Florida Senate committee recommends multiple executive appointments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections recommended a number of executive appointments Monday.

Appointees to public office require confirmation from the full Senate. Chairman Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, led the meeting.

Director of the Florida State Guard Mark A. Thieme was recommended by the committee. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thieme’s appointment in October 2023.

Thieme, a Colonel from the United States Marine Corps, said he retired in May of last year after 35 years of service.

Thieme successfully launched a “new civil military organization, which was fully operational more than two years ahead of schedule,” according to a previous announcement,

During the meeting, he spoke to the committee and explained his credentials and accomplishments.

Burgess said Thieme’s credentials “speak for themselves” and “being able to build this program from the ground up sounds like you’re the right guy for the job.”

Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, asked about the guard being deployed to Texas and future plans.

Thieme said there are five soldiers in Texas currently. He said he is new requests and may be sending a platoon in the future, which is about 30 people.

For the Board of Governors of the State University System, the committee recommended Ashley B. Barnett, Timothy M. Cerio, and Alan M. Levine.

A number of trustees were recommended for colleges across Florida including Marcell Felipe for Miami-Dade College, Cynthia Hartley Ross for Polk State College, Michael David White for Florida A & M University, Donald Patterson for New College of Florida and Jesse Panuccio for Florida Polytechnic University.

For the position of Florida Elections Commission Chair, the committee recommended Chad Mizelle.

Additionally, the committee recommended John Martin Hayes, Richard F. Joyce and Kymberlee C. Smith for the Florida Elections Commission.

For the Commission on Ethics, the committee recommended Tina Descovich, Luis M. Fuste, and Ashley Lukis.

Burgess said Ed H. Moore was no longer being considered due to his resignation.

Descovich, cofounder of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, appeared in person and took multiple questions from Senators relating to her organization.

Descovich said her role with Moms for Liberty is “independent and separate from the role on the Ethics Commission.”

She told the committee she promised to be “fair,” “just,” and will work with her teammates on the commission.

“This is a position that is important to hold elected leaders accountable, and I think that is the most important role in the state of Florida right now […] If we lose our faith in our elected leaders, we’ve lost a lot of faith in our government, and we’ve lost our government as a whole,” she said.

During debate, Polsky asked Senators to vote against her recommendation. Polksy said Descovich is “so involved in politics.”

Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, spoke in support of Descovich and said it would be a “mistake if we did not have someone of her caliber in this position.”

Descovich’s confirmation was recommended favorably by the committee, despite a few Senators voting in opposition.

Additional recommendations approved by the committee included Mariana Cancio-Johnson to the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, Olivia Romal Hoblit to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Mary Mica, Ashley Ross, and Kyley Weida to the Governor’s Mansion Commission, and Eric Darienzo to the Board of Pilot Commissioners.

The full Senate must now vote on the appointments. For the full list of appointees and their term expiration dates, click here.