Lt. Governor Toni Jennings, Chair
Toni Jennings, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Florida, is the first woman to hold the office. Since taking office in March 2003, Lt. Governor Jennings has served as co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Access to Affordable Health Insurance, chaired the Universal Pre-kindergarten Education Advisory Council, participated significantly in Florida’s hurricane preparedness, response and recovery and chaired the Governor’s Commission on the Future of Space and Aeronautics in Florida.
A native of Orlando, Jennings began her professional career as a public school teacher at Killarney Elementary in Orange County upon graduation from Wesleyan College.
Lt. Governor Jennings was elected a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1976 then elected to the Florida Senate in 1980 where she served Central Florida for 20 years. During her sixth term in office (1996-2000), Jennings was chosen by her peers to serve as Florida’s first, and only, two-term State Senate President. As Senate leader, she distinguished herself as a skilled consensus builder. She championed workforce development initiatives, created the state’s school readiness program and was instrumental in establishing a system of accountability in public education. During her tenure as Senator, she also was a driving force behind the state’s successful program to move citizens from welfare to self-sufficiency and, later, was the first person to chair Workforce Florida, Inc.
While dedicating more than 24 years to public service, she also successfully ran Jack Jennings & Sons, a family-owned construction business. After 20 years of leading the company as President, she stepped down to become Lt. Governor.
Senator J. D. Alexander
Senator J. D. Alexander, a citrus grower from Lake Wales, currently represents District 17 of the Florida Senate where he is the Senate Majority Whip. He is Chairman of the Senate Education Appropriations Committee, serves on the Joint Legislative Budget Commission and on the Banking and Insurance, Communications and Public Utilities, Environmental Preservation and Ways and Means Committees.
Senator Alexander served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 until elected to the Senate in 2002. While a member of the House he was chair of the House Council for Competitive Commerce and the House Water and Resource Management Committee. His legislative accomplishments center on insurance, business, education and agriculture
Senator Alexander received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Florida.
Lee Arnold
Lee Arnold founded the Arnold Companies and currently serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO. The Arnold Companies consist of: Colliers Arnold Commercial, which offers real estate brokerage services, Colliers Arnold Management, Colliers Arnold Valuation Services, Arnold Realty Advisors and Arnold Development Advisors. Mr. Arnold specializes in large, one-of-a kind marketing assignments with emphasis on problem properties. He has been active in establishing numerous joint ventures and is a principal in Checkers Drive-thru restaurants as well as founding director of the new American Momentum Bank headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Mr. Arnold received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from the University of South Florida.
Representative Donald Brown
Representative Don Brown was elected in 2000 to represent District 5 of the Florida House Representatives, serving parts of Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington Counties in Northwest Florida. He is Chair of the House Council on Administration and also serves on the Finance and Tax Committee, the Fiscal Council, the Insurance Committee and the Rules & Calendar Council.
Representative Brown attended Okaloosa-Walton Junior College and the University of West Florida. He is an insurance agent in DeFuniak Springs.
Leslie Chapman-Henderson
Leslie Chapman-Henderson is President/CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes - FLASH®, a non-profit corporation founded in 1998 by a collaborative of non-profit, private and public organizations dedicated to strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disaster. Chapman-Henderson and the Federal Alliance have championed the cause of code-plus construction methods through creation of Blueprint for Safety™, and educational programs for homebuilders, homeowners and design professionals on disaster-resistant construction techniques.
Ms. Chapman-Henderson now serves as consumer representative for Florida Governor Jeb Bush on the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council and insurance consumer representative to the Task Force on Long Term Solutions for Florida’s Hurricane Insurance Market as well as the consumer representative to the 2005 Louisiana Uniform Building Code Task Force.
Ms. Chapman-Henderson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science at the University of Florida.
J. D. “Joe” Collins
Joe Collins is a builder-developer in Northeast Florida. He is President/CEO of The Collins Group, Inc. and several other development corporations. He is currently developing in excess of 9,500 lots and has directed the construction of over 5,000 units since 1975. He is past President of the Florida Home Builders Association
Mr. Collins received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Business Administration from Stetson University.
Manuel de Zárraga
Manny de Zárraga is an Executive Managing Director and member of the Operating Committee of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, LLP. HFF’s primary business lines include debt placement, investment sales, private equity, corporate finance, loan servicing and note sales. Mr. de Zárraga has over twenty years’ experience in real estate investment banking.
Mr. de Zárraga was formerly a principal with Sonnenblick-Goldman Company where he served as investment advisor for large retail, hotel and condominium projects. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami
Robert Helms
Bob Helms is Florida CEO for Wachovia Bank, providing leadership to all consumer and commercial banking and community reinvestment activities for Wachovia Florida Bank.
He joined Wachovia in 1969 and has many leadership positions within the organization. He is immediate past Chair of both the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Northeast Florida.
