Since the release of the FEMA Review Council report on May 7, LMA has done a deep dive into the 70+ page report and it is clear that local and state government risk transfer to the worldwide insurance market is top of mind. I was asked by Florida’s emergency management director Kevin Guthrie to teach an insurance class with a focus on parametric insurance. My co-presenter is Gallagher Re’s Executive VP & head of property insurance for North America Adam Schwebach, with a multi-decade career in innovative reinsurance solutions. The session is part of the five-day Florida’s Training for Emergency Management symposium this week in Orlando and you can watch virtually. Please contact us if you would like further details.
I am also honored to share with our readers that Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon has appointed me as to serve as President of the Florida Corrections Foundation.
Louie Wainwright Sr.
This appointment is especially meaningful to me because my journey in public service was profoundly shaped by the Wainwright family, beginning with the legendary Louie L. Wainwright Sr. I first met Secretary Wainwright when I was 22 years old, working for the Parole Commission. We both worked late hours, and he would often sit and talk with me about my future, encouraging me to dream big, never look back, and always treat every person in my orbit with kindness and respect.
That was simply who he was.
I watched him speak to everyone with the same sincerity and dignity: from senior officials to the housekeeping staff working late into the night. He had a remarkable gift for making people feel seen, valued, and important.
One day, he told me he thought I would be a great fit at the Department of Revenue working for his son, Louie Wainwright Jr. Louie Jr. hired me at just 24 years old to work in the executive suite of the Department of Revenue – and ironically the suite was Room 104 in the Carlton Building, Secretary Dixon’s current office. One of my fondest memories was when Louie, Jr. told me he would “fire me” if I didn’t go back and earn my master’s degree because Florida State University was “just down the street.” I earned my Master’s in Public Administration because of that “nudge.”
I owe so much to the Wainwright family. At 66 years old, not a day goes by that I don’t think about how blessed I was to know such extraordinary Floridians whose lives were dedicated to serving others. They taught me that leadership matters, kindness matters, and loyalty goes both ways.
Their legacy continues through the important work of the Florida Corrections Foundation.
I have tremendous admiration for our correctional officers and all those who work within our institutions. Their work is difficult, important, and often underappreciated. Many share the belief that those who enter the system should leave it better prepared to succeed in life. The Foundation plays a vital role in supporting that mission and helping those impacted by incarceration.
In other news, as one legislative special session ended Friday (passing a slightly smaller $114.5 billion state budget for the next fiscal year that now goes to the Governor for potential line-item vetoes) another special session begins today to consider a November ballot issue on property tax relief for homeowners. We’ll also be watching this week’s weather, as heavy rains are expected in many parts of Central and South Florida, with a flash flood threat for Miami-Dade County.
Up next: the improving condo insurance market, prepping for hurricane season that begins today, the hidden cost drivers of severe storms, the latest on wind mitigation and surplus lines regulation, Congress’ latest effort at risk transfer, why you should be suspicious of AI notetakers, plus the power of ‘breaking the rules’ in customer service!
LMA Newsletter of 6-1-26
