FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
FIRST FEMALE ELECTED AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN FLORIDA AND THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ELECTED STATEWIDE
CHAIRPERSON OF SPACE FLORIDA
GOVERNOR'S DESIGNEE ON THE FLORIDA DEFENSE SUPPORT TASK FORCE
CHAIRPERSON ON THE GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON CITIZEN SAFETY AND PROTECTION

Spending 20 years in the aviation community as an enlisted Navy jet mechanic and a Navy aviation maintenance officer, aviation and aerospace is in my blood. As Chairperson for Florida's Space program, it was a pleasure to help develop an aggressive, active working plan to fill the gap between the end of the Space Shuttle program and the beginning of the 21st century commercial launch applications and putting many displaced Shuttle workers back to work. Space technology has led to better telecommunications, navigation, earth observation, improved medical devices, and better weapon systems, to name a few. It is imperative for our state and the nation to provide necessary resources for the United States to maintain its excellence in space and space exploration.

ENLISTED (E-1) JET MECHANIC UNITED STATES NAVY
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER UNITED STATES NAVY 20 YEAR RETIRED, AVIATION MAINTENANCE OFFICER
LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

Our active military and veterans are the nation's heroes. They are the ones who leave home and family to go halfway around the world in defense of this country. American military and veterans give their time, and in many cases, their lives for our country. Our job is to support them, and honor their sacrifices by remembering the men and women who made our freedoms possible.

DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER
MAJORITY WHIP
CHAIRPERSON OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

I would like to convey a heartfelt "Thank You" for the out pouring of support to elect me to the Florida Legislature and as Lieutenant Governor. During my time in government I worked on pressing issues to jump start Florida's economy. My goals were to move legislation through that would keep Floridians working, create long sustaining jobs, and attract new companies to Florida. There were many successful results that benefited the district and the state of Florida such as: economic development, education funding, transportation, job growth and development.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GOVERNOR JEB BUSH'S APPOINTEE TO HEAD THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
CHAIRPERSON FOR FLORIDA'S COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS

As Governor Jeb Bush's Appointee to head the State Department of Veterans Affairs, I was able to open access to many veterans in Florida, obtain retroactive compensation for them to have the resources to take care of themselves and their families, push for the VA to provide quality service and to acquire more veterans nursing homes and national veterans cemeteries in Florida. As long as we have the ability, it is incumbent upon all of us to provide the greatest of care and support to our nation's veterans and their families. George Washington once said, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." 

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH APPOINTEE TO THE "WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR'S COMMISSION"
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH APPOINTEE TO THE "VETERAN BENEFITS AND DISABILITY COMMISSION"

I remain very concerned about the growing problems veterans are experiencing with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I believe that the rating schedule needs to be improved to take out judgment and subjectivity to develop a comprehensive evaluation that will account for the nuances associated with PTSD. I was fortunate to be President George W. Bush's appointee on the newly formed Veterans Disability Commission. As the only female member on the 13 member commission, I felt duly obligated to speak up and advocate for female veterans military families and surviving spouses, so that their issues and benefits would be equality factored and considered in any of the commission's recommendations.

After almost three years, the Commission presented to the Congress and President George W. Bush 113 recommendations to enhance improvements for a better VA compensation and delivery system for veterans and surviving spouses.