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Politics

Adam Putnam Unveils Familiar Faces for Agriculture Team

December 20, 2010 - 6:00pm

Incoming Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam named key members of the administration on Tuesday as he prepares to leave Congress to assume his new responsibilities in January -- keeping many staffers who served under current Commissioner Charles Bronson.

While Putnam will retain a number of administrators who served under Bronson, continuity does not seem out of place in the agriculture post, which ranks as one of the most politically stable positions in American history.

Since Dec. 31, 1888, when L.B. Wombwell took over the office, only nine men have served in the agriculture position -- meaning there have been the same number of Florida agriculture commissioners as there have been popes during that period. This includes the long tenures of Nathan Mayo, who held the office for more than 36 years, and Doyle Conner, who served in the post for 30 years. During the same period, there have been 30 governors of Florida and 22 presidents of the United States.

Five weeks ago, Commissioner-elect Putnam asked us to put the best team on the field to serve the people of Florida, said Trey McCarley who headed up Putnams transition efforts. Through the tireless work of the transition team, I am confident that these individuals provide the necessary proactive, progressive and innovative leadership needed to make the department second to none.

I would like to thank the transition team for the countless hours that have gone into assisting in the selection of the following individuals to join the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said Putnam, a Republican who served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the Florida House.

We are fortunate to be handed a strong department by Commissioner Bronson and I want to thank him and his staff for the seamless transition, added Putnam.

The transition appears to be very seamless -- especially considering Putnams new team includes some familiar faces from the current department under Bronson, who was term-limited. Putnam kept Jay Levenstein as a deputy commissioner, a position he held under Bronson. Jim Boxold, another member of the Bronson team, will stay in the department to handle Cabinet affairs. Veterans of the department Marion Aller and Sharon Shepp will serve as acting deputy commissioners. Putnam retained Mike Gresham as director of the Division of Administration. Putnam also kept Andy Rackley in charge of the Division of Agriculture Environmental Services and Jerry Bryan in charge of the Division of Agriculture Law Enforcement.

The former congressman also brought in former staffers from his time in Congress, including his former chief of staff Cheryl Flood as director of external affairs. Flood worked in the department under Bronson on legislative issues. Matt Joyner, another former Putnam chief of staff, will handle federal affairs.

Putnam named Mike Joyner, a former chief of staff at the Department of Environmental Protection who also worked with the Florida Farm Bureau, as his chief of staff and assistant commissioner. Grave Lovett, who also spent time at the Department of Environmental Protection, will handle legislative affairs under Putnam.

The incoming commissioner named Sterling Ivey, who served as the press secretary under Gov. Charlie Crist, as his press secretary.

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.

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