Democratic women to get Hillary connection
The Democratic Women’s Club of Pasco County will host its regular meeting and lunch Jan. 10 at 11 a.m., at the Jasmine Lakes Civic Center, 7137 Jasmine Blvd., in Port Richey.
Guest speaker is Aaron Darr, founding member and Florida state coordinator for the Ready for Hillary campaign, and effort to “draft” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton into the presidential race.
Cost is $5.
To RSVP, email , or call (727) 372-9321.
Ananth Prasad leaving FDOT
Ananth Prasad, who has led the Florida Department of Transportation since Rick Scott was first elected governor, will step down from that job Jan. 2.
“Secretary Prasad … has been pivotal to making sure we could make a record investment of over $10 billion in our transportation system this year,” Scott said, in a release. “Secretary Prasad has also helped Florida become a major force in international trade because of his commitment to expanding our Florida ports and airports.”
The Florida Transportation Commission is being tasked with recommending Prasad’s replacement, expected next year.
Republican Women welcome Ted Schrader
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will host a luncheon Jan. 9 at 11:30 a.m., at Ciao Italian Bistro, located in The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. Joining the club is Pasco County commissioner Ted Schrader as the guest speaker.
Cost is $20.
To reserve a seat, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email her at .
Scott makes cabinet, agency appointments
Gov. Rick Scott is getting ready for his second term by making some appointments among his cabinet and supporting agencies.
- Mike Carroll will become secretary for the Department of Children and Families, after serving as interim secretary since April. He has nearly 25 years of experience with DCF, including work as the regional manager of the organization’s Suncoast region, which spans from Pasco to Collier counties.
- Barbara Palmer will remain director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Palmer was first appointed to that job in August 2012 after spending nearly a year as chief of staff. Before all that, Palmer was assistant secretary for administration at the Department of Children and Families.
- Julie Jones will become secretary for the Florida Department of Corrections. She was the executive director at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles since 2009, and spent 26 years prior to that at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Dr. John Armstrong will remain the state surgeon general and secretary of the Florida Department of Health. Scott first appointed Armstrong to the role in 2012 after serving as chief medical officer of the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation at Tampa’s University of South Florida.
- Timothy Cerio will become general counsel effective Jan. 5, with Pete Antonacci serving as special counsel during the transition period. Cerio is an attorney at GrayRobinson, and was a general counsel to the Florida Department of Health from 2005 to 2007.
- Ken Lawson will remain the secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Lawson first earned that appointment in 2011, and previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
- Chad Poppell will become secretary of the Department of Management Services. Poppell has served as the chief of staff of for the Department of Economic Opportunity since January 2013, and previously was director of employee services for a utility provider in Jacksonville.
- Rick Swearingen will become the interim commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He has been with FDLE since 1984, and has served as the director of the capitol police since June 2013.
- Ken Detzner will remain secretary of the Department of State. Detzner was first appointed to the position in 2012 after spending 30 years in both public and private settings, including the Department of State office.
- Cynthia O’Connell will remain secretary of the Florida Lottery. O’Connell, a former communications executive, was first appointed to the position in 2011.
