise, who was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for 37 years. With the help of DAC, the Legislature backed a $1.85 million restitution payment to DuBoise.

“We were extremely pleased with the progress made during the 2023 Legislative Session and are excited to keep moving the ball forward,” Aubuchon said.

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

LEGAL OF THE

YEAR

E

ach leg of GrayRobinson could stand on its own. Take away the lobbying practice, and it becomes an elite law firm.

If you remove the legal side from the equation, it’s a powerhouse lobby shop.

Put them both together, and you get decades of demonstrated success from the courtroom to the Capitol and everywhere in between.

“We help people succeed at the intersection of law and politics,” GrayRobinson President and CEO Dean Cannon said.

“There are some great lobbying firms out there that can’t really do legal matters.

And there are some great law firms out there that aren’t really as adept at lobbying. We’ve managed to achieve optimized peak performance at both — and all of the credit belongs to our team members.”

On the lobbying side, GrayRobinson is coming off another stellar Legislative Session. In the appropriations realm, the firm secured more than $1 billion for clients earlier this year. There is a “great mix” of clients, Cannon said, spanning private enterprises to nonprofits to school districts, municipalities and more.

One such client is the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP), which has benefited both from lawyers and legislative advisors at the firm since the OEP’s inception.

The OEP is focused on facilitating prosperity in Central Florida. Earlier this year, the lobbying team assisted OEP in doing just that by securing important kickstart funding for the BRIDG microchip advanced manufacturing and research facility, anticipated to create thousands of high-paying jobs.

On the policy side, GrayRobinson helped law enforcement secure funding to procure and install DNA equipment and had success advocating on behalf of schools for tech initiative resources. The firm also has a strong presence in Washington, D.C., and helped the city of Tallahassee secure $20 million in federal funding for its StarMetro transportation fleet.

Angela Drzewiecki, a consultant at the firm who handles a range of matters, 92

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GrayRobinson including municipality representation, explained that there’s a common thread between many clients despite their varying sizes and scopes.

“Local governments all face similar challenges,” Drzewiecki said. When asked how she’s able to drum up statewide appeal for local issues, she pointed to a repeatable framework.

“Whether it’s policy or appropriations, we first develop a strategic plan, then we personalize the issue and build consensus,” Drzewiecki said.

The municipality practice is one of many practice groups at the firm. Cannon, a former House Speaker, attributes the broad spectrum of work in part to his team, which boasts the same varied quality of the client base.

“We have someone in the firm who can work on pretty much anything anyone needs,” Cannon said.

He’s joined in his status at the firm as a former House Speaker by Larry Cretul and Tom Feeney, who also served in Congress. The roster also boasts former state Senators and public servants who previously held high-ranking roles in state government.

“There’s almost no issue that we haven’t seen before and we know how to help clients tackle a problem even if it’s new,” Cannon said. “The reality is we pretty much work across all silos and all policy areas.”

Oftentimes there is overlap between the legal and lobbying sides of the firm, and “the ability to cross both channels” is something clients really appreciate, Cannon said.

He explained that sometimes clients may seek legal advice on a statute or regulation that’s creating a lot of difficulty or friction in the industry. And sometimes, the legal team might offer advice that transcends the usual recommended courses of action.

“We’ve gone to clients and said, ‘We can always try to change the statute,’” Cannon explained.

Whether it’s a new issue or an unin-

tended consequence of an older law, actually attempting to improve or modify the law is “not something a traditional law firm might recommend.”

Lawyer and shareholder George Levesque also spoke of the direct benefit the law-lobbying marriage has on policymakers. When GrayRobinson talks to members of the Legislature about the possible unintended consequences of statutory language, for example, it comes with a little more “gravitas” because those members know that the lawyers at the firm may have had firsthand experience litigating over the same language.

“It’s been helpful to have that legal background,” Levesque said, adding that it’s even more useful in the waning days of Session when things move quickly.

With respect to strategy, Cannon noted that more firms are appearing in Tallahassee but that GrayRobinson — a 50-plus-year-old brand — holds its weight in recruiting and talent acquisition. Outside of that focus, Cannon said the firm stays busy year-round and tries to get the legwork done before the 60day Session, something he described as a “time-limited event.” That means finding bill sponsors early, for example, and doing whatever possible to help lawmakers make policy and, in turn, ease the way for client priorities.

GrayRobinson has grown over the past year and has topped its revenue performance for three consecutive years.

Obviously, Cannon wants that trend to continue. With a looming election, he’s anticipating another high-revenue performance because imminent ballots make for a more productive atmosphere in Tallahassee.

During even-numbered Sessions, “almost everyone in government wants to get something effective done and take something home that they’re proud of,” Cannon said. “I think there’s a general positive motivation among everybody going into it.” More priorities and action should translate to continued work.

Cannon has also observed that the

PHOTO: The Workmans

LOBBYING FIRM

Back: Ryan Matthews, Joseph Salzverg, Kirk Pepper, Jeff Aaron, Dean Cannon Front: Carlecia Collins, Jason Unger, Angela Drzewiecki and Kim McDougal COVID-19 pandemic generally has made industries more aware of government and politics. That’s not necessarily

translated to more clients needing lobbying services, but there’s an anecdotal increased level of awareness of the rela-

tionship between government and business, a dynamic with which GrayRobinson is more than familiar.

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Runner-Up

LEGAL

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

Shutts & Bowen & Ben Gibson s a law firm with more than a century of history representing clients in the Sunshine State, Shutts & Bowen’s team of advocates and lawyers already has a stellar reputation. But adding a recent Florida Supreme Court Justice to the roster sure doesn’t hurt the firm’s stature.

Former Justice Ricky Polston has hung up his robes, but he’s not done scrutinizing Florida law. He joined Shutts in July as a partner in the Appellate Law Group and will head up the firm’s Constitutional Law Practice.

The ability to attract the best talent to its ranks shows why Shutts, a firm principally on the front lines in court, holds such a strong reputation among the Florida lobbying corps. It landed them in these pages as a Runner Up for Lobbyist of The Year.

Polston’s addition should put the firm in greater demand when it comes to getting matters in the courtroom. ThenGov. Charlie Crist appointed Polston, a former appellate judge, to the state’s highest court in 2008. He left the bench in March of this year to become General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

But when the opportunity to join Shutts arose a couple months later, Polston jumped at the chance.

“Shutts & Bowen has such an excellent legal reputation throughout the entirety of Florida,” Polston said. “I’ve

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known about them my entire legal career and had great respect for them.”

Firm leadership said having a former Justice in the ranks will enhance the level of service already offered at a shop that regularly pursues cases all the way to the Supreme Court in Tallahassee.

“For over two decades Justice Polston has shaped Florida jurisprudence with his faithful and steadfast commitment to the rule of law and our constitutions, and I am now thrilled that he is joining our Shutts Tallahassee team,” said Benjamin Gibson, managing partner for Schutts’ Tallahassee office. “Justice Polston is a man of integrity and character and someone I will be honored to call my law partner. His addition will be of great strategic importance for the future of our firm.”

Notably, Polston’s experience extends beyond the legal profession. Unlike most judges, he didn’t begin his career as a lawyer. Rather, he graduated from Florida State University (FSU) as its top accounting student before spending years as a certified public accountant. Nearly a decade later, he returned to FSU to earn a law degree before spending 14 years in Tallahassee doing commercial litigation and mediation.

He donned robes after Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal in 2001, and Crist elevated him to the high court a few years later.

Tara R. Price, Benjamin J. Gibson, George N. Meros, Jr., Ricky L. Polston, Daniel E. Nordby “I’ve had a lot of broad experiences, and I hope to bring a lot of them to my representation at Shutts & Bowen, particularly in constitutional law,” Polston said. He noted his experience includes teaching that subject at FSU’s law school.

He anticipates working on cases that land in front of the high court on which he once served. But he notes the firm already has an experienced appellate lawyer, Dan Nordby, who will likely remain the partner most likely to present arguments in front of the Florida Supreme Court.

Most of all, Polston brings insight to the internal workings of Florida’s court system. He recalls how, as an appellate judge, he learned for the first time how many post-conviction motions must be handled in criminal court.

At the Florida Supreme Court, he realized the number of jurisdictional petitions that lawyers file, most of which Justices handle without them ever being taken to court.

Now he’s anxious to throw himself back into work on behalf of clients.

“I view it as an opportunity to have a last chapter of my professional career, a new season,” he said.

PHOTO: The Workmans

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What’s in a Name? Everything.

The AIF lobbying team is well recognized as the most powerful and influential voice advocating for the state’s business community.

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NEW

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

C

ontinental Strategy might be a new lobby shop on the block but, it’s padded with government insiders who are more than seasoned in the ways of The Process.

Perhaps that’s why the team was able to successfully deliver a huge win this past year for its client, DroneUp, the key provider of delivery services for Walmart.

While some lobbyists tirelessly push the same priorities Session after Session, it took just one for Continental Strategy to get the Legislature and the Governor on board with DroneUp’s needs. Making it all the more impressive is that the win came in the firm’s first year of lobbying operations.

“We were able to pass the most comprehensive framework for drone delivery in the state of Florida and also probably the most comprehensive in the entire country,” recalled Continental Strategy President and Founder Carlos Trujillo. “It required a significant amount of work with all stakeholders and I think it was a crowning achievement for our firm from the policy perspective.”

Trujillo estimates the legislation, which streamlined the regulatory landscape via preemption, saved nearly half a billion dollars in compliance and regulatory costs that DroneUp may have otherwise incurred.

But that policy win doesn’t paint the whole picture of early success for the firm.

“We were also very successful in appropriations for all clients,” Trujillo said.

“For a supermajority, avoiding the veto pen as well.”

That success is in part attributable to Trujillo’s time in the House, where he served as the Appropriations Chair, an incredibly influential position that offers unparalleled experience to those

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fortunate enough to occupy it. The position necessitates both an understanding of the contours of the massive budget (north of $100 billion in recent years) and the ability to advocate for, and negotiate on behalf of, the chamber. Those who helm the budget panel represent their fellow lawmakers’ priorities as the House and Senate confer annually to hash out the differences and make the numbers work.

“I think few people know the appropriations process better than I do,” Trujillo said. “I say that humbly, having run the budget for two years and having been significantly involved in leading the House negotiations with the Senate and also with the executive branch.”

Settling the numbers is a black box to many, but through Trujillo and others, Continental Strategy offers “real insight into how these decisions are made and how they shape the ultimate outcome.”

In addition to understanding the budget, Trujillo enjoys the status of having served alongside people who now have leadership positions in both chambers.

He noted that many colleagues from his House class are now leaders in the upper chamber, including now-Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Majority Leader and Senate President-designate Ben Albritton, and Appropriations Chair Doug Broxson. His House tenure also overlapped with influential members including current Speaker Paul Renner and Speaker-designate Danny Perez.

“There are years of personal relationships on top of the knowledge base,” Trujillo said of he and his team at Continental Strategy.

Trujillo’s stint in the House is just one of a handful of impressive experiences he carries with him at Continental Strat-

egy. He is the former Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) and was appointed by former President Donald Trump to serve as a Representative of the United States to the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations. He was also nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of State.

The all-star résumé doesn’t stop with him, however.

“Our best attribute is our people,” Trujillo said. “We have industry experts across the spectrum from different geographical parts of the state with real subject-matter expertise.”

An imposing roster leads the different lobbying practices. Among the lineup is Ashley Spicola, who handles the ed-

PHOTO: The Workmans

Continental Strategy

ucation book. It’s a natural fit for Spicola given that she notched seven years in former Gov. Rick Scott’s administration where her work focused in particular on the budget for Florida schools.

“Working on (Scott’s) policy and budget for such a long time helps me help our clients craft a message that’s going to resonate with the Governor’s Office and with the Legislature,” Spicola said.

The firm also boasts known quantities in health care, municipal governments, financial services and tech, which Trujillo described as “massive” with clients from cyber to data and cloud-based storage, including Google.

Notably, the firm launched with former House Speaker and political heavyweight Richard Corcoran as a partner. But

Ashley Spicola, Mark Pinto, Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Brennan Garcia a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose for Corcoran shortly afterward, and he’s now leading the New College of Florida. The move is a testament to both his own influence and that of Continental Strategy.

Corcoran called Trujillo “one of the best managers” he’s seen in action.

“He knows how to recruit and retain talent and he has been able to do that at an unprecedented level at Continental Strategy, all while serving clients from Florida and around the country,” Corcroan said. “Continental Strategy’s rapid growth and success does not surprise me because the company’s mission is excellence and delivering winning results.

That is what really matters to clients and

team members at the end of the day.”

In its first complete year of advocacy, Continental Strategy recorded top-15 lobbying compensation numbers. Ultimately, Trujillo thinks the firm’s moonshot success is its standout feature, something he says is only complemented by the samenamed, full-service Continental PLLC law firm. Starting both rather than joining the old fixtures in law and lobbying has allowed him to build firms with his partners’ “vision and personalities.”

As the leader of a business in which talented people are the product, Trujillo said the overarching motto is “to recruit the best people in the industry and put them in a position to succeed.”

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Jennifer J. Green, CAE, DPL President

Timothy “Tim” Parson, DPL Vice President

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Director of Governmental Affairs

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(850) 841-1726 | www.libertypartnersf l.com

2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

Runner-Up

NEW

LOBBYING FIRM OF THE

YEAR

Central F lorida Public Affairs

PHOTO: The Workmans

S

haron Smoley has put a year and some change under her belt running her own firm, Central Florida Public Affairs.

So far, so good.

“When you’re just starting out, every new client feels like a tremendous success,” Smoley said, adding that she began with just one anchor client, but has grown to 10 and counting.

“Growing that much in this short amount of time feels unreal some days,” she added.

But it’s no wonder.

Smoley has two decades of experience in the Central Florida community, working with various professionals on government and community relations strategies and building coalitions to address the many complex issues that surface in Central Florida and Tallahassee.

She’s translated that experience into a boutique firm offering direct lobbying and advocacy, coalition building, policy research, and strategic communications.

And Smoley’s new firm recently received its MWBE (minority/women-owned business enterprise) certification from Orange County.

“Our growth has given me a sense of success,” she admitted. But like Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, she knows that with great success comes great responsibility.

