House Speaker-designate Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, has named a pair of popular insider appointments: Kathy Mears as his chief of staff, andhe will move Ryan Duffy from press secretary for leadership in the House to be his communications director.
Kathy is a true professional with invaluable experience in the highest levels of state government and the private sector, Weatherford stated in a release.
As my chief of staff, she will play a central role in helping the Florida House develop solutions to address the many challenges facing our state.
Florida House Democratic Office Communications Director Mark Hollis tweeted out a "congrats" for the appointments.
Mears had represented Weatherford while at On 3 Public Relations, where she is a vice president. She holds an even more impressive resume from the Capitol, serving as an adviser to former governor Charlie Crist, as well as advising former Senate presidents Ken Pruitt, a Republican from Port St. Lucie, and Tom Lee, a Republican from Brandon.
She also served as communications director for U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Orlando, when he was Florida House speaker, and served in the same capacity for his successful 2010 congressional run.
As communications director, Duffy will replace Katie Betta, who is moving into the same role for Senate President-designate Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.
Ryan has served with excellence on the House communications team, and he will do great work with press and public to keep them informed and us accountable, Weatherford stated in a release.
Duffys resume includes work as a speechwriter for former Gov. Jeb Bush and former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, a Republican from Orlando. Duffy also was a managing director of social media at the well-connected Ron Sachs Communications in Tallahassee.
In addition to Betta, Gaetz has already named several key figures for his staff:
- Lisa Vickers, who recently stepped down as director of the Florida Department of Revenue, will serve as Gaetzs senior adviser.
- Carol Gormley will serve as senior policy advisory on health care.Gormley previously worked for Bush and in the Florida House where she was staff director for the Health and Human Services Committee.
Gaetz still intends to name a deputy chief of staff, senior policy adviser for education, a senior policy adviser for economic issues and a general counsel in the coming weeks.
Both Weatherford and Gaetz are up for re-election this year. With a day remaining for qualifying, neither has attracted an opponent.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
