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Public Service Commission opening draws variety of hopefuls

 
Published May 6, 2016

Applicants to replace longtime Florida Public Service Commission member Lisa Edgar include a staffer in Gov. Rick Scott's office, a recent candidate for state insurance commissioner and a Gainesville city commissioner.

A nominating council, chaired by Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, will review the applicants and provide a narrowed-down list to Scott. The governor is expected later this year to choose a replacement for Edgar on the five-member commission, which regulates utilities.

The job pays $131,000 a year. Terms are for four years.

Edgar, who was first appointed to the commission by former Gov. Jeb Bush and was reappointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist and Scott, announced this week she would not seek a fourth term. The deadline for applications was Tuesday.

The applicants:

• Jeffrey Bragg, a Palm Harbor resident who became embroiled in a recent standoff between Scott and state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater about appointing an insurance commissioner.

Bragg was Scott's pick for the job but didn't get it because Atwater would not support the appointment. Scott and Atwater were required to agree on a pick and ultimately decided to promote Deputy Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier.

• Thomas P. Brantley, an engineer who has spent the past 22 years as director of facilities management and construction for Leon County. Early in his career, Brantley helped design nuclear plants built in the mid 1970s into the mid 1980s by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.

• Todd Chase, a Gainesville City Commissioner since 2011. Chase was a Navy pilot and now is chief operating officer of Digi-Net Technologies.

• John. R. Coleman of New Port Richey, a retired New York State Department of Public Service supervisor.

• Johnnie E. Cooper, a Plant City resident and a candidate for a master's degree in public administration at Nova Southeastern University.

• Jeffrey S. Foster, a project manager for the city of Jacksonville's Department of Public Works.

• Albert E. Martin, a retired professional engineer from Fleming Island, who also sought appointment to the PSC in 2013.

• Stuart W. Pollins, a deputy policy coordinator in the transportation and economic development unit of the governor's Office of Policy and Budget. Pollins is a registered as a lobbyist for the governor's office.

• Donald J. Polmann of Dunedin, a senior project director for the consulting engineering firm Atkins North America Inc. He also worked at Tampa Bay Water and was a finalist for a spot on the PSC in 2013, when Scott reappointed commissioners Ronald Brise and Art Graham.

• Dennis E. Shannon of Gulfport, a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning installer for AER Solutions.

• Cynthia J. Wilson Orndoff of Fort Myers, a professor of construction at Florida SouthWestern State College and a faculty member at Everglades University in Sarasota.