“The success drives me to ensure that I’m producing the best results possible for my clients,” Smoley said.

Launching her own firm wasn’t an overnight decision. It was something she thought about for years, and she wondered whether she’d ever actually make it happen.

“Working in-house has always provided a level of security that you don’t get when you try to stand something up on your own,” she said. “The timing must be perfect.”

She’s not sure if it shook out perfectly, but it’s clearly been close enough.

“On really good days, I wonder why I didn’t do this 10 years ago. But if I’m being honest, I would not have achieved this type of success 10 years ago. Experience and relationships mean everything

in this business, and that takes time.”

Among other gigs, Smoley spent six years on the Walt Disney World Government Relations Team, where she worked internally with what she describes as some of the smartest professionals she has ever met. It gave her a front-row seat to every level of government. While she focused mainly on local issues, she also had the opportunity to observe how complex issues work their way through state politics. The experience even led to meeting a U.S. President, though she’s mum on which one.

Another key part of her background came during her role as Vice President of External Affairs at the Orlando Economic Partnership. She (half) jokes that it taught her how to herd cats.

“The truth is, it’s an asset to be able to pull people from different industries or perspectives together on an issue,” Smoley said.

“Those two roles taught me that even though there are plenty of things I can achieve on my own, working as part of a team can provide even greater success.

It’s not about who did it or who gets the credit, it’s truly about the work.”

And that brings her to the present, in year No. 2 of her own firm. She’s bring-

ing on a full-time lobbyist, which she says will allow the firm to grow even more, and she anticipates announcing new partnerships within the year. She hopes to further grow the firm’s coalition building brand, and to endeavor further into fundraising and campaign initiatives.

“When starting your own business, the challenge is to stay focused on what you can achieve even though it’s tempting to try to take on every opportunity before you,” Smoley said. “So I’d say the next year is focused on the right kind of growth.”

If she has her pick of “right kind of growth,” Smoley said she’d love to work in the energy sector.

“While every industry is experiencing disruption and change, energy has its own complex set of issues that I’d like to sink my teeth into,” she said, adding that agriculture is also an industry of interest, largely because it’s one of the biggest drivers of Florida’s economy.

“Even though agriculture literally provides the food on our tables, certain factions of the media and activists seem to enjoy attacking this particular industry,” Smoley said. “I’d love to take on that knife fight.”

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LOBBYIST YEAR

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sk Senate President Kathleen Passidomo about David Browning and her first response isn’t about legislation or regulation or negotiation.

It’s about what their relationship will be like after she leaves office.

“My colleagues in the Legislature feel like everybody is their friend, but when they term limit out, they find out they had what I call ‘temporary friends,’” Passidomo said. “When you term limit out, the lobbyists move on — it’s the nature of the business.”

“With David I don’t feel that way.

After I leave the Senate, we will remain friends. When he’s passing through Naples, he’ll stop by,” she continued.

Browning’s uncanny ability to forge deep and authentic relationships, his maniacal work ethic, his commitment to working with a diverse team at The Southern Group and his knack to see into the future are just a few of the reasons he is the winner of this year’s Golden Rotunda award as Florida Lobbyist of the Year.

Clients and colleagues use the word “genuine” to describe Browning’s connection on the professional and personal level. He’s a Putnam County boy who hasn’t forgotten his roots.

“He still cares about his hometown,” said Rep. Sam Garrison, in line to become House Speaker in 2026. “David is happiest getting a slab of ribs at some barbecue joint in rural Putnam County.”

“He can talk to everybody, whether it’s the President of the University of Florida or the guy down on his luck trying to make a wage to put food on the table,” Garrison added.

It seems like all of Browning’s clients end up becoming his friends. Steve Moore, President of longtime client Vestcor, has forged such a strong personal relationship with his professional lobbyist that he stays at the Brownings’ house when he visits Tallahassee.

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David Browning where he stays,’” Moore said. “It really matters to them.”

David Pizzi, vice president of governmental relations at Florida Blue, remembers Browning’s initial pitch to the firm.

“His goal wasn’t to try to impress, but to build trust centered on integrity,” Pizzi said.

“I don’t look at him as a political consultant, I look at him as somebody who bleeds Florida Blue — a part of our family,” he continued. “That I don’t think about him as just a lobbyist is a sign of someone who has gained the utmost respect.”

Paul Bradshaw, the founder of The Southern Group, says he’s heard clients say that Browning is “a real friend, not a deal friend.”

Browning mixes confidence and humility into an infectious brew. “David’s superpower is that he can read the room better than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Bradshaw said.

“He earned his chops as Florida’s top political fundraiser, and then he transferred those skills to lobbying. He’s funny, bright, and can put together a deal that makes everybody happy. It’s a really rare combination of skills, and it’s all amplified by his 24/7 work ethic.”

That has led Browning to win the firm’s highest award at its recent annual meeting — the John Thrasher Award, honoring the lobbyist who demonstrates “tenacity, determination and aggressive advocacy” for the firm.

For his part, Browning is a master of deflecting credit.

“Here, we form teams. We’re close together. If the issue is affordable housing, we work as a team. I would not be here if not for everybody — that’s the difference in our firm.”

But Browning’s credit-sharing belies the deep respect he has earned from his clients, colleagues and those in the process.

President Passidomo recalls just this past Session when she started advancing

the “Live Local Act,” affordable housing legislation she championed. Browning represents an affordable housing developer.

“We reached out to him and said, ‘This is where we’d like to go.’ And he was right there in a respectful way with, ‘How can we help you get your initiative across the finish line?’”

Passidomo said the contrast was stark.

“In a normal world, a lobbyist comes to the legislator and says, ‘Here is our vision, how can you get it across?’

“David said: ‘How can we help you get your vision across the finish line?’”

House Appropriations Chair Tom Leek puts it in a different way: “He’ll tell you the truth about what’s going on even if it’s not in his best interests.”

His tenacity is legendary. Eight years ago, the firm lost a major client. Rather than just move on, Browning and his team did an internal assessment to figure out what went wrong.

“We had two choices — move on and forget about it or address it with the client and the people around the client,” Browning remembers.

“We made some changes in our firm.

Got more aggressive. Made sure we had the proper people in place. Eventually the client came back and hired us again.

We earned their business and we’ve never let that happen again.”

One of Browning’s most useful skills is his ability to see the outcome of legislative leadership battles well into the future. For Browning, though, it sounds more like clairvoyance.

“The thing about lobbying with term limits and the early selection of leadership is that the playing field is laid out,” Browning said. “We know who the players will be for the next eight years. … Our job is to build relationships.”

Browning’s primary rule for successful lobbying centers on urgency. “I don’t think anything happens without urgency,” he said.

PHOTO: The Workmans

OF THE

“Urgency is what creates it all … that feeling every morning when I get up — I better do something or the opportunity is going to be gone. That’s why I like the legislative process — there is a deadline. You’ve got to get up early. You’ve got to show up.

You’ve got to work every minute you possibly can. If not, that window is gone. A sale never happens unless there is urgency.”

Another area of urgency for Browning — spending time with his family. He talks of his wife and four children often and his colleagues invariably mention his love for his family when describing Browning as a person.

Yet Browning also knows when to pull back — he’s wise enough to avoid suffocating those he is lobbying.

“We get inundated. Particularly as ‘Approps’ Chair, my meetings are 10-minute meetings — my record is 29 in a day. You finish and then you have 2-3 people lining up to walk with you to a committee meeting,” Leek said.

“A lot of those folks just don’t know when to stop.”

“David’s real advantage is that he doesn’t ‘overlobby’ you … he doesn’t come at you every waking moment with everything that’s on his plate,” Leek added. “He knows when to work and knows when to pull back — he’s equally comfortable in both worlds.”

Another sign of Browning’s strength — he isn’t afraid to make a call to the bullpen.

“If he doesn’t completely understand an issue himself, he has no problem bringing other folks from his really great firm to figure it out,” said Vestcor’s Moore.

“People don’t like to do that — it takes a pretty strong person to ask for help.”

For his part, Browning sees the team as the key to his success.

“This is not about me — it’s about the team at The Southern Group,” Browning said. “I’m a spoke in this wheel. I wouldn’t be successful if not for the people within our firm.”

A Real Friend, not a Deal Friend : Southern Group’s David Browning is Lobbyist of the Year

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STATE RE A C H WITH A L O CA L T OUC H We take a cross-functional team approach to every partnership and having the unique ability to serve clients in a legal and legislative policy capacity has been the backbone of our success.

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Runner-Up

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Chris Moya

s the 2023 Legislative Session was gearing up, school choice advocates were eyeing some major policy goals.

Chief among them was HB 1, which would create a universal education savings account program for families. It would give parents $8,000 for education expenses, such as private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks or home-schooling.

Lobbyist Chris Moya had been on the issue, in one form or another, for a very long time. He was ready.

But with Session weeks away, bad news arrived: Elizabeth Moya, Chris’ wife of 18 years who had been battling breast cancer, had taken a turn for the worse. She died Feb. 21. Session started two weeks later.

Moya would end up drawing on each reserve, pushing out every ampere of energy to persuade legislators.

That effort and team spirit helped him first to endure, then to win.

“He would pour himself into it until he was exhausted,” said Marc Dunbar, a lawyer and lobbying colleague at Dean Mead, a Tallahassee firm. “That was his sort of peace, going to work.”

A Miami native, Moya was the first of his Cuban family born in the United States. The heritage influenced him.

Cubans have seen the extreme end of socialism, he said, and recoil at anything that even hints of a similar experiment, no matter where it comes from.

He graduated from Florida State University in 1999, where he majored in interdisciplinary studies. He later received an MBA from Emory and an education finance certificate from Georgetown University.

Early on, Moya gained experience serving the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, as well as through work with the Legislature, including for Daniel Webster, the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House in 122 years, and former Senate President Jim King. He also worked with the state’s elections division.

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Fought for charter schools through personal tragedy: His business sense and an iron will came through — at the most difficult time.

In 2002 he opened his own consulting firm. Clients of The Moya Group included AT&T, State Farm, the

Seminole Tribe of Florida and its Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Moya was working for himself when

PHOTO: The Workmans

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met a student, Elizabeth Petersen, in the Capitol building. She interned for him for a while but they didn’t date. Their styles contrasted. He thrived on creative stimulation and group energy, and enjoyed going out with legislators and staffers and keeping the conversation going. She impressed him as highly organized, even stoic, “a grinder.”

They married in 2005. She was his other half, professionally as well as personally, his yin to her yang.

“People would throw policy challenges in my face,” said Moya, 47. “And I would have solutions on the policy side. And she would say, ‘Great, how are you going to get that done?’”

After 13 years as an entrepreneur, Moya made the leap to consult for Jones Walker, which specializes in energy, gaming, maritime regulation and education litigation.

Along the way, Liz gave birth to boy/ girl twins, Jake and Sam. (Moya also has a daughter by a previous marriage.)

Moya joined Dean Mead in 2019, and serves as its director of strategy and management consulting.

He has advocated for electric scooters that can be shared in downtown Orlando and elsewhere. He’s represented cigar makers, sport fishermen, hoteliers, lawyers, home health care providers, real estate brokers, computer programmers and fireworks dealers.

One of his clients, Charter Schools USA, put him front and center to closely watched efforts to strengthen charters.

The controversial schools are tuition-free public schools that operate independently from local school districts.

Moya was part of a successful effort in 2020 to eliminate Common Core teaching standards from Florida public schools. Intended as a way to match learning goals to grade level, the K-12 curricula was met with mixed reviews since launching nationwide in 2010, with critics saying the new plan was ineffective or irrelevant, particularly in its approach to math. Florida ditched Common Core for B.E.S.T. standards, which addresses those critiques.

The first concerning health news for Liz came relatively early in their marriage, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The degenerative disease has been known to affect people in markedly different ways, and people with MS typically lose varying degrees of mobility. But most have normal life expectancies.

“We talked about it,” Moya said.

Over time Liz walked with two canes instead of one, then traded those in for a wheelchair. In September 2022, doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer. She developed lung disease and was transferred to the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.

With Session six weeks away, Chris began driving his truck to Gainesville on weekdays to be with his wife and sleep in her hospital room. The next morning, he would drive 2 ½ hours back to Tallahassee. A supportive network of friends helped with transportation to kids’ extracurricular activities and more.

Elected officials reached out as well.

Sen. Ben Albritton called to ask, “When are you going to Shands?”

He could join Moya in Gainesville in two hours, the Senator said.

“I had to convince him not to come.”

Moya said.

Elizabeth died Feb. 21 of lung disease.

She was 42.

The Legislative Session started March 7. In a way, that fast-changing, high-stakes landscape was therapeutic.

Moya did yeoman’s work advocating for charter schools, the savings account, capital dollars and a more level playing field with traditional schools, on the charter school axiom that “the money should follow the child.”

“The Democrats fought it,” he said, “even though 71% of charter school students are minorities and 53% qualify for free or reduced lunches.”

In one memorable exchange following Moya’s 20-minute talk before a committee, Senate Democratic Leader-desingate Jason Pizzo asked Moya if he knew how much the Consumer Price Index would change in Broward County over the next five years.

“I actually knew the stat,” Moya said. “It’s 19.6%.”

That response drew rave reviews.

“What he’s had to do at the podium is amazing,” Dunbar recalled. “That just goes to his mastery of the subject matter. Whether it’s public school, private school or Make America Florida (a theme the Ron DeSantis presidential campaign is using for 2024), Chris has been working with Governors going back to Jeb Bush. He’s our cornerstone on education, especially.”

Moya’s political colleagues were united around at least one thing this Session. Whether Republican or Democrat, people went out of their way to express empathy for his loss and offer

support. The response was measurable, so much so that Moya’s staff added 20 minutes to each planned destination to accommodate well wishers.

“The Session was a great distraction,” Moya said. “It was Southern hospitality.

But it was a double-edged sword.”

He had met the love of his life in that building. That was impossible not to think about.

HB 1 and its universal savings passed on March 23, 2023. The same Session produced more than two dozen other bills containing significant gains for charter schools which are now law. They include clarifying language and revising formulas so charters can receive state funds more easily (HB 1259); quickening access to reimbursement through federal grant funds (HB 443); and cutting red tape to facilitate teacher training (HB 1035) or certify appropriate adjunct faculty (HB 1537).

