On a stressful day in the office, Mark Kaplan went outside to get some fresh air in Gainesville.

He walked around the University of Florida campus on a quick break when he stopped and took in the scene — a student ukulele club playing. Kaplan couldn’t help but smile.

Kaplan has long felt the magic of working for UF as Vice President for Government and Community Relations. This has been a dream job for Kaplan, a lifelong Gator fan.

But at 57, Kaplan said he is stepping back from his role after dealing with health issues and going on medical leave this year. Kaplan said he is optimistic about his continued recovery but decided it is the right time to move on.

“I’ve only got one of me to take care of. This has been a good reminder of putting my attention on what’s most important,” Kaplan said.

Interim UF President Kent Fuchs praised Kaplan’s tenure in an email sent to his leadership team announcing his upcoming departure.

“The relationships Mark has built and the respect he has earned during his decades of leadership in Florida have served UF incredibly well,” Fuchs wrote. “The university community and I have benefited in countless ways from his wisdom, collaborative spirit, calm, steady approach to his work, and ability to get things done.”

Kaplan became the UF Vice President of Government and Community Relations in 2018 — 30 years after he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at UF.

“In a lot of ways, this is a dream job to get to do this at your alma mater,” said Kaplan, who called working in higher education “intellectually stimulating.”

Kaplan said he got a front row seat as UF was on the cutting-edge of artificial intelligence and college athletes have been transformed by NIL payments in recent years.

Kaplan’s carefully planned day could get blown up at anytime; he never knew what he could get thrown into, he said. That made his work unpredictable and exciting.

“Just the vastness of UF creates a certain novelty every single day,” Kaplan said. “We talk about UF being among the most comprehensive universities in the country, with one of the few places in the country that has a vet school and a pharmacy school and a medical school and a law school. And one of the things that comes from all of that is it adds to the scope of things that you’re paying attention to and issues that you get to work on.”

The job could be grueling — Kaplan was on the road several months a year.

UF operates offices year-round in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

Kaplan’s traveled to Tallahassee during the Legislative Session and committee weeks to advocate for more investment in UF since tuition has remained relatively flat for the past decade, Kaplan said. In D.C., the office lobbied for more funding for the state and collaborated with other university associations and organizations to advance higher education.

“It would be impossible to overstate how much of a force for good Mark has been for our state, our university, and the scores of people he’s mentored along the way. Through example, he has taught a generation of Florida leaders how to approach problems with humility, alacrity, patience, and perspective,” said Chris Emmanuel, UF’s Director of Government Relations.

Before UF, Kaplan’s career included high-profile roles in all three branches of government.

Kaplan worked as Gov. Jeb Bush’s Chief of Staff, special counsel for the Speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives and a judicial clerk to a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. 

Other stops included working as the executive director for the Florida Housing Finance Corp., the state’s affordable housing agency, and as global head of public affairs at the Mosaic Company.

But returning to Gainesville was special for Kaplan. It’s where he once played tuba in the marching band and piccolo during basketball games as a UF undergraduate.

Kaplan still returns with his tuba to play with alumni and the college band for the Homecoming game’s halftime show.

“My back was stronger when I was 18 years old than it is today,” Kaplan said. “It’s gotten harder, but I can still do it. It’s still a lot of fun, something I look forward to.”

In an interview this week with Florida Politics, Kaplan acknowledged the bittersweet feelings of leaving a job he values while also looking forward to the next chapter of his life. 

He jokes he can finally find time for a hobby.

Kaplan and his wife, Sherry, will travel and spend more time with their family, which includes four adult children, he said.

“I have no idea what the next couple of decades are going to hold, but I’m excited about being able to take a little bit of time for myself and for my family and just sort of be open to the universe,” Kaplan said.

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Thinking of getting into the increasingly popular cryptocurrency craze? Be especially careful when using crypto ATMs, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and AARP Florida warn.

Crypto ATMs, known commonly as bitcoin ATMs, or BTMs, are becoming more common across the country and in Florida. They enable users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like bitcoin using cash or debit cards.

But there’s been a rise in fraud cases involving the machines, particularly against seniors, prompting federal and state lawmakers to file legislation to better regulate them. The Federal Trade Commission reported more than $65 million in fraud losses at BTMs in the first half of 2024, 540% more than in all of 2020.

Until more stringent regulations are passed in the Sunshine State, residents need to be aware of the dangers of using BTMs, said Mike Duffey, FDLE Cyber and Technology Bureau Special Agent in Charge.

