Experience

Florida Senior Living Association

• Hospitals and Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Vice President of Public Policy & Legal Affairs

  • Oct 2019 - Present

  Responsible for managing the legislative, regulatory and policy activities of FSLA on behalf of its members. Principal contact for the legislature, state agencies, members, and other interested parties. Primary responsibilities focus on identifying policy objectives that support FSLA's mission and advocacy efforts at the state and local level. Responsible for managing the legislative, regulatory and policy activities of FSLA on behalf of its members. Principal contact for the legislature, state agencies, members, and other interested parties. Primary responsibilities focus on identifying policy objectives that support FSLA's mission and advocacy efforts at the state and local level.



Florida Department of Environmental Protection

• United States
• Environmental Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Deputy General Counsel for Water Programs

  • Aug 2017 - Oct 2019

  Supervising attorney for all water program attorneys, including but not limited to: environmental resource permits; beaches; drinking/waste water; everglades; underground injection; and water quality standards. Also served as the the program attorney for the Office of Water Policy and lead attorney for assumption of 404 wetland permitting. Supervising attorney for all water program attorneys, including but not limited to: environmental resource permits; beaches; drinking/waste water; everglades; underground injection; and water quality standards. Also served as the the program attorney for the Office of Water Policy and lead attorney for assumption of 404 wetland permitting.



The Florida Senate

• United States
• Legislative Offices
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Chief Attorney, Senate Committee on Education

  • Nov 2012 - Mar 2017

  Chief Attorney (Nov. 2012 through March 2017): Lead policy analyst in areas such as education accountability, data privacy, state standards, instructional materials, state and local assessments, school grades, teacher evaluations, cyber-bullying, school choice, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, Personal Learning Scholarship Account Program, charter schools, private schools, athletics, educational facilities, and public-private partnerships. Analyze and objectively summarize proposed legislation to determine its effectiveness and impact. Monitor and coordinate the progress of legislation through committees of reference and on the Senate floor. Draft bills and amendments. Assist in planning committee meeting agendas, speakers, presentations, and materials. Brief legislators on issues to be discussed in committee, on the floor, or with constituents. Prepare and assist with end of session committee reports, correspondence, memoranda, press releases, and speeches. Provide professional legal counsel and advice. Recommend changes to legislation based upon trends in case law, agency comment or citizen request. Review agency implementation of legislative policy to determine compliance with legislative intent and Chapter 120. Special Master (July 2014 through March 2017): Starting with the 2015 session, the Senate brought special masters for claims bills in-house (special master duties were previously handled by Administrative Law Judges with the Division of Administrative Hearings). Responsibilities include conducting hearings as necessary (discovery is governed by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and the Florida Evidence Code), drafting necessary amendments to the claims bill, and issuing a final report containing findings of facts, conclusions of law, and recommended action, being familiar with all legal or factual disputes, and attending committee meetings and sittings of the Senate to answer questions. Show less



Florida Department of Corrections

• United States
• Law Enforcement
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Attorney -- Contracts Unit

  • Feb 2012 - Nov 2012

  Review and provide legal advice to Department staff concerning procurement and contract related issues (i.e., construction contracts, leases, interlocal and interagency agreements, health care services, vocational and educational training, food services, inmate telephone services, inmate work squads and community corrections). Represent the Department in bid protests, eviction and foreclosure actions. Was asked to return to the Department to assist with massive privatization efforts. Show less



Florida Department of Education

• Dairy Product Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Attorney -- Business Operations Unit

  • Jun 2006 - Feb 2012

  Review and provide legal advice concerning: competitive procurements; contract negotiations; grant solicitations; bonds; charter schools; McKay and Florida Tax Credit scholarship programs; personnel issues; rulemaking, rule variances/waivers, petitions to initiate rulemaking; open government; public records; subpoenas; employee garnishments; direct-support organizations; section 16 State School Lands and other land issues; and legislation. Assist the Department with procurement of a substantial number of services with the state’s $350 million share of the Race to the Top grant award. Additionally, assist the Department in its role as fiscal agent for a consortium of states (PARCC) that received an $189 million grant to develop assessments for the common core educational standards. Represent the Department in: administrative litigation (bid protests, McKay Scholarship Program and Florida Tax Credit Program Eligibility, FCHR, and PERC); and civil trial and appellate litigation (constitutional challenges, garnishments, and whistle blower cases). Attorney for the Charter Schools Appeal Commission and (now defunct) Florida Schools of Excellence Commission. Show less

• Senior Attorney -- Special Projects/Administrative Law Section

  • Jan 2004 - Jun 2006

  Advise on: special/high profile projects; Emergency Operations Center; First Amendment and RLUIPA issues; Faith and Character Based Correctional Initiatives; Jewish Dietary Accommodations Program; employee clubs; direct support organization; donations; deceased inmate/estate issues; administrative litigation and appeals; involuntary mental health admission/treatment litigation; rule/procedure review; train new recruits; rulemaking; ethics questions; public records requests; and lobbying law issues. Show less



Williams, Gautier, Gwenn & DeLoach

• Associate Attorney

  • Nov 2002 - Nov 2003

  Review activities of financial institutions to determine compliance with applicable federal and state laws. Draft and review contracts, policies and procedures, powers of attorney; review subpoenas, governmental requests for information, guardianships, trusts, UCC questions, other related issues for financial institutions, and collections activities. Review activities of financial institutions to determine compliance with applicable federal and state laws. Draft and review contracts, policies and procedures, powers of attorney; review subpoenas, governmental requests for information, guardianships, trusts, UCC questions, other related issues for financial institutions, and collections activities.

• Senior Attorney -- Air & Waste Section

  • May 1999 - Nov 2002

  Drycleaning Program Attorney – rulemaking, negotiate property access and cleanup agreements, advise staff. Litigation Attorney -- administrative litigation and appeals for air permitting, drycleaning solvent cleanup program and numerous petroleum storage tank cleanup programs. Drycleaning Program Attorney – rulemaking, negotiate property access and cleanup agreements, advise staff. Litigation Attorney -- administrative litigation and appeals for air permitting, drycleaning solvent cleanup program and numerous petroleum storage tank cleanup programs.