The aftermath of his wife’s death has been the toughest. The chaos and the tempo of urgency subsided. Friends resumed their own routines. There was work to do at home, including helping the boys get caught up on school they missed during the worst of their mother’s illness.

Moya stayed on task, doing his lobbying work or tutoring his kids, if need be, while continuing to stay on top of things Liz had previously handled, like household bills. The very absence of fires to put out heightened the loss. It was, as Moya put it, “the dreadful calm after the storm.”

There are so many people he wants to thank, including Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, former Sen. Dennis L. Jones, House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez, and Rep. Randy Fine, who called every few days. Ditto his Dean Mead colleagues, especially Jennifer Ungru, H. French Brown, Angela Bonds, Pete Dunbar and Marc Dunbar.

In Gov. DeSantis’ Office, he wants to thank lawyer Stephanie Kopelousos, a former director of governmental affairs who now works with the DeSantis campaign, and J. Alex Kelly, the Governor’s Acting Chief of Staff. He is thankful to staffers on the House Rules Committees, as well as the Department of Education.

“They picked up the slack,” he said.

The darkness around him remains deep.

“I’m pretty raw,” he acknowledged, but hindsight offers light.

“Everyone in The Process has relationships,” Moya said. “But you don’t know how strong they are until something like this happens.”

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Honorable Mention

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Sean Stafford

FOR THIS LOBBYIST, 2023’S TOP AGENDA BECAME SAVING HIS LIFE

A chartered plane, a team of doctors and heavy antibiotics led to a miraculous recovery. ike any group of competitors, the team at McGuireWoods Consulting hoped to hit the 2023 Session in peak form.

Months or years of preparation had led to this. And after working on creating a corridor for Florida’s wildlife and insurance issues, Sean Stafford thought he was ready to close some deals.

But something wasn’t right.

Since the fall he had felt fatigued. He thought maybe it was a cold, then a virus. He tested negative for COVID-19 three times. He ran a fever intermittently, had night sweats and was losing weight.

“I just felt awful,” said Stafford, 52, a senior vice president and director at the lobbying firm. “I was trying to push through and it wasn’t working.”

Doctors at Tallahassee Memorial diagnosed endocarditis, an inflammation in the interior tissues lining the heart. An infection had already damaged his heart’s mitral valve, and from there had gone systemic through his body.

Suddenly there was something other than the looming Session to worry about. It was now clear that he was at the beginning of the road to getting better, not the end. And the team at McGuireWoods would have to get through Session without his daily physical presence.

That would be an adjustment for them. Rhett O’Doski, a colleague who first got to know Stafford in student government at Florida State University, valued his coolheadedness in high stakes situations, the one who can see through the confusion to

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PHOTO: The Workmans

L

a thing’s essential substance.

“He’s usually the one saving me from bad decisions and bad ideas,” O’Doski said.

Now it was his turn to help Stafford get the best medical care. Ultimately that meant delegating most of it to the University of Miami Health System, the state’s largest cardiovascular network.

Getting there safely in a weakened state meant chartering a private flight, which O’Doski arranged.

After a few days at the University of Miami Hospital, he went back to Tallahassee, and would spend the next six weeks connected to an antibiotic IV drip. He worked from home when he could, which took his mind off of illness and recovery.

“I think it was good for his mental health, when he was at home or in the hospital, to work,” said fellow McGuireWoods lobbyist Sara Clements.

Only a few people knew. “I just kind of thought I wanted to keep a low profile,” Staford said.

“At first he didn’t want anyone to know, probably because he didn’t even know exactly what was going on,” Clements said. “So most people had no idea, including many of our clients midway

through Session or the end of Session.”

His wife, Susan, and daughter administered medications through a port in his chest, which doctors had implanted for that purpose. His recovery included severe side effects, including deep vein thrombosis in his legs and two strokes.

In April, he flew back to Miami for open heart surgery. Its success allowed doctors to finally reveal the full extent of their concerns.

“It wasn’t until after the surgery that they leveled with me,” Stafford said, “and told me there was a pretty decent chance, probably a 1-in-3, that I was not going to make it.”

His colleagues made gains on the wildlife corridor and a prescription drug issue. Nonetheless, O’Doski said, “I think we didn’t realize how much like the (boat) rudder Sean is for our group. “I certainly missed that, especially during the throes of the Session.”

On a more sentimental note, O’Doski found it ironic that his buddy should suffer an ailment of the heart. “I think he has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever met,” he said.

In and out of the office, Stafford was

always the consummate role-player, filling any need. When his daughter’s school production of “Annie” needed a Daddy Warbucks, he rose to the call.

Amazingly, Stafford’s recovery is now essentially complete. Apart from a bit of numbness in a couple of fingers, he feels about the same as before his symptoms began last fall. He has taken away a few lessons from the experience, especially for anyone who might be wondering if something is going wrong with their health.

“Put all the pieces together and give them to your doctor,” he said. “Don’t try to self-diagnose. Don’t think you’re smarter than everybody else, because I’m clearly not.”

When it comes to your body, he said, “You can’t just grind through everything in life. You’ve got to evaluate your situation, and if you’re not doing as well, go get a diagnosis.”

He certainly hadn’t started 2023 thinking about endocarditis.

“It’s something that honestly I didn’t know a whole lot about,” he said. “Now I feel like I could give a TED Talk.”

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LOBBYING WIN OF THE

YEAR

Tort Reform

A painstaking effort to rein in trial lawyers ends in triumph

I

t took decades for insurance litigation in Florida to leave all other states in the dust, both in the claims against property insurance companies and rates for homeowners. A maelstrom stemming from, yes, hurricanes, but also past court decisions that created favorable terms for plaintiffs’ lawyers and the momentum of those decisions resulted in what several backers called a “judicial hellhole” for the state.

A hard check to that momentum came just 17 days into the 2023 Legislative Session with the passage of HB 837, titled “Civil Remedies,” our Golden Rotunda winner for Lobbying Play of the Year.

The Republican-backed bill, signed

by Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 24, cuts a wide swath across several problem areas in insurance litigation. It reduces statutes of limitation for negligence claims; tightens standards for medical evidence; and requires a half-dozen crime-prevention measures at multifamily developments which, if taken, helps shield the development from liability over inadequate security.

But HB 837’s strongest, most consequential features are those that fundamentally change the way lawsuits are conducted in this state. Two of those — limiting one-way attorney fees and cracking down on contingency “multipliers” that allow lawyers to double or triple their hourly rates in some cases — could carry over into other kinds of lawsuits against insurers, such as those brought by roofing contractors on behalf of homeowners.

“This is an extraordinary piece of legislation,” said William Large, the lobbying team leader for the bill. “Nothing like it has ever passed anywhere in the country.”

Large credited House Speaker Paul Renner, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and the Governor for their leadership. In February, before the Session had begun, the three jointly announced HB 837 as one of their goals.

House Judiciary Chair Tommy Gregory, a Lakewood Ranch Republican, spon-

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sored the bill as a way to rein in the trial lawyers he blames for runaway costs.

“You don’t have to wonder if your constituents’ insurance prices are rising too fast because yours are,” Gregory declared as the bill became law. Another key backer, Palm Coast Republican Sen. Travis Hutson, compared trial lawyers and insurance companies to “two heavyweight titans going at it.”

“One side wants to keep as much money in their pockets as possible while the other side wants to take far more money than is reasonable,” Hutson told his colleagues just before they approved HB 837, 23-15.

Spirits are still running high months after the bill’s passage.

“I think it’s important that we had the truth on our side,” said State Farm lobbyist Mark Delegal, one of a small circle of insiders who helped get the bill across the finish line. “Logic and the truth.”

The bill ran up against strong Democratic opposition, including the argument that what might seem frivolous to some might be vital to the person making a claim.

“This bill does a lot of harm,” Hollywood Democratic Rep. Hillary Cassel, a lawyer, told a civil justice subcommittee. “And the only good it does, it puts a lot more money in the pocket of insurance companies.”

Cassel was referring not only to the end of one-way attorney fees, at least as a given when insurers lose in court — a major incentive for consumers who believe they have been wronged but can’t afford a lawyer — but also to pure comparative negligence metrics, by which parties in, say, an auto collision might each be responsible for percentages of the fault.

A pure comparative negligence standard would allow a driver who is determined to be 90% at fault to still recover 10% of the damages. Under the new law, a plaintiff who is more than 50% respon-

sible recovers no damages.

This struck some legislators and witnesses opposing HB 837 as unfair. “How could it be anything but fair to have comparative negligence?” Miami lawyer Jack Hickey asked the panel. “This bill says that if you’re 49% at fault, you can still get off scot-free. That’s not right.”

Caveats do exist, and they are significant. Under the new standard of modified comparative negligence, a plaintiff exactly 50% at fault who seeks $10,000 in damages could still recover $5,000.

The prior standard of pure comparative negligence had been in place since the 1970s, starting with the 1973 Florida Supreme Court decision, Hoffman v.

Jones and codified by the Legislature in 1976. Before Hoffman, traditional contributory negligence prevailed, which barred plaintiffs from collecting damages if they were found partially at fault.

“Modified comparative negligence serves as a middle ground between contributory negligence and pure comparative negligence theories with regard to the ability of a plaintiff to recover despite being allocated some degree of fault,” litigators Jessica S. Zelitt and Kevin McKendry wrote in a paper for the Florida law firm of Adams and Reese.

Both backers and opponents of HB 837 claimed they were representing everyday Floridians.

But whereas Democrats pointed to any limits to payouts as a disservice to consumers, the insurance reform strategists were focusing on a different set of numbers: skyrocketing insurance costs.

Florida currently accounts for 80% of the country’s property insurance lawsuits, despite taking up just 9% of property claims, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation.

“We have been one of the worst states — if not the worst — for legal climate overall in the nation,” said Michael

PHOTO: The Workmans

Michael Carlson, Caitlin Murray, William Large, Ashley Kalifeh, Mark Delegal Carlson, a lawyer and chief executive officer of the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida. “That has been recognized not just by the insurance industry but by the business community, the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform, the American Tort Reform Association and (others) for a couple of decades now.”

Carlson was also at the center of shepherding HB 837 through the Legislature, along with fellow lobbyists Large; Delegal; Ashley Kalifeh, a partner in Capital City Consulting; and Caitlin Murray, a regional vice president of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC).

Theories for how the Sunshine State became the So-Sue-Me State include a couple of Florida Supreme Court deci-

sions, changing political winds, and, of course, hurricanes. At the same time, Carlson said, “There is no explanation for that discrepancy. We are not like any other state. People want to pick on California as a liberal-run state with more liberal laws, certainly they are more pro-plaintiff. And they don’t have near the volume of litigation that we do. And they have wildfire risk.”

That climate in Florida has been getting worse. Average property insurance in 2022 ran $4,231, a 15% increase from 2021. Homeowners premiums are expected to jump another 40% by the end of 2023, the Insurance Information Institute predicted.

The bill’s supporters sought to rein in a series of interrelated strategies that incentivize plaintiffs and their lawyers.

Increasingly over recent decades, trial lawyers have worked with physicians who may treat a patient’s conditions on credit, a relationship codified by a “letter of protection” to the physician.

“The letter of protection was treated like an IOU,” said Large, the lead lobbyist for the bill. “The referral of the injured person to that doctor by the plaintiff’s attorney was protected by attorney-client privilege. So the jury never knew the doctor was actually someone who had been referred in thousands of cases by the plaintiff’s attorney.”

Payments to the physicians came when the insurance company paid.

“When the verdict or your settlement comes in, oftentimes those letters of protection were billing fivefold greater than the market price for the medical care,”

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Large said. “In other words, they didn’t really reflect what something costs in the relevant geographic area.”

The new law requires that medical claims be described using the common procedural terminology (“CPT”) codes already standard in health care. Lawyers and physicians may form agreements, but letters of protection are no longer shielded from a jury.

The piecemeal approach embodied in HB 837, modifying different problem areas in Florida’s insurance landscape, was necessary to address double-digit rate increases, said Murray of NAMIC. Though the legislation was almost entirely Republican-led, she hopes for unity around the common good of sustainable costs for consumers.

“Historically, the Democratic Party has been more plaintiff-friendly, trial bar friendly, and the Republican Party being more free-market and insurance carrier friendly,” Murray said.

“But I don’t think that’s the case anymore because it’s a market share issue, let’s be honest. I think the trial bar has infiltrated the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. It’s insurance rates, and they don’t discriminate. At the end of the day, we can all agree that that one-way attorney fee statute and some of these other civil justice reforms were really needed.”

Most of the wide-ranging provisions within HB 837 contain nuances. The elimination of one-way attorney fees, for example, is not absolute. A customer whose claim is denied can seek declaratory relief from a judge, whose ruling would include 112

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reasonable attorney fees for that action.

A reduction in the statute of limitation for negligence claims following an injury — from four years to two — do not apply to a wide variety of other negligence claims, including claims over the design, manufacture or sale of personal property, which remain unchanged, the American Bar Association noted. Nor does the new two-year statute of limitation apply to active-duty military personnel.

HB 837 does take a sledgehammer to “bad faith” lawsuits, by which insurers were being sued for not paying claims in a timely fashion. The independent badfaith tort was being abused, Large said, with plaintiffs essentially asking for immediate payment and calling even a delay of several days a violation. Under the new law, insurers have 90 days after receiving notice of a claim to pay either the policy limits or the amount demanded by the plaintiff, whichever is lesser.

The new legislation does not eliminate “fee multipliers” altogether, by which a lawyer may increase his or her usual fee due to the unique difficulties or time constraints presented by a particular case. But it limits such multipliers, a commonly cited contributor to soaring insurance costs, to “rare and exceptional” circumstances.

Many of the provisions reversed by HB 837 came about in different times, said Ashley Kalifeh, a lawyer-lobbyist whose input on the team Large called “critical.”