“Crypto ATMs are often used in online crypto scams, and victims can lose thousands of dollars thinking their deposits are safe,” Duffey said in a statement.

“Usually located inside convenience stores, these ATMs take cash deposits which are converted into cryptocurrency. Criminals can exploit these crypto ATMs and redirect a citizen’s deposits to the criminal’s own account, where the digital currency is often unrecoverable.”

Duffey cautioned Floridians to be especially cautious when dealing with people they just met online.

“(Ask) yourself this question: Why do the monies have to be sent in the form of cryptocurrency?” he said. “(Take) the time to validate information on the individual you’re talking with, and, before you deposit any monies into a crypto ATM, please discuss the situation with your family and friends or reach out to your local law enforcement for advice.”

In a joint news release with FLDE, AARP Florida offered three safety tips:

— Government agencies, like law enforcement, will never ask for payments in crypto.

— Avoid using QR codes shared via text or email while using BTMs.

— BTMs are not a safe way to “protect” money from being stolen or seized.

Concern about BTM scams have mounted in recent years.

On Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois announced he was filing the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act. The measure would prevent new users from spending more than $2,000 in a day or $10,000 in a two-week period at the kiosks. It would also compel companies to speak directly with new customers who want to make transactions over $500 and require them to provide full refunds to users who file police reports and inform the companies of suspected fraud within 30 days of a transaction.

State lawmakers have filed legislation to address the issue too. One such bill in Arizona, sponsored by Republican state Reps. David Marshall and Michael Way, would limit how much money users can put into BTMs and require operators to be more transparent about the fees they charge.

Attorneys General have also sounded the alarm. An investigation that Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s Office commenced in late 2023 found that more than 96% of the money Iowans reportedly sent through two BTM operators, Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip — the latter of which holds a large share of the BTM market in Florida — were scam transactions.

An overwhelming share of the scams targeted people 60 and older, Bird’s Office said.

On Wednesday, Bird announced lawsuits against both BTM companies, which she accused of fleecing Iowans for millions of dollars.

“Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have,” Bird said in a statement. “We already know that they target older Iowans, but now it seems that they even hunt through obituaries to target widows. They convince these older women that they need help, and then send their victims to crypto ATMs. And the crypto ATM companies take a cut of the profits. It’s not just wrong, it’s illegal.”

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Republican lawmakers are backing bills that aim to streamline and support the growth of apprenticeship programs to address workforce needs in Florida.

St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Naples Republican Rep. Lauren Melo filed the new measures (SB 1458, HB 681). The bills would create and amend several Florida statutes and would establish a transparent and fair funding framework for registered apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, and workforce development.

This framework aims to ease collaboration among all participants, including trainees, employers, local educational agencies, educational institutions and programs, associations, related technical instruction providers, sponsors and other qualifying entities.

Lawmakers are further aiming to simplify funding allocation, improve program accessibility and promote adaptable program expansion to address the state’s workforce needs, as well as empower Florida residents to pursue high-paying careers which would bolster the state’s economic growth.

Israel Silva, the Southeast Region Training Manager for MasTec Utility Services wrote in a recent op-ed published by Florida Politics that apprenticeships are crucial for keeping communities strong and resilient.

“For Floridians who want to build something tangible and lasting, apprenticeships offer a pathway to meaningful careers without the burden of student debt,” Silva said. “These programs combine hands-on training with technical education, allowing participants to earn a paycheck while developing the skills they need to succeed. Apprenticeships provide real-world experience from day one, equipping workers with the knowledge and ability to adapt to challenges.”

According to the bills, programs would receive funding based on student enrollment, while one Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) would represent 900 instructional hours. Different weighted funding rates would apply to on-the-job training hours and related technical instruction hours and would be adjusted annually based on economic indicators.

Additional funding could be provided for programs who are serving high-demand occupations. Programs would further be able to choose to partner with a local education agency or receive funding directly from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). Local educational agencies would be restricted from imposing additional fees or withhold additional funds beyond an agreed upon amount.

FDOE would be responsible for creating standard contracts and issue voluntary guidelines to encourage program expansion, particularly in high-demand occupations. However, the program would need to establish enrollment limits and submit annual reports to FDOE.

Collaboration with workforce development partners would be required, including CareerSource Florida, to align programs with broader economic and labor goals. The funding formula would be used for programs beginning in Fiscal Year 2026-27, while the State Board of Education would adopt rules to implement the funding formula.

If passed, the bill would come into effect July 1.

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