FY26 Special Category Review and Ranking Meetings


Meeting

9/25/2024 9:00:00 AM

FY26 Special Category Review and Ranking Meetings

2026

Case, Eric

Alissa Lotane

Tallahassee

Scoring Open

Materials

Agenda Files

SCFY2026WebinarAgenda.pdf

Panelists (8)

Bense, Judy

  • County: Escambia County

Bio:

County: Escambia

Bio

Dr. Judy Bense, a native of northwest Florida, is an archaeologist and has been at the University of West Florida (UWF) since 1980. She is the founder of the Anthropology program, Archaeology Institute and Florida Public Archaeology Network at UWF. Dr. Bense served as President of UWF from 2008 to 2016, and has now returned to the faculty. She specializes in northwest Florida archaeology and is the author of four research books and two public archaeology books plus scores of articles and book chapters. She is a founding member of the Florida Historical Commission and served as its chair from 2002-2008.

Browning, John

  • County: Putnam County

Bio:

County: Putnam

Bio

John Browning is the Senior Vice President of Political Affairs for the Goodman Company headquartered in West Palm Beach. The company is a real estate development and investment firm specializing in retail commercial development. Led by Found and Chairman Murray H. Goodman, the organization has served as a forerunner in the development and management of regional and super-regional malls, developing, owning, and managing more than 20 million square feet of commercial space. He also owns businesses including his family ranch and Angel's Dining Car (Florida's oldest diner). Mr. Browning is an avid enthusiast of early Florida and Spanish history. He has had a long career in public service including appointment by President George W. Bush to the National Council on Surface transportation Commission, Vice Chairman of the High Speed Rail Commission, as well as the Florida Rail Commission. Mr. Browning currently serves on many professional boards including Associated Industries of Florida, National Federation of Independent Business, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, Rodeheaver Boys Ranch and Sunrise Rotary Club. He currently lives in Palatka, where he also enjoyed restoring a historic turpentine settlement. He is a multi-generation Floridian maintaining his old family Victorian home located on the St Johns River. John graduated from St Johns River Community College with an AA in Business Administration and from Florida State University with a BS in Business Management.

Francis, Michael

  • County:

Bio:

Bio

Gonzalez, Rick

  • County: Palm Beach County

Bio:

County: PalmBeach

Bio

Rick Gonzalez, AIA, founded REG Architects, Inc., with his father Ricardo in 1988. Rick holds two architectural degrees from the Catholic University of America and has studied design in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Italy. He was Chairman of the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design, serves as the Immediate Past President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and is actively involved with community organizations such as the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. His association with high-profile projects like Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, the 1916 Palm Beach County Historic Courthouse, and "The Harriet" at City Place, has led the firm to numerous awards for historic preservation and downtown redevelopment.

Hoyt, David

  • County: Duval County

Bio:

County: Duval

Bio

David Hoyt is the Executive Director of Development for the Heartland Institute. He was previously a Senior Consultant for AC Fitzgerald & Associates and the Founder and President of Liberty Development Group. Hoyt earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Tulane University.

Kauffman, Kathleen

Smith, Cliff

  • County: Sarasota County

Bio:

County: Sarasota

Bio

Dr. Clifford E. Smith was hired by the City of Sarasota on December 26, 2006, to develop a historic preservation program, to promote historic preservation within the city, and to be a resource to the public interested in historic preservation. He currently serves as a member of the Historic Preservation Board for Sarasota County, a member of the Coalition for Historic Preservation, and Chairman of the Board for the Sarasota Municipal Employees Credit Union. In his previous position, Dr. Smith was Deputy Director of the Bermuda Maritime Museum - Chief of Operations and charged with the restoration of the 19th century museum buildings, the fort's six and a half acres grounds, and its battlements. As the Museum's Director of Archaeology and Conservation, he was responsible for a number of projects both on land and underwater completing Phase I surveys through Phase III excavations on sites dating from the 17th to the 19th century. These projects were used as training opportunities for the hundreds of students, interns, and volunteers that went through the various programs offered. In addition to historic restoration and archaeological projects; Dr. Smith often acted as a consultant to the British Government, Bermuda Government, and the West End Development Corporation to address their Historic, Archaeological, and Conservation issues. 

Parker, Destin

  • County: Okaloosa County

Bio:

County: Okaloosa

Bio

Dewey “Parker” Destin is a 6th generation Floridian. Parker grew up commercial fishing and operating restaurants with his family before receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tampa in 2007. Parker graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2012 and is admitted to the Bar in the State of Florida. As a life-long student of Florida History, Mr. Destin has worked to preserve Florida’s historical heritage through passing local preservation laws, as an elected official, and digitizing documents from Florida’s Revolutionary War period. He currently owns and operates restaurants in Northwest Florida.