“The contingency fee multiplier in itself is not a bad idea,” Kalifeh said. “In fact, a lot of people attribute it back to the

days of civil rights law. Attorneys were mostly White, and if someone maybe had a civil rights grievance, people were reluctant to take the case for fear of their safety. It made a lot of sense and was a good societal thing because we wanted them to take those cases. We wanted to make it worth their while to fight that injustice.

“But what happened is that the multiplier, by a decision of the Florida Supreme Court (Joyce v. Federated National Insurance Company, 2017), said, ‘The United States Supreme Court says these should only be applied in rare and exceptional cases (Burlington v. Dague, 1992) but we we think they could be applied elsewhere, too.’ You’re kind of scratching your head and thinking, ‘Why?’” Through the grind of preparation and 2023 Legislative Session itself, Kalifeh likened Large — who has been immersed in tort reform issues for 20 years — variously to a compass needle (“He has a true north, right?”) and Barbara Mandrell, who was “country when country wasn’t cool.”

Carlson called Large “the most singularly focused civil-justice warrior in the Capitol.”

Allison Aubuchon, who founded likenamed Tallahassee communications firm, said Large has stood out “across categories, in insurance and best overall, hands down this year.”

Delegal can only compare this lobbying win to being in Pittsburgh in 1979, the year Steelers won the Super Bowl and the Pirates took the World Series.

“It’s like the City of Champions,” he said.

PHOTO: The Workmans

William Large, Ashley Kalifeh, Caitlin Murray, Mark Delegal, Michael Carlson

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Runner-Up

LOBBYING WIN OF THE

YEAR

T

iming can be everything when it comes to passing legislation.

There is perhaps no truer maxim in Tallahassee. Just ask those included in the hottest health care issue of the 2023 Session: regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

For more than a decade, the Legislature has wrestled with PBMs in the marketplace and how — or even if — they should be regulated. Then came SB 1550.

It’s a measure considered by lobbyists on both sides of the issue as one of the most far-reaching PBM bills in the nation.

Though the fight had already been brewing, PBMs didn’t become headline-grabbing debate in Florida until 2023, when Gov. Ron DeSantis threw his considerable muscle behind the issue.

DeSantis first teased PBM legislation last summer, issuing an Executive Order directing all executive agencies with PBM contracts to amend agreements and require data transparency and add reporting requirements. The order also directed impacted executive agencies to review all rebates, payments, and relationships between pharmacies, insurers, and drug manufacturers.

“It was the lightbulb moment,” Claudia Davant, longtime Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA) lobbyist, told Florida Politics, adding that the order serendipitously was released as the FPA held its annual conference.

DeSantis followed the executive order with an announcement in January that, during the 2023 Session, he wanted to embrace the FPA’s long-standing priority that PBMs not be allowed to establish narrow pharmacy networks.

Additionally, the plan would increase state regulation over PBMs and require drug manufacturers to disclose proposed price increases before they take effect.

Pharmacy benefit managers are the

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Regulation of Pharmacy Benefit Managers go-between entity between manufacturers and the insurance companies and managed care plans. The three largest PBMs — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx — control about 80 % of the total PBM market. There are 71 PBMs operating in Florida, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR).

Prior to tackling PBMs, DeSantis’ answer to rising drug prices had been to import drugs from Canada, an effort thwarted by the Joe Biden administration. The July 2022 executive order followed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that the state directed $50 million to funding a California-based manufacturing facility and another $50 million to reduce insulin cost.

With his eye on the White House, DeSantis needed a political win and, for the first time, agreed to get involved in what had been a long-brewing legislative tussle.

But lobbyist Cynthia Henderson doesn’t think DeSantis’ interest in the issue was politically driven.

She attributes DeSantis’ interest, at least in part, to the role PBMs play in Medicaid procurement and the state’s request for information (RFI) on ways to better deliver Medicaid through managed care plans. Henderson’s client is Epic Pharmacies, a national company that independent pharmacists can use to help negotiate contracts. Henderson said Epic Pharmacies responded to the RFI. Henderson also heard, though, that the Governor learned firsthand about how PBMs impact independent pharmacists while on a fatherly jaunt to get a prescription filled. (The Governor’s Office has not yet confirmed this story.)

“I never got any indication it was a political thing, this particular issue.

There are other ones, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. But this one was way too technical and way too out of the public

perception, in my opinion, to be a presidential issue,” Henderson said.

Regardless of his reasoning, everyone agrees he changed the bill’s trajectory.

There are many varied interests among the health care delivery system and industry and it’s not often they unite behind an effort. For instance, pharmacies are often at odds with physicians on so-called scope-of-practice issues, which address the laws that define the services providers can render. Intra-industry battles are not uncommon either, with independent pharmacies not always aligning with retail pharmacies and for-profit hospitals not pushing similar agendas as safety net hospitals.

But Walgreen’s lobbyist Jake Farmer said when it came to the PBM bill, the industry unified.

“He was a game changer and I think the coalescence of the entire health care lobby and health care community behind this, we were definitely on lockstep all working together,” Farmer said.

While DeSantis supported PBM regulation, his health care agenda also included extreme limits to abortion and transgender health care access, which as one lobbyist said, “sucked up a lot of the air in the room.”

But unlike DeSantis’ other health care priorities, the PBM regulation passed unanimously.

Lobbyist Amy Bisciglia attributed the bipartisan vote in the House, in part, to the efforts of two freshmen lawmakers: Defuniak Springs Republican Shane Abbott, and Tallahassee Democrat Franklin Gallop II, both of whom are pharmacists.

“They really teamed up together to try to work their caucuses. I think that was tremendously helpful, having those two on either side of the aisle, and they were very engaged in the issue. They would meet with other members, they

PHOTO: The Workmans

Cynthia Henderson, Jake Farmer, Claudia Davant, Amy Bisceglia, Mike Fischer would come to the committee, even if they weren’t on that committee. I think that, too, was tremendously helpful with the messaging on both sides of the aisle.”

Now that the bill has passed, all eyes are on how it’s implemented. To that end, more than 50 interested parties attended, both virtually and via teleconference, the OIR’s Aug. 4 meeting on the draft proposed PBM rules.

Tallahassee pharmacy owner William Mincy pushed regulators to beef up the first iteration of the rules, suggesting that PBMs applying for their third-party ad-

ministration (TPA) registration should be required to notify the state of any administrative, civil or criminal complaints, settlements or discipline in the 36 months prior to applying for the TPA registration.

Mincy said a three-year lookback would “educate OIR and its investigators about past and perhaps current patterns of behavior that will be prohibited in Florida and should be monitored.”

Mincy also wants the state to be proactive and require PBMs to notify the OIR as to how they will comply with a portion of the law regarding maximum allowable

cost reimbursement appeals and denials.

Mincy suggested the OIR share the correspondence with pharmacy providers.

Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA) lobbyist Eric Larson told the OIR staff the $5 TPA registration fee set in draft rules is too low and won’t cover the office’s regulatory costs.

OIR staff attorney Michael Lawrence said the office wants to take the proposed rules to the Financial Services Commission on Aug. 22. The office will take written comments on the draft rules until Aug. 11 at noon.

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SESSION SUCCESSES TOP FLORIDA PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCY

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Moore’s winning public affairs team supported 20+ legislative priorities and $1.7B in secured funding for clients in the 2023 Florida Legislative Session.

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APPROPRIATIONS OF THE

YEAR

A

mong lobbyists in the Sunshine State, Ron Book is an outlier.

He’s the rare combination of jack of all trades and master of many, and his expertise on myriad subjects has helped drive Florida policy and budget trends over the past four decades.

That includes billions in appropria-

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Ron Book tions, programs and grants Book’s Hollywood-based firm has secured at a rate of close to $100 million yearly for 30-plus local governments across the state.

A sizable portion of that money has gone to Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county.

Book’s approach to appropriations

is so sound and simple it should be gospel for every prospective lobbyist in the country: Rather than selecting which projects his clients want to fund and then figuring out how to get support from lawmakers, Book’s firm instead assesses the priorities of those most influential at the Capitol — the Governor, Senate Pres-

PHOTO: The Workmans

LOBBYIST

ident and House Speaker among them — and leads his clients to projects that align with those objectives.

“You’re going to have a better time getting things in the budget if you guide your clients to smart, solid projects that have a nexus with the state,” he said. “You’ll do better on the plaza level during the veto process as well. If you’re short-sighted, narrow-minded and don’t focus on the totality from start to finish, you lose for your clients and then have to go back home and make excuses for 305 days until you can recompete for a new project in the next Legislative Session, which is a real uncomfortable feeling.”

Few know the process as well as Book, who began working in the Legislature in the 1970s as special counsel and head of legislative affairs for then-Gov. Bob Graham before going into private practice.

He opened his firm, Ronald L. Book P.A., in 1987 and has since earned the title of “hardest working lobbyist in Tallahassee” among many of the state’s movers and shakers. It’s an apt descriptor, according to Miami-Dade Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert III. “Ron has an extraordinary understanding of the needs of the county, and an uncanny ability to bring resources home,” he said.

Book’s firm is relatively small, with just four lobbyists including himself. And while the other lobbyists there — Kelly Mallette, Rana Brown and Gaby Navarro — are more than adept, the operation wouldn’t work without him at the helm, Fort Myers Rep. Spencer Roach said.

“He’s the brand, muscle and brains, and the firm trades on the strength of his name and reputation,” he said. “Everything he presents, whether it’s a small appropriation or ginormous policy bill, seems as if it’s a passion project for him and commands his full attention and effort. He works on everything with the same level of ethic and intensity, which you can’t fake when you’re dealing with people. That’s why every client of his feels like they’re his only client.”

Book brings back tens of millions of dollars in budget earmarks annually to Miami-Dade. This year, that included a nearly $12 million set-aside for the SEED School of Miami, a college-prep boarding school within the county’s public school district designed to close the educational achievement gap for at-risk students.

He scored $3 million to develop the South Dade Trail, a multiuse mobility corridor running 20 miles parallel to US 1 between Kendall and Florida City. Another

$2 million is going to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which Book described as “the world’s preeminent brain and spinal cord injury research program.”

Book has obtained millions in state funds yearly for the project, housed at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine, including new nonrecurring funds this year for Alzheimer’s research.

This past Session, he obtained $1.3 million for a collaboration between Miami-Dade and a state nonprofit to renovate and expand the local MacTown Adult Innovation Center, which helps people with disabilities who are aging out of the public school system to learn life and job skills and gain employment.

“This isn’t some infrastructure appropriation, which also helps people; it’s something that really changes lives.

All the things you need that you’re not necessarily taught in high school, this is the sort of place that teaches it to you,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, a former lobbyist who called Book “one of the more effective advocates in Tallahassee.”

Book also took home $1 million apiece for a Jackson Memorial Hospital burn unit, firefighter cancer research at UM and a stroke registry at the school.

He got $600,000 this year alone for a nutrition equity program by the Jewish Community Services of South Florida for seniors keeping kosher, plus $340,000 more for other projects the center oversees.

None of that includes his substantial appropriations work for cities like Aventura, Bal Harbour, Coral Gables, Miami, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, North Miami and others in the county.

“Ron is a legend in the process, and his relationships in Tallahassee are second to none,” Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg said. “The only person who competes with him on work ethic there is our Senator, Jason Pizzo.”

Pizzo called Book “a perfect mixture of Staffordshire Terrier and Lagotto Romagnolo.”

“He’s intense and compassionate, tenacious and generous, demanding and productive,” Pizzo said.

When factoring in his work for other areas of the state, it’s a wonder that Book finds time to sleep. Book was a key player in getting the Legislature to clear $350 million in Hurricane Ian relief funds to local governments in Southwest Florida, though he deflects credit to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Sen. Jonathan Martin and Reps. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, Bob Rommel and Roach.

Roach said Book is just being modest: “Ron was absolutely instrumental in getting those appropriations.”

Then there’s his pro bono work.

Working without a fee, Book acquired $3 million in extra appropriations this year for Casa Familia, which provides affordable housing opportunities in Miami-Dade to adults with unique abilities.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado, a vocal advocate of the nonprofit and parent to children with unique abilities, said she can’t imagine a Legislative Session without Book.

“His personal and professional knowledge of the inner workings of Tallahassee as well as his historical knowledge of the process are unparalleled,” she said. “As a lobbyist he is an asset, but as a father he has proven that one man can turn pain into purpose and radically change the laws that failed his daughter.”

Regalado was referencing Lauren’s Kids, a nonprofit he chairs that his daughter, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, founded to prevent childhood sexual abuse through education.

Ron Book is also the decadeslong Chair of The Homeless Trust, which administers a budget of $97 million.

He’s been a board member of the Children’s Home Society Foundation of Florida, Best Buddies and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

He’s a current board member of the Mourning Family Foundation, which focuses on youth development, enrichment and education. The nonprofit’s namesake, NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning, is also the founder of the Overtown Youth Center for which Book won a $1 million earmark this year.

“Service isn’t just something he does,” Mourning said in January, when the Florida Bar recognized Book’s lifetime of service. “It’s at the core of who he is.”

Book doesn’t dispute that. He believes himself fortunate and, in turn, responsible for improving the fortune of others.

“To those that much is given, much is expected,” he said. “I love this state and our country. I love where I live. And I still work because I believe you have to leave this place better than you found it.

That’s what I’m trying to do.”

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Left to Right: Trey Price, Timothy Stapleton, Corrine Maro, Simone Marstiller, Julie Fess, Ronald Brisé, Sha'Ron James, Larry Williams

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS 2021

Runner-Up

APPROPRIATIONS

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Chris Schoonover

PHOTO: The Workmans

T

hose who have worked with Chris Schoonover have probably seen — or been fortunate enough to use — his famed budget binder.

The meticulously organized volume, complete with tabs, white papers, spreadsheets and more, is a point of professional pride for Schoonover and an asset for his audience. He has a reputation for organization, a critical skill in his line of work, which involves understanding and helping shape the state’s massive yearly budget.

“I’m the keeper of the binder,” joked Schoonover, a lawyer and partner at Capital City Consulting who focuses on appropriations advocacy. But in seriousness, he acknowledged that it’s his way of doing the job, which he described as “making lawmakers’ lives as simple and as streamlined as possible.”

To that end, his work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Chris is always prepared with organized budget spreadsheets and a deep knowledge of his client’s issues,” said House Appropriations Chair Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican. “This makes him an effective advocate.”

