Politics
Ron DeSantis appoints new member to Florida Transportation Commission
Two others were reappointed.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a new member of the Florida Transportation Commission (FTC), and reappointed two others, he announced this week.
DeSantis appointed Thomas C. Nash II to the panel that oversees transportation policy for Florida. DeSantis reappointed Ronald Howse and Russell Roberts to additional terms.
The FTC was founded in 1987 to provide citizen oversight of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The panel also includes expanded influence over the state’s expressway authorities and regional transportation authorities. There are nine members on the FTC, each serving four terms. The board is required to meet at least four times a year, though it convenes usually more often each year and the FTC’s geographic meeting locations rotate around the state.
Nash brings to the board experience from an extensive career as a lawyer in the Tampa area and beyond. He is the Chair and Shareholder of Macfarlane Ferguson and McMullen headquartered on the Gulf Coast.
Nash is no stranger to public and community service. He has served as Chair of the Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation and is a member of the Morton Plant Mease Hospital Board of Trustees.
Nash obtained his bachelor’s degree from University of the South and his law degree from Samford University.
Howse returns to the FTC as he remains owner and CEO of the Real Deal Development Group, a real estate development firm based on the Space Coast specializing in industrial properties. He’s also Principal of Howseco. Howse is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Eastern Florida State College and he sits on the St. Johns River Water Management District board.
Howse holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida.
Roberts serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration. He also previously served as Chief of Staff for former U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Republican who held the Florida’s 7th Congressional District, which represents much of Volusia County and stretches inland to several counties in Central Florida. Roberts ran for the seat himself in 2022, but lost in the Republican Primary.
Roberts was also the Vice President of Government Affairs for Brightline Trains Florida. He also sat on the Board of Directors for Florida TaxWatch, one of the highest-profile conservative government watchdog groups in the state. He also served as a member of the American Public Transportation Association.
