On Tuesday, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Pete Gaynor named Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis to his agency’s National Advisory Council (NAC) which coordinates federal emergency management efforts.
Patronis weighed in on his new assignment on Tuesday afternoon.
“As a fourth-generation Floridian, I know the importance of emergency preparedness and management to ensure the safety and success of all Floridians,” Patronis said. “I’m honored by this appointment and look forward to advising FEMA on important disaster response and recovery issues, especially financial and insurance matters. I will continue to advocate for measures aimed at streamlining the reimbursement process of federal assistance to communities impacted by disasters, a vital part of the recovery process.
“After seeing firsthand the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Michael, I know that building relationships with our federal partners in Washington is important to ensuring Florida is prepared to recover quickly from the next disaster that takes aim at the Sunshine State,” he added.
“The NAC provides advice to the FEMA Administrator through recommendations on all aspects of emergency management. For example, in 2019 the NAC has examined how to continue building financial preparedness, how to structure the Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities program, as well as how to help close the insurance gap,” the state CFO’s office noted. “The NAC consists of up to 35 members, including a diverse cross-section of officials, emergency managers, and emergency responders from state, local, tribal and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.”
After eight years in the Florida House and serving on the state Public Service Commission (PSC), Patronis was named to his current post in the summer of 2017 by then Gov. Rick Scott after Jeff Atwater resigned the position to take a job at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Back in November 2018, Patornis beat former state Sen. Jeremy Ring to win a term in his own right.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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