Schoonover’s clients are varied; he’s advocated across budget silos from health care to education to the environment.

He said last year’s budget process was “unique.” It was no secret that the Legislature had more money to spend than prior years. Indeed, it backed a record-setting $117 billion budget, much larger than any prior state spending plan.

Going into that Session, most insiders knew about the revenue surplus and

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figured that their budget requests might have a better chance of getting funded.

Clients were aware too, but Schoonover approached each project with caution, making sure to stay within a “respectful” range in the requests he worked through budget subcommittees and the appropriations panels at large. That strategy proved effective for his clients and has maintained his status among policymakers as an always-reasonable advocate.

His highlight reel from last Session includes securing state funding for Alzheimer’s research and treatment. “Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease,” Schoonover said, emphasizing that studying it and treating it is especially important because people are living longer. In addition to securing funding for research by the University of Florida Health team, Schoonover’s work also resulted in funding the third year of a project dedicated to important intravenous Alzheimer’s treatment that addresses symptoms of the disease.

Schoonover also helped the Ponte Vedra nonprofit K9s For Warriors, which links trained dogs pulled primarily from kill shelters with veterans who struggle

from post-traumatic disorder and other trauma-related health symptoms. He said he always describes helping the nonprofit as “saving two lives,” the dog’s and, in many cases, the veteran’s. This year the group will be buoyed by funding from the state budget thanks to his work.

Apart from organization, Schoonover said that communication — specifically about return on investment (ROI) — is essential to budget advocacy. Communicating a return — not in the sense of a profit but rather a public good — is necessary for budget items, he said.

“I strive to articulate the ROI about why my state’s Legislature should use tax dollars to support something,” Schoonover said. “If you can accomplish that and explain that benefit — how it could change just one person’s life — I think that ultimately leads to success.”

Capital City Consulting owner Nick Iarossi said Schoonover can always provide substantive insights on the issues he works on, and his passion shines through when the chambers confer on appropriations.

“I’ve never met anyone more excited during budget time,” Iarossi said. “It’s like his Super Bowl.”

Schoonover’s successful career in Tallahassee dates back to his time at Florida State University, where he served as student body president. Before he got involved in student government, he was on a typical pre-med path. He eventually combined the two backgrounds and, after graduating from the FSU College of Law, worked his way up beginning as a staff attorney in the Florida House Health Care Committee.

In addition to the law degree, he also has a hard science background with degrees in biochemistry and chemistry. He still relies on that today because of the “analytical” element to working around the state’s budget.

“It’s a formula,” he said.

Schoonover is raising children with his wife, Allison Liby-Schoonover, a lobbyist at the Metz, Husband and Daughton firm. He said he was “lucky” to have a partner in the same line of work.

“We both understand the stresses of the job,” Schoonover said. “But what’s most important to both of us is that we always put our children first.”

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2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

Honorable Mention

APPROPRIATIONS

LOBBYIST OF THE

Robert Beck

YEAR

PHOTO: The Workmans

H

ats off to Robert Beck of PinPoint Results for last Session’s performance. Not only did he secure an impressive 20 budget projects for feel-good clients, but he also helped push across the finish line a new law that will benefit medically fragile children.

Beck is a top budget lobbyist in the health care space, where he represents a range of clients from aging-focused groups to massive hospitals like HCA Healthcare. He won big this year for Community Care for the Elderly, a state-funded home- and community-based care program for seniors administered by 11 regional Agencies on Aging. The services include, for example, in-home personal care and home-delivered meals for those who might otherwise struggle.

“When you get older, some of those tasks become difficult to do,” Beck explained. Thus, the state investment he championed will go a long way toward a good cause.

Beck estimates that there’s been a $100 million increased investment in aging programs over the past few years, something he credited to the “essential” and effective staff at the Department of Elder Affairs, under which Community Care is organized. He also said the nonpartisan nature of the arena can make for impressive teamwork in state government. “(Aging care is) not Republicanor Democrat-driven,” Beck said. “And when you get people rowing in the same direction, you can really accomplish great things.”

On his success in appropriations generally, Beck points to his mentors and experience as a driving factor. Indeed, he has a wealth of knowledge from prior roles in the budget process, including time directing appropriations for former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

He also spoke of the need to be more than mindful about policy as a budget lobbyist.

“That’s the way it should be: policy

driving appropriations, not the other way around,” Beck said.

He lived by those words last Session too, when — in addition to his great budget wins — he and PinPoint Results were successful in helping establish an expansion of government-funded home care.

Now, in addition to receiving Medicaid reimbursement for elderly care, at-home caregivers can get reimbursed for time spent helping medically fragile children.

Tanya Jackson, Beck’s business part-

ner and wife, pointed to Beck’s decades of experience in the aging and health care space as proof that he’s a forward-looking and selfless advocate.

“He always asks who will be helped by the budget and appropriations work he does. Is it older people, the homeless, a hospital’s patients, a better environment for our grandchildren? He always looks at the long game,” Jackson said.

“He is the opposite of transactional.”

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EDUCATION

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

W

hen Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1 in March, it shifted universal school choice from a long-range goal of education reform activists to a bona fide reality in the state of Florida. The new law allows students of any income level to seek state-subsidized vouchers to pay tuition costs for private schools.

Florida long acted as a venue for advances in school choice, and for the last decade, Skylar Zander, Americans for Prosperity’s (AFP) State Director, played a central role in advocacy. Zander’s work on the issue landed him a Golden Rotunda for Education Lobbyist of the Year.

The historic passage of the legislation — aided by GOP supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature — showed the tremendous shift in public opinion and willingness to embrace vouchers for

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Skylar Zander

all. Zander himself called the victory the second biggest win for the school choice movement in U.S. history, behind only the initial launch of tax credit scholarships in the late 1990s under Gov. Jeb Bush.

“This truly empowers the individual students and the individual parents to make the choice of where their students can ultimately go to learn,” Zander said. “It gives the ultimate flexibility for new education models to emerge, and we have to make sure that in the future, we’re adapting to the different opportunities to be competitive in the world by changing these education models.”

Advocates in the field see the work done by AFP as critical in advancing the issue, particular in the Sunshine State.

That culminated with the largest universal choice offering in the country, one

largely defining what opportunity scholarship should look like around the nation.

“Florida is known as the nationwide leader in school choice, so the passage of universal (Education Scholarship Accounts) through HB 1 definitely sent a message to the country that this is the next step in the education reform movement. This bold step will accelerate the reform in other states,” said Erika Donalds, founder and CEO of OptimaEd. “AFP has been an integral player in pushing universal choice for all. They are one of the only organizations that has always promoted true education freedom through ESAs, which is now seen as the standard in school choice reform.”

The passage of the landmark legislation didn’t happen overnight. Zander has pushed for change in Florida for more than 10 years, first with the Strategos Group, where he worked with Jim Horne, Florida’s first appointed Education Commissioner under Gov. Jeb Bush. Before lobbying, he worked in the House for former Rep. Charles Van Zant.

For the last eight years, he has been with AFP. The Koch Industries-associated AFP deals with a wide variety of center-right issues impacting commerce, but Zander acknowledges his own passion for school choice focused the organization’s Florida advocacy on education during his time at the helm.

“As the leader of AFP, I get to make sure that we focus on what we think is going to make the biggest impact for Floridians which is why we’ve been pushing for HB 1 legislation for years,” he said. “And it’s great to see that we finally got it done. And to that point, now we’ve got to continue to focus on the implementation of it, and how the program is going to continue to grow.”

The passion for Zander has pretty much been lifelong.

“I grew up in a small town of Greenville Springs, Florida. So I felt like I got a fair education. I think the system did the best they could for me, and my teachers of course did a great job for me,” he said. “But I still feel like there were a lot of times where I felt like I wasn’t learning in a way that was helpful to me. I felt like there were a lot of times where I felt left behind. And then there were times where I was way ahead.

“The problem is that we educate on averages, and that’s based on not only my personal experience, but the personal experience of friends. I realized there’s got to be a better way of doing this. And I think technology has evolved so much that to not embrace it and not move forward, we’re just going to continue to leave not only kids

PHOTO: The Workmans

2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

further behind, but eventually America is going to fall further behind. From a global competition perspective, we fall behind if we don’t start getting government out of the way and start allowing people to innovate, and that includes allowing traditional public schools.”

Making the case took a while with some. “I mean, there were times where you had big fights in the early 2010s for items like parent trigger, which was a real volatile policy position at the time,” he said. That policy basically empowered parents to take over schools and turn them into charter schools. But granting that type of authority in Florida was no easy lift. Zander recalls major protests for both sides of the issue and pushback in both chambers of the Legislature.

In contrast, HB 1 generated plenty of press but flew through the Legislature absent massive protests. That speaks to a change in opinion, including an embrace of the movement by parents and leaders across the political spectrum.

The shift shows how early successes demonstrated what school choice looks like in real life, and that wasn’t primarily subsidizing wealthy parents and neigh-

borhoods who likely already could access private schools.

“You saw the majority of people who are benefiting from these school choice opportunities are those who are the least fortunate. If you look at the data, it shows that a lot of the individuals that benefit from educational freedom are minority students,” Zander said.

“If you look at the political dynamics of Black Americans in particular, they typically heavily vote Democrat, so I think this issue definitely crossed party lines. We’ve been polling and our research shows Democrats heavily favor educational freedom options. It’s not like it was when I first started where it was a pretty polarizing issue. Now it’s very much across party lines, and very important to independents in particular.”

There’s a question now, of course, of what remains left to do in advancing school choice in Florida. But Zander said AFP will remain a watchdog on implementation of HB 1. He also wants to make sure there is support for emerging shifts in education, including private schooling, that doesn’t depend on large private schools being in place that accept vouchers.

“You’re starting to see innovative micro schools, as we call them, schools that typically are less than 10 students,” Zander said as an example. “You’re starting to see a lot more of those wanting to come into the marketplace. It’s kind of like shifting back to the old school way of having a bunch of local kids all work together and parents work together to educate their students.

You’re seeing some really innovative models around that. We need to make sure that they’re able to easily come into the marketplace and educate students.”

Zander acknowledges the past while looking toward the future, and credits early work by Bush and others that paved the way to passage of HB 1. Through the process, Zander said he’s most focused on making sure education continues to lift students up and progress the pupils and entire communities forward.

“Education is the ultimate outlet for any student to either get out of a tough situation that they may be in or to be able to continue to excel because they had a hand up based on their upbringing,” Zander explained, “so I think education is the key to solving a lot of societal problems.”

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EDUCATION

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

T

here are few in the state who could rival the experience Megan Fay has with Florida’s massive K-12 education system. Today, she’s a go-to for all things policy and budget in Florida schools. But before she was a partner lobbyist at Capital City Consulting, she was spearheading education policy efforts on the Plaza Level for former Gov. Rick Scott.

Fay played a key role in Scott’s administration, which overlapped with the 2018 tragedy at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. At that time, Fay was Deputy Chief of Staff and tasked with focusing on the Florida Department of Education. The shooting took place in the middle of the Legislative Session — on Feb. 14 — and she recalls most issues coming to a screeching halt as Scott and the Legislature rapidly passed a comprehensive school safety package.

“It almost felt like we had a Special Session on school safety to address these issues,” Fay recalled.

She carries that experience with her now that she’s a full-time advocate in the education arena. Perhaps that’s why last year was a transformational one for education. Fay said the Legislature passed, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed, around 30 purely education bills. Because Fay counts the Florida Association of Superintendents, school districts and school-serving enterprises among her clients, she had a say in almost every single one of them.

“There wasn’t a single bill that passed that didn’t have an impact on one of those groups that we represent,” Fay said. Put another way, she was busy and the 60 days were spent “boots on the ground, talking with members, trying to make tweaks or changes wherever we could.” She was involved in, for example, a new social-media protections package, something emblematic of the variety of topics she might engage with as an education lobbyist.

Outside of policy matters, Fay also had a productive year in the appropriations

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Megan Fay process, securing millions for her clients, including a hefty line item that should result in the procurement of a statewide curriculum transparency platform.

Looking ahead to next year, Fay anticipates supporting what Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has envisioned as a deregulation of traditional K-12 schooling. Noting the recent expansion of school choice in Florida, Fay sees traditional, district-run schools as an area wanting for reform — just like Passidomo — and expects the Legislature to “take a hard look” at the volumes of statutes and regulations that apply only to those public K-12 schools.

“We’re trying to even the playing field so that everyone has the flexibility to provide students with the best possible outcomes for their educational success,” Fay said.

Fay is a lawyer but only practiced law for about two years before jumping into the Scott administration. As she recalled, she always held an interest in politics, but the opportunity for her to enter the field didn’t materialize until the Scott administration, where she started in a traditional policy role. Her duties soon expanded to handling a variety of matters.

“I lived at the intersection of policy and politics probably the entire time,” Fay said.

Others note that Fay’s skillset extends beyond policy in her current role, too.

Her wealth of experience, especially in Scott’s administration, “makes her just as good at the substance as she is at the politics,” said Ron LaFace, co-founder of Capital City Consulting. “That’s what makes her so effective.”

Fay also acknowledged that she never “loses sight” of the importance of politics.

“It’s incredibly important for people to have the means and the ability to get re-elected,” she explained. “And so certainly a significant part of our time is spent helping candidates get re-elected and making sure that we’re supporting candidates that believe in what we believe in.”

But politics don’t come at the expense

of policy. At Capital City Consulting, Fay is especially fond of the firm’s focus on understanding the industries and subject areas in which it is involved.

“We are very invested in learning as much about a client’s business practice or about what they do and we want to be experts in what they do,” Fay said. “We really want to be in the weeds.”

The key to success in lobbying is persistence, Fay said. That’s a good thing for her because she feels like she has so much of it that it often surprises the competition and other contemporaries.

“People typically underestimate me.

But don’t underestimate me, because I typically have very good results at the end of the day and I will work my issues harder than anybody else in the room,” Fay said. “And that’s how you get results.”

PHOTO: The Workmans

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GAMBLING

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

PHOTO: The Workmans

G

ambling policy, usually the source of layers of complexity, intrigue and activity in a typical Regular Session, was mostly in a state of idleness for the 2023 Session.

