Sunburn – The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics – 7.9.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Good Friday morning.

Thank you for the incredible outpouring of support you have showered upon us in the last 48 hours. Your prayers certainly worked as Michelle, while still recovering in the hospital and dealing with a good deal of pain, is on the mend.

Thank you to my #FlaPol colleagues for stepping up and assembling another solid edition of Sunburn — PS.

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They said, “I do” — Congratulations to Pinellas County Commissioner and former Rep. Kathleen Peters and her fiancee Jack Kuntz, who tied the knot Thursday in Hawaii at Shipwreck Beach, Kauai. Mazel Tov and best wishes to the happy couple!

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The Florida Police Chiefs Association welcomed the state’s elected leaders at the FPCA 69th Annual Summer Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, where it inducted its 2021-2022 leadership team and named the 2021 Legislators of the Year.

“FPCA was honored to welcome and hear from U.S. Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner Nikki Fried, as we honored the service and sacrifices of the law enforcement profession,” said newly installed FPCA President Stephan Dembinsky, who serves as director of the Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department. “FPCA also stood with Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who could not join us as he led the State Fire Marshal Office’s response at the Surfside building collapse.”

Joining Dembinksy on the new executive committee is Chief Michael Kessie, New College of Florida PD, first vice president; Chief Keith Touchberry, Fellsmere PD, second vice president; Chief Charles “Chuck” Broadway, Clermont PD, third vice president; and Chief Melanie Bevan, Bradenton PD, as secretary-treasurer.

FPCA agave special recognition to DeSantis, Moody, and Patronis for their “consistent actions in support of law enforcement.”

“Whether working to protect officers against those who would disrupt the rule of law, honoring the heroism and nobility of the law enforcement profession, or helping first responders meet the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder, their actions have helped protect and save lives, and the FPCA appreciates each of them coming and sharing their commitment to public safety in Florida,” Dembinsky said.

The FPCA also named Legislators of the Year: Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep. Juan Alphonso Fernandez-Barquin for sponsoring HB 1; Rep. Cord Byrd for HB 7051 and as chair of the House Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee; Sen. Jim Boyd and Rep. Chuck Brannan for sponsoring HB 371.

“Every year, the Florida Police Chiefs Association honors those legislators who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to the betterment of law enforcement and public safety in Florida,” Dembinksy said. “FPCA’s recipients represent a true cross-section of Florida, from the most rural of jurisdictions to the largest metropolitan areas. We applaud each of these Senators and Representatives.”

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Sachs Media announced Friday that experienced marketing professional Lori Modafferi and longtime public affairs manager Sue Mullins are joining its account management team.

Modafferi will join the agency as an Account Manager specifically focusing on health care marketing services for clients, while Mullins will serve as Account Manager for several public relations clients.

They join the already impressive lineup of top communications professionals who offer a full suite of capabilities, including strategy, public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, research, digital and social media, creative, marketing, and video production.

“Lori and Sue are exceptionally talented and experienced professionals, and we’re extremely pleased to add their expertise to our firm,” said founder and CEO Ron Sachs. “With the addition of Lori and Sue, we believe the best team in the business just got even better, and we look forward to sharing and applying their talents with our growing roster of clients and special projects.”

Modafferi previously led the strategic marketing and communication efforts for HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division. Before that, she served HCA Healthcare as a Marketing and Public Relations Director, where she directed media relations, branding, advertising, and website development.

She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida.

Mullins came to Sachs Media from the Florida policy arena, where she has served for years as a registered lobbyist and policy adviser. Working in the nonprofit, corporate, and public sectors, Mullins has crafted major legislative initiatives, including the successful Florida Forever land conservation program.

Her work has taken her from The Nature Conservancy and the Florida Senate to Ramba Law Group and Duke Energy. For her work on the Sarasota County land preservation referendum, Mullins won a POLLIE award, the most sought-after prize awarded by the American Association of Political Consultants.

She earned her master’s degree in anthropology from Florida State University and her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Leo College.

“We’re delighted to have Lori and Sue as part of the Sachs Media family, where I know they will embrace our commitment to achieving breakthrough successes for our clients,” said Sachs Media President and Partner Michelle Ubben. “Their skills and expertise will add to our already strong capabilities, which we devote to every client to help them achieve success.”

 — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@POTUS: We will never forget those who gave the last full measure of devotion for our country in Afghanistan — nor those whose lives have been immeasurably altered by wounds sustained in service. We are ending America’s longest war, but we will always honor those who served in it.

—@atrupar: President [Joe] Biden: “I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation to achieve a different outcome. The United States cannot afford to remain tethered to policies created in response to a world as it was 20 years ago.”

—@laraseligman: [Jen] Psaki stresses that “we are not going to have a mission accomplished moment” on Afghanistan. “It’s a 20-year war that has not been won militarily.” Adds that the Biden admin is “proud and grateful” of the service members who fought.

Tweet, tweet:

—@MitchPerry18: Hours after it’s revealed that @marcorubio has raised $4 million over past 3 months in his bid for reelection for U.S. Senate, Dem. opponent @RepValDemings announces she’s raised $4.6 million since announcing her candidacy less than a month ago.

—@TroyKinsey: Members of the @FLSenateDems today are writing @GovRonDeSantis to express concern about the #DeltaVariant & vaccine hesitancy among Rs: “Join with your fellow Republican Governors who are tapping the power of their office to strongly urge reluctant residents to get vaccinated.”

—@DeFede: In an interview w/@CBSMiami, Haiti’s U.S. Ambassador, Bocchit Edmond, rejected calls by some in Congress to delay elections in Haiti, saying: “I believe the United States Congress supported elections in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the security situation is even worse than Haiti.”

—@FoxReports: Speaker’s office refers to Donald Trump as “twice-impeached Florida retiree”

—@ryanstruyk: The United States is now averaging 15,068 new coronavirus cases per day, according to data from @CNN and Johns Hopkins University, up nearly 50% from Walensky’s estimate of 10,350 just over two weeks ago.

—@cwarzel: what living in this moment does for me, as a journalist, is make me feel constantly caught between the worry that I’m being overly alarmist and the fear that I am stating the obvious. It’s very disorienting.

Tweet, tweet:

—@AngieNixon: Make no mistake about it. There are certain groups of folks wools that don’t want working-class families educated because it’s more profitable to make money off people if they’re in prison. Limit their access to resources and opportunities and lead them on a path to jail.

— @ChrisLatvala: Can we get @TomBrady to toss the Stanley Cup from a boat? Without him getting hurt, of course.