Scott asks 6 of Crist's agency secretaries to stay on job to buy him time

Gov.-elect Rick Scott is revoking the pink slips for at least six of Gov. Charlie Crist's department heads and at least 400 other mid to upper-level managers while he takes his time to staff up for his new administration, according to a list released by the Scott transition team Monday. Download Scott staff list 121810

Among those asked to stay on board for 60 to 90 days is Department of Children and Families secretary George Sheldon, Department of Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil, Agency for Workforce Innovation director Cynthia Lorenzo, Department of Business & Professional Regulation Secretary Charlie Liem, Agency for Persons with Disabilities Secretary Jim DeBeaugrine and Elder Affairs Interim Secretary Charles T. (Chuck) Corley.

Gone are the secretaries for the Departments of Juvenile Justice (Frank Peterman), the Department of the Lottery (Leo DiBenigno), Department of Community Affairs (Tom Pelham), Department of Health (Ana Viamonte Ros), Department of Management Services (Linda South), and Department of State (Dawn Roberts.)

Pelham said in an email to the Herald-Times that he submitted his resignation on Nov. 8 and "would not have worked for Scott a single day, even if I had been asked to stay." He also noted that Scott has "no authority to accept any one's resignation before he takes office on January 4."

Unlike many other newly-elected governors, Scott has not announced a single appointment to his new team. His chief legal advisor and transition team director Enu Mainigi has been criticized privately by many of Scott's transition advisors for bottling up and controlling the process. She has said that he prefers to take her time as she strives for applicants from across the country who bring a business perspective to the job.

Scott asked for the resignation of the top 10 officials at each agency and while he now is asking another 405 to remain in the job for two to three months after the inauguration, he has accepted the resignation of 72 of those officials. Even that list isn't final, however. Scott's staff is interviewing some of those people for other jobs in the administration, just not the jobs they currently hold. 

The Scott team has been conducting interviews in Tallahassee for the past week and has found five people it has definitely asked to stay on. All of them work in the executive office of the governor: Nancy Clemons, Rachael Goodson, Dawn Hanson, Ramona McGregor and Maryann Rybicky. Goodson and Rybicky work in the governor's office of Cabinet Affairs. Clemons and McGregor work in the governor's graphics department and Hanson is the director of administration, handling employee applications and paperwork.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Scott is a Crook]

Man this guy is so rich he can even Buy Time?
He musta stole lots of money.

[Ashley G.]

Folks can bash the governor-elect but not criticize a staffer? Seems like somebody is picking and choosing based on their own opinions.

[The big mistake]

This is comical. Rick Scott's transition team is so incompetent and clumsy, so he wants state workers at his fingertips and disposal. What a tyrant. Its going to be a fun four years to see the devistation this crook levels on Florida...sorry Floridian's, cant feel too sorry for you...you elected him.

[Dean]

Of all the young talent in the Crist administration, this guy keeps Marianne? She's a crass, slovenly, talentless twenty-something even by state government standards. Guess none of the smart kids wanted to stay.