There were no major bills or food fights between different sectors of the industry, as most stakeholders await a conclusion to a lawsuit over the Gaming Compact signed by the Seminole Tribe and the state in 2021. But there was one exception: A tax disbursement for horse breeders secured by lobbyists Matthew Bryan and Jonathan Rees.

That earned the pair from the Smith, Bryan & Myers lobbying firm the designation of Gaming Lobbyists of the Year. Bryan is a partner in the Tallahassee-based firm, having joined it in 1986. Rees, a lobbyist who previously represented Anheuser-Busch and Associated Industries of Florida, came to the firm in December.

Bryan and Rees represent the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and were influential in getting a provision into HB 7063, the tax cut package, to distribute $27.5 million per year to various parimutuels and organizations to promote the breeding and racing of thoroughbred horses in the state for the next two years.

“The Florida thoroughbred industry is a vital part of the state’s economy, generating billions of dollars in revenue and supporting tens of thousands of jobs,” Bryan said. “We draw visitors from all over the world to experience the beauty of Florida’s horse country. I’m grateful to our elected officials who saw the benefit this Session of building upon a worldclass breeding industry.”

The provision will support the horse industry in Florida. According to a staff analysis of HB 7063, the industry has a $6.8 billion impact on the state’s annual domestic product and supports 250,000 jobs. Florida breeders have plenty of pedigree on the horse racing circuit as well, boasting one Triple Crown winner, six Kentucky Derby winners, sev-

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Matt Bryan, Jonathan Rees en Preakness winners and six Belmont Stakes winners.

But the industry has seen a decline in the last decade, as many breeders have moved to New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky to chase higher purses and compensation. The exodus threatens one of Florida’s historic industries.

“Ask anyone in this state and they’ll tell you that the Florida thoroughbred industry is a significant part of Florida’s history,” Rees said. “One in four equines in this state are thoroughbreds, competing against a global industry. I’m thankful to our state’s policymakers who worked so hard this Session to solidify Florida as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Of the $27.5 million, $5 million will

go to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, $5.5 million to Tampa Bay Downs and $17 million to Gulfstream Park Racing Association for purses for Florida-bred horses in Florida races, the promotion of the industry and the maintenance and operations of the parimutuel facilities.

“Now this infusion of cash will hopefully bring some new buyers to the market and hopefully more horses to race, or keep Florida horses racing in Florida as opposed to going to New York or other places in the summertime,” said Marc Dunbar, a veteran lobbyist who represented Gulfstream Park for 25 years.

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HEALTH CARE

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Tracy Mayernick

N

early everyone who comes into contact with Tracy Mayernick — from policymakers to clients to colleagues — will all tell you that her compassion and empathy shines through her health care advocacy, making her a preeminent lobbyist in that topic. Those traits are a key ingredient in her line of work too, as the issues she works often affect Florida’s vulnerable or struggling populations.

Perhaps the most revealing testament to Mayernick’s compassion is the recognition of it by Rep. Sam Garrison, who chairs the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. He’s often on the receiving end of Mayernick’s advocacy, and her personal touch hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Tracy Mayernick is a warrior for the issues she cares about and behavioral health is at the top of the list,” Garrison said. “Regardless of whether we ultimately agree, debates with her are always centered around what is the right thing to do.

That’s something I really appreciate.”

When asked about that reputation, Mayernick took the opportunity to speak about the effectiveness of empathy generally — not just in health care.

“I think (having empathy and compassion) is the best way to be effective in the legislative arena period,” Mayernick said, adding that the principle is especially true in health care. She said she always strives to deeply understand what she’s asking from the Legislature.

When that happens, she can communicate that understanding to lawmakers.

“Whether it is a senior, a struggling teenager or an addicted mom, I really try to understand where they’re coming from, why they need the help,” Mayernick said.

During the 2023 Legislative Session, Mayernick’s work led to a state-funded and much-needed bolstering of behavioral health services. One example was the establishment of recurring budget dollars for Central Receiving Facilities (CRFs), which Mayernick described as

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locations intended to streamline care and analysis of patients brought in by law enforcement personnel.

The lack of recurring funding for CRFs, however, generated uncertainty and ultimately inhibited them. But this year, the Legislature “made a pretty significant recurring investment” toward them, meaning the CRFs can now treat more patients, and law enforcement can spend more time keeping the public safe rather than booking patients in lengthy waiting rooms.

“We’d rather (law enforcement) be back out responding to calls,” Mayernick said, noting that the recurring money will go a long way toward that.

In the same space, Mayernick helped champion rate increases in the behavioral health system along with capital — meaning infrastructure — investments.

Securing money for capital investment was a big victory, explained Mayernick, because unlike other industries, behavioral health care rarely produces profits that can warrant capital improvements.

Those in that industry “do it for all the right reasons and with huge hearts,” Mayernick said, but that often doesn’t come with a huge profit.

“So when they want to do an expansion or they want to do an upgrade or they want to bring in new beds, a lot of times it’s hard to come by those capital dollars,” Mayernick explained. “So the Legislature has made some investments in capital for behavioral health facilities around the state over the last couple of years.”

Melanie Brown-Woofter, President and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, said that — in addition to being the “total package,” “smart” and “strategic” — Mayernick’s empathy is a key driver of the recent legislative success in behavioral health.

“Her empathy for this cause and for these individuals drives her and helps us move forward,” Brown-Woofter said.

“She’s one of the best in the business and we’re grateful to be able to partner with her.”

Mayernick is also a leading lobbyist in the long-term health care space, which serves a particularly vulnerable population in the Sunshine State and was left

reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Mayernick says she’s “proud of the quality” offered by facilities like nursing homes, which serve “the men and women who built our communities and shaped where we are today.” Mayernick hopes to continue improving quality and securing more rate increases for such facilities, something that’s happened recently thanks in part to her work.

Toby Philpot, himself a venerable lobbyist for long-term health care, described Mayernick as a “fierce advocate” and “unparalleled” in her field. Philpot and Mayernick both represent the Florida Health Care Association. In addition to being able to deconstruct issues so that lawmakers and staff can connect with them on a personal level, Mayernick outpaces the field in terms of knowledge and technique, Philpot said.

“She’s turned to when it matters most, and she’s a superlative operator with very keen insights and tremendous skill,” Philpot said. “She’s got a prodigious work ethic that’s probably only exceeded by her extensive network of contacts and key decision makers across government.”

Looking ahead, Mayernick is antici-

JOHNSON

pating an upcoming focus on workforce development in the health care sector.

She pointed out that Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has expressed an interest to the media in augmenting the industry and making available more health care providers. That’s sure to be an issue on which Mayernick is engaged because she represents the doctor-focused Florida Medical Association. The focus, she said, will be on developing legislative actions that “create more pipelines to bring in more health care professionals.”

Mayernick spends a lot of her personal time raising her two daughters.

Notably, she runs the lobbying firm with her husband, Frank. In addition to health care, together they represent a number of industries from utilities to retailers, and their book features Fortune 500 clients like Home Depot.

Mayernick said she and her husband are both naturally competitive and therefore they didn’t want to entertain the idea of jockeying against one another at separate firms.

“We are way too competitive to ever be opposite each other in the arena,” Mayernick joked.

BLANTON

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Honorable Mention

HEALTH CARE

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Amanda Fraser

ith an impressive two years under her belt at the Colodny Fass firm, Amanda Fraser is a lobbyist to watch in the coming Sessions. But don’t just take our word for it.

“She’s very diligent. She’s ambitious.

She is very thorough,” explained Katie Webb, whom Fraser works under at the firm. “She’s really taken a lot of initiative to try to learn the intricacies of how our clients do their business so she can understand how legislation affects them.”

Those traits have brought results, too.

During the 2023 Session, the 31-year-old Tallahassee native successfully advocated for important diabetes legislation and a law targeting car-part theft.

Fraser represented the American Diabetes Association (ADA) while she pushed for a bill — now law — that enables Medicaid patients with diabetes to get coverage for their continuous glucose monitoring devices, something the ADA described as “a huge win for those diagnosed with diabetes and insulin-dependent in the state of Florida.”

To Fraser, it’s a passion project. A friend of hers was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9.

“The issue is very close to my heart,” Fraser said. She also explained that, typically, increasing Medicaid coverage may be difficult to do in a Republican, fiscal-focused Legislature. But she advocated for it as a “Medicaid modernization” rather than “expansion,” and illustrated to the Legislature that it would save taxpayer money once the dust settled, which proved to be a winning message.

Fraser also articulated a problem — an alarming trend of catalytic converter

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theft — to lawmakers and helped pass the solution. Her efforts there resulted in the passage of the Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act, which upped penalties for stealing the car part.

What’s most impressive about both of these matters — the continuous glucose monitoring device bill and the catalytic converter law — is that this is the first year the issues were introduced. As many know, some issues can take years of effort before they catch traction.

“It was a very busy Session but a very successful one for us,” Fraser said.

Webb suggested that Fraser’s success is likely a product of her remarkable work ethic. Webb shared a story from Fraser’s first Session where Webb came

into the office on a Monday to find Fraser with volumes of bill analyses from Sessions past marked up with Webb’s notes. It was clear that Fraser had — unprompted — put in some weekend time to try to understand the state of insurance in the Legislature.

“I don’t know a lot of young lobbyists who would take that type of initiative,” Webb said. “That to me showed a lot of her character; her work ethic and her willingness to grind the way a lot of younger people don’t.”

When asked about the anecdote, Fraser replied that she’s driven by her love for problem-solving and strategizing. “I enjoy what I do.”

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IN-HOUSE

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Allison Kinney

icture the high-octane world of Tallahassee lobbying, a domain known for its tough negotiations and relentless pursuits. Here, Allison Kinney is a standout figure, driven by an unwavering tenacity. But don’t be misled by her fierce determination, for behind her persistent drive is a warm and affable spirit that has earned her an enviable assortment of friends amid the rough-and-tumble world of Florida politics.

A seasoned lobbyist with a string of notable achievements to her name, Kinney is a shining testament to the power of dedication, collaboration and a deep-rooted commitment to community. Kinney brings all this to bear in her role as Vice President of Government Relations for HCA Healthcare, the state’s largest health system, and it’s what makes her the In-House Lobbyist of the Year.

Kinney’s impact on the government relations landscape is indisputable. She strikes a delicate balance, elevating the interests of her Fortune 100 employer while never losing sight of those whose lives are affected every day by health care policy. For her, even the most complex budget and policy battles must factor in the human element.

Kinney’s approach is what distinguishes her among the Capitol lobbying corps. Known for her collaborative spirit, she is always ready to join hands with like-minded individuals and organizations to drive change. She would much rather build bridges than bulldoze them.

She’s earned her stripes by advocating for greater equity in hospital funding, an achievement that’s left an indelible mark on the Sunshine State. After a multiyear effort, Kinney and her team played a major role in raising Medicaid base rates for over 200 hospitals that treat low-income patients in need, ensuring the dollar follows the patient. Kinney’s work to share the wealth was driven by a desire to make sure funding went where it was most needed.

Her foresight and understanding of Florida’s future health care needs were

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again on full display when she helped secure $5 million for accredited private nursing colleges. The initiative provides these institutions greater impetus to produce high-quality nurses, addressing a crucial shortfall in the state’s health

care workforce. Among those benefiting is HCA Healthcare’s Galen College of Nursing, but even more significant is how these funds will help boost the ranks of nurses across the state, helping to ease a projected shortfall of 60,000

PHOTO: The Workmans

P

nurses in little over a decade.

Again with a focus on people, during the 2023 Legislative Session Kinney teamed up with the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) and others to push through a bill to protect hospital employees from assaults.

“Allison is the perfect recipient for an award that recognizes the best in the field of government relations. Her respectful and substantive engagement with lawmakers and other colleagues sets the standard for advocacy,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of the FHA. “With more than a decade in government relations, Allison is a rare talent who combines collaboration and problem-solving, authentic relationship building, and open, honest communication to create a highly effective approach to advocacy.”

Kinney’s team at HCA Healthcare is a force to reckoned with, sharing her vision and commitment to a better Florida.

Under her leadership, they navigate the intricate web of Florida’s political landscape with an unwavering focus on community progress.

Kinney’s dedication to others also extends to her service to the greater community through board appointments, further solidifying her place as a community advocate. Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped into her deep understanding of the state’s workforce needs when he appointed her to CareerSource Florida in July 2020. Then-House Speaker Chris Sprowls did the same in 2022 by appointing her to the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, showcasing her commitment to vulnerable populations.

Her position on Associated Industries of Florida’s board of directors underscores her versatility, wide-ranging influence, and business acumen.

While those professional roles might be enough for some, Kinney considers her most cherished titles to be “mom” and “wife.” She’s a dedicated wife to her husband, Robbie, of 16 years and mother to a seventh-grade daughter and a thirdgrade son, reflecting her mastery of the art of work-life balance. Weekends are reserved for family, whether it’s cheering on the sidelines at soccer matches or attending youth baseball games. This

clearly is a woman who has mastered the delicate balance between her personal and professional lives.

The Augusta, Georgia, native has exhibited ambition and a drive for excellence since her early years. She honed her talents at Auburn University, where she served as President of the Kappa Delta sorority, and her passion for the university remains undiminished. She may be tenacious within the halls of power, but she’d rather not be called a bulldog — after all, that’s the mascot of Auburn’s rival, the University of Georgia.

In the story of Allison Kinney, you can find dedication, balance and an unwavering commitment to others. Whether advocating for equitable health care, championing the rights of the vulnerable or cheering on her children during a weekend athletic contest, Kinney does it all with grace, poise and a heart full of passion. The embodiment of the power of dedication and collaboration, she works to make the world of Tallahassee lobbying — and the community at large — a better place.

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Runner-Up

IN-HOUSE OF THE

YEAR

W

hile he might only represent one client, Casey Reed’s typical Legislative Session always features a unique amount of variety.

This year, for example, Reed’s biggest win was in the realm of public safety. And the specific matter is what makes his job — Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Policy for AT&T Florida — so rewarding. Specifically, Reed helped secure a dedicated line item for a partnership between the AT&T-connected FirstNet communications network and the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System.

