Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 1.6.22

By Peter Schorsch

Good Thursday morning.

Let’s begin with some good news about a bunch of good people.

Corcoran Partners on Thursday cut the ribbon on a new St. Petersburg office and brought on Helen Levine, Ph.D., to run the ship.

“Our team prides itself on providing focused and exceptional service for our clients on a broad range of issues and funding requests. The addition of our fourth office reflects the high degree of importance we place on St. Petersburg and Pinellas County and Helen Levine is the right person to lead our firm’s expansion and growth in the area,” said founding Partner and CEO Michael Corcoran.

“Her integrity and commitment to excellence are second to none. Helen’s respect for all stakeholders on both sides of the aisle, her persuasive problem-solving abilities, and her love of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County truly made her the only choice for us.”

Levine comes to the firm with more than 30 years of experience in local government, higher education and the nonprofit sector. She most recently served as regional vice chancellor of USF St. Petersburg, where she oversaw the school’s government relations.

“I am pleased and honored to lead the St. Petersburg office of Corcoran Partners where the tradition of client-centered service, deep and enduring relationships, and impactful outcomes will continue to be the hallmark for our existing and new clients. I am grateful to Mike and Jessie (Corcoran) for their trust and confidence and look forward to a very productive and successful 2022.”

St. Petersburg Rep. Ben Diamond lauded Levine as “an extraordinary community leader, passionate advocate and pragmatic problem solver” and said her hire “clearly demonstrates the firm’s commitment to effectively advocating for organizations in the nonprofit and education sectors, especially those serving residents in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, and the entire Tampa Bay region.”

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Uber has tapped Javi Correoso to serve as its Head of Public Policy and Communications in the southern United States.

Correoso, a longtime Republican strategist and a close ally of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, has worked at Uber for the past six years and was part of the team that helped create ride-share regulations for the industry in Florida, serving as a regional spokesperson.

More recently, he led the company’s efforts to secure passage of the “cocktails to go” bill last Session, which allows restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages to take out and delivery customers, such as those who order meals through Uber Eats.

In his new role, Correoso will oversee the ride-share and delivery giant’s public policy and communications efforts in 20 states, including Florida.

Correoso, an FIU graduate, got his start in the political arena as a staffer to former Rep. David Rivera and as the executive director of the Miami-Dade Republican Party. He has held key positions in numerous political campaigns, including Rubio’s 2010 Senate bid.

After launching his public affairs firm National Capitol Strategies in 2013, he served as a top adviser to Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and the campaign opposing the 2014 amendment legalizing medical marijuana.

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The Florida Beer Wholesalers Association expanded this week with the addition of Jared Ross, who comes aboard as the association’s inaugural executive vice president.

“When looking for an executive vice president, we were looking for someone driven, passionate, and focused on the future, and Jared not only meets those expectations, but exceeds them,” said FBWA President Mitch Rubin. “Jared brings a unique perspective and shared vision for the future of the association that we are looking forward to seeing come to fruition.”

Ross joins the team with more than 15 years of experience working with and for trade associations, most recently as president of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates.

Before SCUA, Ross worked as Director of Public Policy at the American Cancer Society’s Florida division. He got his first taste of the Process working as the Chief Legislative Aide at The Rubin Group — the lobbying firm now known as Rubin Turnbull & Associates.

He is a double alum of Florida State University, where he earned his bachelor’s and law degrees. and is actively involved with several community organizations in the Tallahassee area. In addition to serving the board of multiple local organizations and committees, he is the founder of the FSU Jewish Alumni Network.

FBWA represents a consortium of nearly two-dozen independent licensed beer distributors in the Sunshine State. In addition to advocating for distributor interests in the Legislature, the organization educates licensees and the public on issues related to the manufacturing, distribution and retail sale of alcoholic beverages.

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Allison Aubuchon Communications kicked off the New Year by promoting Chloe Barr to senior account manager and launching a new website.

Barr joined the Tallahassee-based public relations firm in 2019 and in the time since she has supported a broad range of clients and topics with work spanning several states.

“Chloe has been a huge part of our team’s successes since she joined in 2019,” said Allison Aubuchon, the firm’s president. “She is a skilled communicator and problem-solver, along with being one of the most positive and passionate people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing or working with. I am so proud of what we have been able to achieve together and how well she represents our team and industry.”

Barr is a graduate of Florida State University and an active member of the Florida Public Relations Association — she was named FPRA’s New Member of the Year in 2021.

“I am so proud to continue my career with Allison Aubuchon Communications,” she said. “Allison is an amazing mentor and leader who has guided me through immense professional growth over three years with the company. I enjoy working with our clients on statewide, regional and national projects that influence social and policy change. I am incredibly grateful to work for a company that values wellness, family and personal growth along the way.”

Alongside the personnel news, the Allison Aubuchon Communications team’s new website, buzzwithpurpose.com, went live this week, with updates Aubuchon says better highlight the award-winning team’s work, areas of expertise and members.

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Shutts & Bowen LLP is bringing on lawyer Tara Price to serve as a partner at its Tallahassee office, according to an announcement obtained by Florida Politics Thursday.

The move will help Shutts & Bowen expand its appellate offerings. Price has experience in appellate litigation and has also worked in administrative, commercial and constitutional law.

“Shutts & Bowen’s Appellate Practice Group has seen tremendous growth over the last two years and the addition of Tara’s substantial experience in appellate advocacy will further bolster the capabilities we offer to our clients,” said Jason Gonzalez, managing partner of the Shutts & Bowen Tallahassee office and chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.

The Appellate Practice Group works to “provide appellate support during trial and pretrial activities, assisting in the development of legal theories and proper record establishment, as well as preserving and identifying error,” according to the firm.

Price has appeared before the Division of Administrative Hearings, District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. She graduated from the Florida State University College of Law after attending undergrad at the University of South Florida.

“I am thrilled to join the accomplished team of attorneys at Shutts and look forward to expanding my practice with one of Florida’s oldest statewide law firms,” Price said.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@JKertzer: I have an enormous amount of respect for the terrific political scientists, but I found this piece very puzzling. I know a lot of Civil War scholars, and … very few of them think the United States is on the precipice of a civil war.

—@k_mahlburg: The reason Joe Rogan is so hated is because he is speaking effectively to the persuadable middle.

—@GovRonDeSantis: The Chinese Communist Party steals America’s technology and is a threat to the semiconductor supply chain. I am investing funds to increase microchip and semiconductor manufacturing in Florida so that the CCP cannot hold our supply chain hostage.

—@CindyKGoodman: UF announced starting Jan. 1 it will no longer publicly track the number of infected students, faculty or staff on campus. Its final tally since March 2020 was 14,522, including a rapid rise in the number of positive cases in the final days it made data available.

—@Jusrangers: I’m much more concerned about Long Illiteracy and Long Depression than Long COVID. Open every school now.

—@KKriseman: Very surreal to be picking my husband up from his last day of work.

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