GARY LESSER has been sworn in as president of The Florida Bar. Lesser is managing partner of West Palm Beach-based Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC.
JILL JACOBS, LOURDES SANCERNI AND BARBARA CASE have been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as judges of compensation claims. Jacobs, of Satellite Beach, has served as a deputy city attorney for the city of Palm Beach since 2015. Sancerni, of Gainesville, has served as a senior associate attorney at Moore, Ingram, Johnson & Steele, LLP, since 2013. Case, of North Palm Beach, has served as president of The Law Office of Barbara Kay Case, PA, since 2013.
MARK KLINGENSMITH has become chief judge of the 4th District Court of Appeal. Klingensmith has served on the South Florida appellate court since 2013.
GAIL MORGAN has been re-elected president of Film Florida. Morgan is film commissioner for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Film Commission.
ILEANA GARCIA has been appointed by Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, to the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. Garcia, R-Miami, represents District 37 in the Florida Senate.
JOSEPH NEZGODA has been installed as president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology. Nezgoda is a retina-disease and surgery specialist who practices in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
AMY DERICK, PATRICK HUNTER, NICOLE JUSTICE AND DAVID DIAMOND have been appointed or reappointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Florida Board of Medicine. Derick is owner of Derick Dermatology. Hunter is a general pediatrician with Pensacola Pediatrics and a clinical professor at Florida State University’s College of Medicine. Justice is senior director of patient safety at Tampa General Hospital. Diamond is a physician at Florida Radiation Oncology.
MICHAEL KESSIE AND AZHAR KHAN have been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the State Retirement Commission. Kessie, of Bradenton, is a former chief of the New College of Florida Police Department. Khan, of Tallahassee, is a senior economist in the Office of Policy and Budget for the Executive Office of the Governor.
JOHN HOLLEY has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Florida Athletic Commission. Holley, of Tallahassee, is vice president of state government affairs at Florida Power & Light Co.
DAVID HODGES JR. has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority. Hodges, of Jacksonville, is chairman and chief executive officer of Hodges Management Group and 925 Partners Insurance Agency.
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