Rick Scott Announces Governor's Office Changes

Gov. Rick Scott announced Thursday four staff changes within his administration, all of which become effective in January.

Bonnie Hazleton has been appointed director of the Office of Open Government, Tom Doughty will join the executive office of the governor as director of information technology, and Mike Dew and Julie Roberts have been promoted within the governors office of external affairs.

I am grateful these experienced and talented individuals are joining and expanding their roles within my administration, said Scott. I have always said one of the most important duties as governor is surrounding yourself with a top-notch team that is dedicated to serving the citizens of Florida. These four individuals will be a great addition to my staff and share my commitment to getting the state back to work.

Bonnie Hazelton will join the executive office of the governor on Jan. 5, 2012, as the director of the Office of Open Government. Immediately prior to joining the governor's office, she served for four years as the director of the Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, where she functioned as the department's primary open government contact. Hazelton has extensive experience in public-records and sunshine-law issues, including the creation and implementation of open government training programs. Hazelton graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned her bachelor of arts in psychology, and from St. Mary's University where she earned a masters in clinical psychology.

Tom Doughty will join the executive office of the governor on Jan. 3, 2012, as the director of information technology. Mr. Doughty has 15 years of information technology consulting and management experience and holds several hardware, software, and project management certifications. Mr. Doughty graduated from Florida State University with a bachelors degree in computer science.

Mike Dew has been named Scotts director of external affairs effective Jan. 1, 2012. Dew will manage all aspects of the governors public events and scheduling operations, as well as overseeing the governors mansion and international affairs. He will continue to supervise the governors regional representatives around the state, a duty he has performed as the governors director of public liaison since June. Prior to joining Gov. Scotts team, Dew served in a number of leadership roles for administrations and campaigns at the national and statewide level. Dew is a native of Ohio and earned his degree from The Ohio State University.

Julie Kay Roberts joined Scotts team in October as director of scheduling and on Jan. 1, 2012 will take on the second role of chief of protocol. Julie grew up in Marshall, Texas, where she graduated from East Texas Baptist University with a degree in speech communication and political science. In 2001, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she served in the administration of President George W. Bush for four years in the U.S. departments of Commerce, State, Labor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency serving in scheduling and international affairs roles. In 2005, Julie moved to Tallahassee, Fla., where she opened a communication firm specializing in emergency communications, nonprofits, and public relations. Julie brings over a decade of experience in scheduling and international affairs to the governors team.