Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 11.8.21

 By Peter Schorsch

Good Monday morning.

Let’s start the day with a major personnel note.

U.S. Sugar will announce today that Ken McDuffie has been promoted to executive vice president and Derek Pridgen has been promoted to vice president of Agricultural Operations.

In his new role, McDuffie will assist the U.S. Sugar President and CEO Robert H. Buker Jr. in all strategic and political matters and oversee U.S. Sugar’s agricultural operations. McDuffie will continue to directly oversee citrus agriculture and research, railroad operations, Rouge River Farms and industry and grower relations.

“Under Ken’s steady leadership at the helm of our Agricultural Operations division, we have had some of the most productive crops in our Company’s 90-year history,” Buker said. “As executive vice president, Ken will take on additional responsibilities to help move our Company forward as we continue charting a course for the future.”

McDuffie, a Clewiston native, most recently served as U.S. Sugar’s senior vice president of Agricultural Operations, a position he has held since 2005. McDuffie started working at U.S. Sugar in 1992 and has held several positions with the company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Florida State University.

“It is humbling to be able to help lead a company I have grown up admiring and have had the privilege to work for throughout my career,” McDuffie said. “U.S. Sugar is a special company, and I look forward to playing a larger role in ensuring we can continue to provide cane sugar, citrus, and fresh vegetables to customers across America.”

Pridgen, meanwhile, was promoted from U.S. Sugar’s general manager of Farm Operations. As vice president of Agricultural Operations, he will be responsible for all aspects of sugar-cane operations and will report directly to McDuffie.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@NaomiBiden: I’ll say it: this is a Big Fucking Deal

—@MattGaetz: I can’t believe Republicans just gave the Democrats their socialism bill.

—@JakeSherman: The bipartisan infrastructure bill was always the easier of the two parts of (Joe) Biden’s agenda. Next up: house passing BBB, (Joe) Manchin and (Kyrsten) Sinema in the Senate and then house passage again. Very interesting.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@Jenn_Bradley: Thank you, President (Kent) Fuchs, for this guidance that protects free speech and academic freedom!

—@DanMartinez305: More important than ever, we need to recognize the horrible consequences of communism and remind our current and future generations of the importance of freedom we can take for granted. Thank you @SenMannyDiazJr @RepTomFabricio @AlexRizo110 @DavidBorreroFL @MiamiYRs

—@JacobOgles: The more I look at the incentives deal for Rumble to come to Longboat Key, the more questions I have.

—@Elmo: Elmo was so happy to talk to @DrSanjayGupta at the town hall today! Elmo learned that Elmo’s friends can get the COVID-19 vaccine now, and soon Elmo can too!

—@DonMoyn: Turns out that the woke mob coming to cancel Aaron Rodgers is *checks notes* Terry Bradshaw