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Casey Reed “We’re very proud of the part we play in getting people connected when they are out saving lives,” Reed said.

The Legislature doubled down on the FirstNet partnership this year after approving a pilot program in 2022. The investment was important for Florida because of the state’s exposure to disasters, namely hurricanes, that require coordinated responses from first responders.

During a disaster, for example, FirstNet network operators can ensure that the network is dedicated to first-responder usage so that they can communicate in a fast and secure way.

“It’s really taken hurricane response to another level,” Reed explained. “And we’re very proud of how fast our network has been able to get up and running, providing communications to sheriffs, search and rescue, (the Department of Transportation), you name it.”

The legislative success is demonstrative of Reed’s skilled advocacy; it remains a first-of-its-kind emergency communications development, and other states could soon follow suit. Reed himself describes the investment as something that makes Florida a leader and said the nature of the line item was a “forward-thinking move on the behalf of the Legislature.”

The FirstNet funding wasn’t the only win for Reed and AT&T. Reed described the Session’s success as progress in “the three Fs,” those being FirstNet, Fiber, and Five G. With respect to the latter two, Reed said AT&T invests about $1 billion each year in Florida development, an illustration of how “serious” the issue is for Reed and the telecommunications giant’s Florida operations.

In the past year, Reed had success developing rules regarding the administration of broadband development. Money is flowing into the state from the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and Reed’s lobbying resulted in rules that “would attract incumbent providers like ourselves that have been building networks for, in our case, nearly 150 years.”

Reed also sits on the board for Associated Industries Florida and applauded some of the pro-business legislation from the 2023 Session, including comprehensive tort reforms and the data privacy package that didn’t clash with business interests, including those of AT&T. When he’s not representing one of the world’s largest corporations before policymakers in Tallahassee, Reed enjoys spending time at home with his girlfriend, Amy Bisceglia of Shumaker Advisors, and his dogs.

PHOTO: The Workmans

LOBBYIST

From the Capitol to the Courthouse

With a 40-year track record of lobbying success and longstanding relationships at all levels of Florida government statewide, Colodny Fass is ranked annually among Florida’s top lobbying law firms.

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Honorable Mention

IN-HOUSE OF THE

YEAR

I

n a Legislature where the fate of a bill is often determined on party lines, it’s rare that a lobbyist chalks a unanimous victory. But that happened last Session for Meredith Stanfield, who in discussing the win doesn’t so much credit her skilled advocacy as much as she does the people and causes she represents.

“I wear the white hat, no doubt,” she said. “And that’s fun.”

Stanfield is the Legislative Policy Director for the Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) and among a handful of advocates who championed landmark retirement legislation for certain first responders earlier this year.

The measure, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and celebrated by many, restored age and years of service requirements back to levels set more than a decade ago for “Special Risk” first responders, including firefighters. The group, which also includes police officers, are now eligible for full retirement benefits at age 55 or after 25 years of service.

“It’s incredibly meaningful legislation with real improvements for our firefighters,” Stanfield explained. “It’s five fewer years of on-the-job exposures to toxins that cause cancer, and also five fewer years of exposure to traumatic events.”

Stanfield said she was part of a “united front” on the legislative push that resulted in the retirement changes. She and FPF were joined by police associations and other firefighter groups.

The new law also ushered in favorable retirement terms for state employees at large, including a 50% increase in the per-month health insurance subsidy.

The feel-good legislation isn’t a first for Stanfield, whose career has spanned the spectrum of lobbyshops in Florida agencies, ranging from the Department of Management Services to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

In 2019, in her previous role running legislative affairs for Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis, she was part of the successful effort to bring state-backed benefits to firefighters diag-

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Meredith Stanfield nosed with cancer.

“I remember thinking at the time: ‘I don’t know that I’ll work on anything as meaningful as this,’” Stanfield said.

Now, in her role at FPF, she often tells colleagues that she “got to take my favorite part of my last job and make it my full-time job.”

As evidenced by the final votes on the retirement changes (no dissenters), some of Stanfield’s work is very popular. Still, challenges persist in articulating the importance of retirement policies. That said, she has strong advocates for firefighters in the Legislature, including leadership as well as last year’s retirement sponsors Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera and Sen. Ed

Hooper, a firefighter himself.

Outside of work, Stanfield is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her son. She’s a University of Georgia graduate — “Go Dawgs” — and got her start in politics and government by campaigning in that state at age 15.

She’s also a classically trained pianist and is known to frequent the Capitol piano, especially near Christmastime. A fan of Vince Guaraldi, one of her familiar refrains is the “Peanuts” music.

If you’re lucky, you might catch her playing the piano during the 2024 Session. But she’ll also be laser-focused on more firefighter priorities, to hopefully bring home music to their ears.

PHOTO: The Workmans

LOBBYIST

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INSURANCE

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Fred Karlinsky

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I

n the perennially storm-battered state of Florida, insurance issues are no doubt on the minds of many policymakers. But the industry’s complexity often means that it’s difficult to — by one’s self — solve problems presented in the space.

Fortunately, those who want to improve insurance can rely, and have relied, on Fred Karlinsky for help. His name is synonymous with insurance in Tallahassee and there probably isn’t a conversation in the Capitol about the industry that won’t at some point involve him. His decades of experience working in the space means he offers insight that transcends buzzwords and talking points.

“I’ve spent my whole career trying to make sure I understand how insurance and insurance companies work,” he told me.

That’s no exaggeration. He’s now the Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group and boasts more than 30 years of experience representing insurers, reinsurers and related companies. His cross-country and even global deal work means his expertise is sought after outside of the capital city, too.

But as of lately he has enjoyed success in the Sunshine State. Karlinsky is coming off a banner period in the Legislature, where lawmakers have recently repealed general language providing for one-way attorneys fees for plaintiffs across the insurance industry.

Karlinsky explained that the fee provisions provided incentives to hail insurers into court and that removing the fees was a key component of stabilizing the insurance marketplace, which he said was in dire straits before the reform.

“The (insurance) market was going to crash,” he explained. “So the Legislature and the Governor were looking for the most acute thing they could do to show they were serious about reforming the marketplace.”

Although it was a “critical” step in the right direction, he told me, there’s more work to be done. Karlinsky aims to make Florida’s regulatory landscape more attractive for insurers and thus better for the insured. But doing so will require some more elbow grease in Tallahassee.

As he put it, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

The good news? High-profile third parties think he’s one of the best architects for the job.

“When it comes to insurance, he is a tremendous resource,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said. “Fred and his wife, Autumn, have been great friends to Ann and I and we appreciate how hard he advocates on policy issues that help Floridians.”

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said he remains unsurprised at Karlinsky’s ascension to the pinnacle of the industry.

“Fred is one of the hardest working guys I know,” Patronis said. “His work

PHOTO: The Workmans

2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS

to support us in reforming the insurance laws in Florida during Special Session was a key part of our major reset to give Florida homeowners access to affordable coverage to protect the most important possession of their lifetimes: their home.”

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who helmed the chamber when it backed the recent landmark insurance reforms, said Karlinsky was a “key player” in that process.

“His deep understanding of the industry and comprehension of the laws make him a go-to expert for insurance policy in Florida — and across the nation,” Passidomo said.

The insurance industry is dynamic and encounters novel issues with so much frequency that Karlinsky jokingly likened his line of work to the game Whac-aMole. His job regularly requires addressing nuanced problems when they pop up and become trends. In the past, those have included such issues like assignment of benefits abuse. Lately, there’s been a pattern of unusual, early-season storms that have disrupted the books.

“No two days are really the same,” Karlinsky said of his role.

His leadership status at Greenberg Traurig — a worldwide legal and lobbying juggernaut — is both a testament to his prowess and an asset for his clients.

The firm boasts 47 locations scattered across the country and globe and more than 2,600 lawyers.

Karlinsky said it’s not uncommon to involve hundreds of the firm’s employees on his matters. He added that the advantages of working at a robust shop include the ability to leverage “resources that people don’t necessarily see.”

And at the firm, Karlinsky’s work is not confined to matters on Monroe Street. His work spans the corporate lifecycle, ranging from multibillion-dollar deals to advising startup companies like Slide Insurance, which absorbed 250,000 policies from insolvent companies. Working on both the policy and business side of things means Karlinsky’s expertise is deep and likely unparalleled.

“Understanding how (insurers) tick and understanding how deal flow works really makes a big difference in terms of understanding what needs to be done,” he said. “I see where the

rubber meets the road for these companies whereas others may not be in a position to have that same vantage point.”

Other publications have recognized Karlinsky as a standout advocate and he routinely tops superlative lists. He is on the Best Lawyers in America ranking for Insurance Law and is the only Band 1 Florida Insurance Lawyer in the Chambers USA Guide.

Karlinsky is also involved outside of the firm and the Capitol. He’s the current Chair of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, a panel on which he’s been a member since 2014. He’s also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law where he, naturally, lectures students in an Insurance Law and Risk Management course. While he’s a busy professional, he has cherished time he gets to spend with his wife, Autumn, and his two kids. He also collects watches as a hobby.

Karlinsky also carries with him a unique perspective on global conflicts. As he described it, “some people know and some people don’t know” that he was in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. The “horrific” day “sticks with me,” he said, and when terror issues arise elsewhere in the world, it especially resonates.

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Runner-Up

INSURANCE

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

J

ustifying their objectives might be a daunting task for many lobbyists. After all, lawmakers are always looking for a strong rationale before they try to change a law or spend state tax dollars.

But for insurance lobbyist Ashley Kalifeh, the “why” is simple.

“Nobody wants to pay more for insurance than they have to,” Kalifeh said.

“I know that for sure.”

Kalifeh played a major role in last year’s overhaul of the insurance legal landscape.

But during every Legislative Session, her work endeavors to improve the regulatory environment so that insurance companies can operate efficiently. That makes insurance more competitive and, in the long term, better for consumers, she said.

The past year was a landmark one for her mission. Most know that the state scrapped the general applicability of plaintiff’s one-way attorneys fees, something Kalifeh helped champion.

But there were other major changes that modified parts of the law that were unbalanced against insurers, she said.

Take, for example, methods employed for calculating medical damages in tort cases. Kalifeh explained that courts had, over many years, interpreted insurance laws in a way that invited abuse in the process of establishing such damages.

“For medical damages, there were games being played that took the law from asking, ‘What is it going to take to get someone back to the life that they had before an accident?’ to ‘How can I best use a personal injury case to profit?’” Kalifeh said.

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Indeed, in highlighting a new law earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the legislation would improve a “judicial hellhole” with respect to tort cases. The insurance reform bill DeSantis was spotlighting, for which Kalifeh advocated, “put a level on the law” in part by establishing uniform standards for juries to follow in calculating medical damages, Kalifeh said.

That same law also modified the badfaith framework in the state, another example of an uneven playing field that put insurers at a disadvantage. As Kalifeh put it, the law created “some clarity as to what level of analysis we think is appropriate and how long it should take before you could say (an insurer was operating in) bad faith.”

Kalifeh is an incredibly effective advocate in the insurance space not only because she can articulate the issues, but because she also has the data to back it up. She’s known for providing members with compelling litigation data that made clear that some plaintiff’s side lawyers were exploiting the insurance system.

The presence of litigation data or spreadsheets when lawmakers discuss insurance is now a hallmark that Kalifeh is working on the issue.

With respect to the one-way attorneys fees, Kalifeh spoke of a trend of abuse she unearthed during her time on the regulatory side.

Kalifeh first started tracking such data while overseeing policy and legislative affairs at the Department of Financial Services under former Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater. The agency maintained a

database of insurer-related litigation.

“Probably about seven or eight years ago, I started using that database to try to figure out who the attorneys were, what the patterns were, and the geographic concentration of them,” Kalifeh said. What she found were clear, repeatable trends across multiple insurance coverages.

She said that because courts awarded attorneys fees when judgments exceeded settlement offers, the old system maintained a “Hobson’s Choice” for insurers because plaintiff’s lawyers came into settlement negotiations with the law overwhelmingly on their side. “(The choice) was either pay inflated amounts much more than you owe under your contract and then pass those costs onto your policyholders, or don’t pay them and defend the position that you have, but then risk missing (a settlement number) by a cent and pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees, and then pass that on to your customers,” Kalifeh said.

While Kalifeh’s effectiveness is partly attributable to her ability to illustrate trends and data to lawmakers, she’s also a stellar lawyer, relied on for language and more by Florida’s elected.

“She’s the person members come to in order to help determine what’s a viable policy idea and what isn’t,” said Nick Iarossi, Capital City Consulting co-owner.

When she’s not righting the insurance ship in Florida, Kalifeh keeps busy with her two young daughters. “That takes up most of my free time,” she said with a laugh.

PHOTO: The Workmans

Ashley Kalifeh

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TECHNOLOGY

LOBBYIST OF THE

YEAR

Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Biehl F

lorida isn’t what it used to be, in a good way.

The state has long been known as the home to theme parks and golden agers.

It still is, but it has also become a power player in another arena: technology.

Florida, to hear some tell it, is on the leading edge of a technological revolution. Autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, commercial space exploration, cryptocurrency and high-tech manufacturing — in the Sunshine State, next-generation companies may as well be kudzu.

How did Florida become a land of technological opportunity?

Business-friendly policy gets a slice of the credit, as do the forward-thinking lawmakers who carried measures through the Legislature. But state officials beating the drum of low taxes, white sand beaches and a top-tier university system didn’t convince Elon Musk to launch 50-plus rockets from Cape Canaveral.

Enter Capitol Alliance Group (CAG).

Firm partners Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Biehl are as tech savvy as they come.

And, in some cases, they’re more forward-looking than the clients they serve.

“We constantly strive to embrace the future and explore avenues where it intersects with our goals. It is worth noting that Florida is at the forefront of these endeavors,” said Biehl, the firm’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy. “We take pride in our personalized approach to working with clients, ensuring that their legislative goals and long-term plans are developed and accomplished.”

Connecting the dots between state policy and emerging technology is sec-

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ond nature to Sharkey, who has been roaming the halls of the Capitol for more than 30 years. In a few instances, he’s cold-called tech execs who never knew they needed a lobbyist. A couple of days later, they were drawing up contract paperwork.

