Governor Rick Scott Appointments:
Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court Appointed was Crystal Kinzel of Naples, following the death of Dwight Brock. Kinzel previously served chief deputy clerk of the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Florida Citrus Commission Appointed was Pat Schirard, Vero Beach, president of GEM Indian River Select and a citrus grower in Lake, Brevard, Polk and Indian River counties.
Hendry County Property Appraiser Appointed was Dena Pittman of Clewiston, following the resignation of Phillip Pelletier. Pittman previously served as Chief Deputy Hendry County Property Appraiser.
Hernando County Board of County Commissioners Appointed was John Mitten of Brooksville, who will serve after the suspension of Commissioner Nicholas Nicholson. Mitten is a small business owner.
Judicial Nominating Commissions Dozens of appointments and reappointments were made to Florida’s judicial nominating commissions. A listing may be found here.
Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court Appointed was Gary Cooney of Mount Dora, following the resignation of Neil Kelly. Cooney previously served as Chief Deputy Lake County Clerk of Court.
Florida Women’s Hall of Fame From ten nominees selected by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, Governor Scott named three inductees to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. They were considered for their work to make significant improvements in life for women and all citizens of Florida.
- Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, (1920-2001), formerly of Tampa, was an advocate for the arts and the community. After graduating from Julliard School of Music, Gonzmart moved back to Tampa to help manage the family restaurant, “The Columbia”, which is now the oldest restaurant in Florida. She was a community advocate and helped co-found the Latino Scholarship Fund at the University of South Florida; she served three consecutive terms as the President of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce and organized the Ballet Folklorico of Ybor City and the Tampa Symphony Orchestra.
- Janet Petro, 58, was born in Michigan and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Petro served in the U.S. Army and was the first female deputy director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
- Lee Bird Leavengood, 89. Born in Monticello, Leavengood graduated from Florida State University in 1950 and moved to Tampa in 1960 where she became involved at the University of South Florida as a volunteer, a student, and then an administrator. At the age of 45, Leavengood pursued a master’s degree, became an advocate for “non-traditional students” and served as director of continuing education. Leavengood spearheaded senior programs in the greater Tampa Bay area and the creation of the University of South Florida’s division of senior programs, now known as the Osher Lifelong Learning Center. She also served in the first Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women and was a founding director of adult learning at the Tampa Bay History Center.