Mr. Helms received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Psychology from the University of North Carolina.
Frank Kowalski
Frank Kowalski is President/CEO of Koski & Company, Inc.
A. D. “Sandy” MacKinnon
Sandy MacKinnon is CEO of Yale Industrial Trucks. He has spent his entire career working for Yale and in 1982 purchased the Tampa franchise has grown to include franchises in Orlando and Jacksonville. Yale was awarded the “Dealer of Excellence” for ten years; one of only two dealerships in North America to earn this distinction.
Mr. Mackinnon received a Bachelor of Science in Business from Hillsdale College.
Bill Montford
Bill Montford is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS). Prior to becoming CEO of FADSS in July 2006, Mr. Montford served as School Superintendent in Leon County for 10 years. He is a former teacher and school administrator and also served two terms as a Leon County Commissioner.
Mr. Montford received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics Education and a Master of Science degree in Administration and Supervision from Florida State University.
Representative Dennis Ross
Representative Dennis Ross has served in the Florida House of Representatives since 2000. His current council and committee responsibilities include assignment to the Rules and Calendar Council, Commerce Council, Ethics and Elections Committee, Judiciary Committee and Judiciary Appropriations. In addition he is Chair of the House Insurance Committee. He is an attorney with Ross, Vecchio and Stanton. PA. The firm specializes in workers’ compensation defense and liability insurance matters.
Representative Ross received a Bachelor of Science in Business from Auburn University and his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law.
Larry Schultz
Larry Schultz is a senior project manager for NASA at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and has been responsible for the design, development, and operation of facilities, systems and equipment for space vehicles at KSC since 1967. He has served as Mayor of Rockledge since 1999 and is Chairman of the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust.
Mr. Schultz received a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (BAE) from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management (MSEM) from the University of Central Florida.
Linda Loomis Shelley
Linda Shelley is a shareholder and statewide proactive chair of the Government, Environmental and Land Department with Fowler White Boggs Banker, PA. She specializes in governmental, environmental and land use law and represents a variety of public and private sector clients before state, federal and local agencies. Ms. Shelley was formerly the General Counsel for Governor Bob Graham and for the Department of Community Affairs, where she later served as Secretary. She was Chief of Staff for Governor Lawton Chiles and for Treasurer Bill Nelson.
Ms. Shelly received her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida.
Barbara Weese
Barbara Weese is a retired educator who taught school in New York, Massachusetts and Maine. During her career she was also chair of the English Department, on the Board on the New England Council of Teachers of English and President of the Saco Valley Teachers Association. Since retirement she has been active in AARP, chairing the Economics Committee of the National Policy Council for the past two years.
Ms. Weese received a Bachelor of Science degree in Humanities from Le Moyne College and a Master of Science in Education from Syracuse University.
Property Insurance Technical Advisory Committee
John F. Auer
John Auer serves as President/CEO of American Strategic Insurance Corporation.
Nancy Baily
Nancy Baily is President/CEO of Travelers Florida.
Bert L. Combs
Bert Combs is a shareholder with the law firm of Radey, Thomas, Yon & Clark, P.A. where his practice consists primarily of insurance regulatory, administrative, pharmacy and business law.
Joe Formusa
Joe Formusa is Senior Vice President of the Florida Zone for State Farm Insurance Company, the largest property and casualty insurance company in Florida.
John C. Laurie
John Laurie is a Principal and Chief Operating Officer for Wyman, Green & Blalock, Inc., a firm providing insurance consultation, service and products to businesses.
Phillip E. Lawson
Phil Lawson is President of Allstate Floridian Insurance Company and Field Vice President of Allstate Insurance Company’s Florida Regional Office.
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin is Executive Vice President/Senior Lending Officer of First State Bank of the Florida Keys.
Tony A. Loughman
Tony Loughman is founder and CEO of Southern Oak Insurance Company in Jacksonville, Florida.
Barry McCabe
Barry McCabe is President of Hometown America Enterprises, the new business development arm of Hometown America which he co-founded in 1997.
Tal P. Piccione
Tal Piccione is Chairman and Chief Executive of U.S. RE Companies, Inc., the parent company of U.S. RE Group.
Tom Rogan
Tom Rogan is the retired President of The MacNeill Group.
Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan is an insurance agent with Nationwide Insurance in DeFuniak Springs.
Mark Casteel
Mark Casteel is the Executive Director of the Property Insurance Reform Committee.
Kevin M. McCarty
Kevin McCarty was appointed Commissioner of the Office of Insurance Regulation by the Financial Services Commission in 2003.
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller is Director of the Department of Financial Services Mitigation Program.
Dr. Jack E. Nicholson
Dr. Jack Nicholson is the Senior FHCF Officer of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund for the Florida State Board of Administration
Bob Ricker
Bob Ricker is the Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
Dr. Ray Spudeck
Dr. Ray Spudeck is the Senior Research Economist at Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.