That’s because good tech lobbyists understand the inner workings of their client’s technology as thoroughly as they do state government.

Simply put, political science isn’t rocket science, but rocket science is, so it helps to have lobbyists who can walk through the engineering department without looking out of place. In fact, anyone who looks up from their monitor will probably learn a thing or two.

“Our firm strategy has always been to try to visualize what policy issues will emerge at the intersection of confusion and opportunity 12 to 18 months into the future and identify innovative companies with existing or emerging technologies that can solve those problems,” Sharkey said.

That strategy made CAG the go-to firm for Musk’s suite of companies — including Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Company — a decade ago, and they’re still on retainer because they deliver results.

The most recent win came in the 2023 Legislative Session, when Sharkey and Biehl secured a carve-out for Tesla in the auto dealership bill, allowing the electric vehicle company to continue using its direct-sales model. And a couple years before that, the duo scored a victory for SpaceX via legislation clarifying that they retain ownership of rocket parts that land on Florida soil.

Their success has drawn in other tech companies like a magnet. Made In Space, Redwire Space and Volocopter all rely on CAG to handle business in Tallahassee while they focus on developing the technology that’s fueling exponential growth in Florida’s space exploration economy.

The tech industry encompasses more than flashy space startups. Many of them are looking for ways to revolutionize legacy industries but have run into trouble because of some arcane state laws. Take mortgage lending, for instance. CAG was behind the 2021 law creating the most customer-friendly online notarization framework in the nation — thank them for saving you a trip to the bank.

They’ve since signed a contract with United Wholesale Mortgage, a cutting-edge lender that boasts some of the fastest turn times in the industry. Since hiring CAG, the company has found even more success through the Hometown Heroes program and by working side-by-side with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, one of the state’s key tools in confronting the affordable housing epidemic.

So, what do the experts see on the horizon for 2024 and beyond? Expect plenty of action in the electric vehicle space. While the combustion engine still reigns supreme sales-wise, EVs gain ground every year. That raises a few policy problems, such as how to make up for the inevitable drop in gas tax revenue and who can set prices at the charging station.

Roadblocks aside, Florida’s future as a tech hub is bright, in no small part due to the team at Capitol Alliance Group.

PHOTO: The Workmans

Taylor Biehl and Jeff Sharkey

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Where proven science and cutting-edge technology meet over three decades of real-World experience.

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INFLUENCE WITH INTEGRITY Twenty years have flown by thanks to great clients and a fantastic team. I’m looking forward to the future and building on the past.

Marty Fiorentino FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Jacksonville • Tallahassee TFGFLA.com 904.358.2757 • 850.222.1959

BIG ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE. Fall 2023

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What I’ve Learned

Dave Aronberg 52, West Palm Beach Palm Beach County State Attorney As told to Jesse Scheckner

THE EARLY YEARS

I was born and raised in North Miami, went to public schools. Fortunately, I had amazing parents who were involved in all aspects of my life. I became a page in Congress for a semester and worked in Washington for five months while in high school. It was a life-changing, formative experience and gave me the political bug.

I went to Harvard, then Harvard Law School and came home to work for a big law firm in Miami as a junior associate. That was my first time doing something I actively disliked. It was sometimes soul crushing because creativity is disfavored. It’s about research and writing. You don’t see the courtroom for years.

A DIFFERENT DIRECTION

I met Bill Nelson while at Harvard after he lost his Governor’s campaign. He taught a class at the Kennedy School, and we became friends. After I became a lawyer, I saw he and other Insurance Commissioners were investigating European insurance companies that intentionally sold policies to people who were going to be sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust and then refused to honor them afterwards.

It was the largest consumer fraud in the history of the world. I called him and volunteered to help, and to my law firm’s great credit, they loaned me to him full-time in Tallahassee for the project. That sent my life in a different direction. Once you do something like that, it’s hard to go back to billing hours for big corporations in a large law firm.

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PHOTO: Abby Hart Photography

“Working in Washington during the 2000 election debacle, I decided I wanted to get involved in setting policy instead of working for the people in office.

I saw there were laws in which there were gaping loopholes that needed to be closed, like in consumer fraud, and bigger issues of public safety that needed to be addressed.”

Fall 2023

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HEARD MAKE YOUR VOICE

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA RELATIONS GRASSROOTS & COALITIONS IN-HOUSE CREATIVE

Amanda Bevis | Red Hills Strategies

amanda@redhillsstrategies.com

202-680-9262

WWW.REDHILLSSTRATEGIES.COM 154

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WHAT I’VE LEARNED

LEFT: (State Archives of Florida/Jarmon) BELOW/TOP: Senators talking things over during the 2004 Legislative Session.

(State Archives of Florida/Ferguson) BELOW/BOTTOM: State Senator David Aronberg speaking during debate at the 2009 state Democratic Party conference in Lake Buena Vista. (State Archives of Florida/Cotterell)

ONWARD AND UPWARD

I left not long after to work on consumer fraud as an Assistant Attorney General in the Economic Crimes Division under Bob Butterworth. I took a big pay cut. I soon was going after a woman named Miss Cleo, a Jamaican “Shango Shaman Psychic” who is neither Jamaican nor a shango shaman psychic. That was a high-profile case, and I was part of a recent documentary about it called “Call Me Miss Cleo” on HBO Max. I loved every minute of my time at the Attorney General’s Office.

Because of my work on the Holocaust insurance project, I was selected for a White House Fellowship in 2000. It was an incredible experience that increased my interest in public service. I was chosen to work for the Secretary of the Treasury Department on international money laundering in Bill Clinton’s administration under Stuart Eizenstat and Larry Summers. After they left — it was a transition year, and George W. Bush’s people came in — I worked under Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill. My office was right next to the West Wing.

Working in Washington during the 2000 election debacle, I decided I wanted to get involved in setting policy instead of working for the people in office. I saw there were laws in which there were gaping loopholes that needed to be closed, like in consumer fraud, and bigger issues of public safety that needed to be addressed. I’d had enough training in government and felt I had a lot to contribute.

It was Sept. 10, 2001, when I came back home. The next day, I woke up and the world changed.

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WHAT I’VE LEARNED

ENTERING FLORIDA POLITICS

When I got back to the State Attorney’s Office in late 2001, I started on another project concerning Purdue Pharma, the maker of this new drug called Oxycontin. I was one of the first people in the country to investigate the company for its marketing practices. That set me off in a different direction I continue to this day, which is battling the opioid epidemic. The laws then enabled the pill mills to proliferate in our community, and that was another reason I wanted to run for office.

I decided to run for the state House in 2002 as a first-time candidate. Fortunately, I did well enough with fundraising and endorsements. And this is an example of being at the right place at the right time because it was a reapportionment year, the districts changed, and there was an open state Senate seat just sitting there.

Lois Frankel, the outgoing House Democratic Leader, froze the field because she was reportedly eying that seat, so no one else jumped in. But then she was deciding whether to run for Mayor of West Palm Beach. Ron Klein, the Senate Democratic Leader, saw I was having success running for the House and recruited me to change races. I decided to take the plunge, and in retrospect it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I was elected at 31 years old in my first try for office to the Senate, which at the time was light years ahead of the House when it came to bipartisanship and a Democrat’s ability to pass legislation. I was also representing a district that was not your typical Democratic district, a rare swing district that cut across the state to Fort Myers and Bonita Springs — half Democratic, half Republican.

That meant I needed to listen to both sides for political survival, which made me a better elected official. I spent a lot of time in the red parts of the district in Southwest Florida because I didn’t want them to think their Senator was inaccessible or unreachable. I wanted to be there and show I represented everyone, not just the people of my community or party. By the end of my term, in my last race in 2008, I got 46% of the vote in Southwest Florida, which I took as great validation of support, because it’s a very red area.

LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES

I like to think some of my legislation was ahead of its time and makes a real difference to this day. There was one on port security. I was Chair of the Military Affairs and Domestic Security Committee, which creates the standards we have today for security at our ports. The 156

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“This job is not meant to be forever.

I’ll have been here 12 years when I leave in January, and I’m ready to start a new chapter.” old laws were focused on cocaine trafficking because that was the big issue in the ’80s, but they were not updated then to reflect the modern realities of international terrorism. I led a rewrite of our laws to update them to better protect against terrorist threats.

There was also a law I passed eliminating the statute of limitations for child sex abuse. We had to overcome serious opposition from the Catholic Church.

That was an upgrade, representing major progress in our laws protecting young people.

There was my anti-looting bill. Before it, we didn’t have a law on the books against looting. Early on, there was a law I passed requiring companies to alert consumers when it comes to identity theft. Our identity theft laws were stuck

in the past and didn’t reflect modern realities. It’s because of laws like mine that you now get all these notifications that your information has been stolen.

I passed the video voyeurism law. At the time I brought it up, the legislators laughed. They thought it was a Paris Hilton-type thing. I had to tell them it was no laughing matter, that new technologies were intruding on our right to privacy. Now you see this law used all the time when people are illegally recording victims in dressing rooms and bathrooms, etcetera.

BECOMING STATE ATTORNEY

In 2011, a year after I reached term limits in the Senate, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed me to be Spe-

chapter. I’ve been in government now almost all my working life. At 52 years old, a change is good. And I’ve got some ideas for the days ahead.

I will always look back on this job as the best I’ve ever had, but I never ran for this position to be a lifer. I intend to stay involved heavily in the community and may run for office again one day, but in the meantime it’s good to have some change in my life and in the office.

It’s also good to go out on top. There’s a sense that if you’re going to leave, it’s best to do so on your own terms. I love the people here. They’re what I’ll miss the most. But I’m not going away. I’ll still be around, just in a different role.

PHOTO: Abby Hart Photography

FUTURE PLANS

I was fortunate about four years ago to be introduced to Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who put me on their show, “Morning Joe,” which led to many opportunities. It’s one of the reasons I’m interested in trying something new. I’ve been able to do these TV appearances, which I really love doing, and there are perhaps some career possibilities.

I love doing interviews, legal analyses and breaking down some of these momentous cases for viewers. It’s opened up doors, but nothing is set yet. I don’t have a contract or anything like that.

I don’t think this is the end for me in politics. I expect you’ll see me again running for office. This is just the right step at the right time. I want to test the waters, try something new.

Change is good. It’s exciting to have so many possibilities and a little bit of uncertainty in the days ahead. It’s good to be a bit unpredictable in your career.

THE KEY TO HAPPINESS cial Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking, or “Drug Czar,” because of my anti-pill mill work. I then ran for and won election as Palm Beach State Attorney. My third term ends next year.

I love this job. When I was a Senator, I was one of 40 people in one half of one of three branches of government, and if you’re in the minority you don’t have the power you would as if you were running the show.

As a State Attorney, if you want to start a DUI diversion program like I did, you can, and then Tiger Woods ends up going into it years later. There’s a greater sense of efficacy. If you see an injustice, you address it. You don’t have to ask the Senate President for permission.

You have real power to save lives.

That may sound cliché, but I believe

what we’ve done with our Sober Homes Task Force, closing down and cleaning up the drug treatment and sober home industries, has directly saved the lives of many individuals who came down to Florida to get well and instead were leaving in ambulances and body bags.

There are more direct results. For example, we pushed to get the fentanyl test strip legislation through that passed this past Legislative Session. The job is more than just enforcement. It’s also advocacy, and there’s no doubt thousands of lives will be saved from the legalization of fentanyl test strips.

CALLING IT A DAY

One of my personal credos is, “The key to happiness is low expectations.” I did not expect to get all these national TV hits. I didn’t expect to be State Attorney and win re-election twice unopposed. Every day is a blessing when you don’t get too far ahead of your skis.

You want to make sure you’re grounded, forever humble and nice to everyone.

There’s an old adage, “Be nice to people you see on the way up, because you’ll see them on the way down.” I experienced that when I lost the Primary for Attorney General in 2010. There are parts of my life that have been key in ensuring my permanent humility. As a result, I’m just grateful for every opportunity.

This job is not meant to be forever.

I’ll have been here 12 years when I leave in January, and I’m ready to start a new Fall 2023

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Simplify Contribution Tracking from Request to Delivery Software for political campaigns, lobbyists, committees, non-profits and more.

BundleTrack US TM

Request a Demo at bundletrackus.com 158

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Results Matter.

Public Affairs Strategic Counsel Political Communications Legal Communications Crisis Communications Media Relations ALIA FARAJ-JOHNSON PRESIDENT

T. 850.212.8317 E. Alia@AliaStrategicGroup.com ALIASTRATEGICGROUP.COM Fall 2023

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MADISON’S INDEX 1

Anywhere in Florida is no more than 60 miles from a beach.

You can’t beat that commute!

2

During the pandemic, there were about 1000 people moving to Florida each day.

3

Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city in the US at 840 square miles.

Also the youngest city in Florida!

4

In 2022, 2733 tech businesses opened in Florida, the highest in the country.

We’re coming for you California!

5

Nearly all of America’s fresh market tomatoes are from Florida and we are the world’s leading grapefruit producer. Florida is not just in the orange business.

6

Carrabelle, Florida’s police station is the smallest in the world.

7

Almost every state in the US has blue laws. What is Florida’s you may ask?

Unmarried women cannot skydive on Sundays!

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9

Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University is the second largest continuous brick structure in the world, only behind the Great Wall of China.

10

The space industry generates $4.1 billion annually in Florida, with a number of NASA launch sites and SpaceX conducting operations in the state.

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 population estimates, Florida is now the nation’s fastest growing state. The 2022 population is over 9 times the population in 1946 of 2,440,000.

Spaniard Don Tristan de Luna established the settlement of Pensacola in 1559, six years before the Spanish settled in St. Augustine and 48 years before the British established the Jamestown settlement. Just weeks after de Luna landed, the settlement was wiped out by a hurricane.

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Florida has more golf courses than any other state and Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the country.

13

Florida means “land of flowers” in Spanish. Many say that when Spanish explorers first landed in Florida, they were surprised by the amount of wildflowers.

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FLORIDA’S VOICE FOR FREEDOM For more information: AmericansForProsperity.org Fall 2023

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PReempt their next move

sachsmedia.com | 850.222.1996 Public Relations | Public Affairs | Research | Crisis | Digital 162

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