Florida Governor Rick Scott Announces Staff Changes: December 29, 2011

The Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott issued the following news release today, December 29, 2011:

Florida Governor Rick Scott Announces Staff Changes

~New staff members and promotions announced within Governor Scott’s Administration~

Tallahassee, Fla. – Governor Rick Scott today announced four staff member changes within his administration 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 Governor’s Office of External Affairs.

“I am grateful these experienced and talented individuals are joining and expanding their roles within my administration,” said Governor 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 January 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. Ms. Hazelton has extensive experience in public-records and sunshine-law issues, including the creation and implementation of open government training programs. Ms. Hazelton graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned her Bachelor’s 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 January 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 Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

Mike Dew has been named Governor Rick Scott’s Director of External Affairs effective January 1, 2012. Dew will manage all aspects of the Governor’s public events and scheduling operations, as well as overseeing the Governor¹s Mansion and International Affairs. He will continue to supervise the Governor’s regional representatives around the state, a duty he has performed as the Governor’s Director of Public Liaison since June. Prior to joining Governor Scott’s 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 Governor Scott’s team in October as Director of Scheduling and on January 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, DC 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, Florida where she opened a communication firm specializing in emergency communications, non-profits, and public relations. Julie brings over a decade of experience in scheduling and international affairs to the Governor’s team.

To get the latest updates on Governor Scott’s priorities and accomplishments, follow him on Twitter and Facebook, or visit www.flgov.com.