DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced that Sha’Ron James has been named Florida’s next consumer advocate on insurance issues. James replaces Steve Burgess, who retired earlier this year. She previously served as director of the Division of Rehabilitation & Liquidation.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES Aaron Keller has been promoted to press secretary for the Department. Keller has been with the Department since 2013.
DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS Shannon Shepp has been named interim executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus. Shepp has served as the deputy executive director since August 2013. She replaces Doug Ackerman who resigned July 20th.
OFFICE OF COMPASSIONATE USE Christian Bax will be the new director of the Office of Compassionate Use at the Florida Department of Health, the state agency that is overseeing the legalization of some strains of medical marijuana. Bax previously co-founded CBK Consulting, a company dealing with medical marijuana regulations in Nevada and Washington. He is replacing Patricia Nelson, who is leaving to work in the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget.
SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT Sam Accursio, owner of Sam S. Accursio & Sons Farms and vice chair of the Agriculture Practices Advisory Board, Homestead, has been appointed to the District by Governor Scott.
COMMISSION ON ETHICS Matthew Carlucci, Jacksonville, has been reappointed by Governor Scott to the Commission. Carlucci is a State Farm agent.
FLORIDA ELECTIONS COMMISSION Milo “Scott” Thomas, Ponte Vedra Beach, has been appointed by Governor Scott as chairman of the commission. Thomas, of Ponte Vedra Beach, is an attorney with Rogers Towers P.A.
FLORIDA DEFENSE SUPPORT TASK FORCE Senate President Pro Tempore Garrett Richter (R-Naples) and former Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Bennett have been appointed to the Florida Defense Support Task Force by Senate President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando). Richter will serve as chair.
VISIT FLORIDA John Tomlin, Tampa, has been selected as chairman of the VISIT Florida Board of Directors. Tomlin recently retired as chief operating officer for the Auto Club Group.
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Edward E. Burr, Jacksonville, has been elected as chairman of the Florida State University Board of Trustees. Burr is president and CEO of GreenPointe Holdings.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA Major General Douglas Burnett, St. Augustine, has been appointed by Governor Scott to the University of North Florida Board of Trustees. Burnett had a long career in the U.S. Air Force and Florida National Guard, retiring as major general of the Florida National Guard in 2010.