floridapolitics.com · Staff Reports · September 5, 2026
Takeaways from Tallahassee — Breaking down silos
Takeaways from Tallahassee — Breaking down silos
Staff Reports September 5, 2026 72 min 0
- Alan Levine - Alana Zimmer - Alex Kelly - Allison Schrager - and Red Mustang - Angela Nixon - Ashley Moody - Blaise Ingoglia - Brandon New - Byron Donalds - Canine Denim - Cord Byrd - Daniella Cava - David Allen Snyder - David Brooks - David Jolly - Dorothy Hukill - Drew - East Town Get Down with Charlie Brown Band TLH - Elegance Bratton - Ellie Holcomb - Ethan Kyllonen - Greg Scarpa - Harold Boothe - Hotline TNT - J. Alex Kelly - James Uthmeier - Jared Perdue - Jason Brodeur - Jeff Brandes - Jeff Kottkamp - John Gast - Jonathan Hukill - Keysha Monique Epps - Marguerite “Maggie” Jenkins - Mark Bauerlein - Mark Glass - Mark Wahlberg - Marva B. Johnson - Mary Jenkins - Mike Norvell - Piyush Patel - Ray Rodrigues - Reginald D. Dixon - Richard McCullough - Rick Dolan - Ron DeSantis - Ryan Owens - Saints of Saturn - takeaways - Takeaways from Tallahassee - Takeaways from Tally - Tallas Salavas Bradley - Tamra Marshon Stewart - Terrie Corbett - TFT - The Icks - The Sevens - Victor Gualillo - Wilton Simpson
The week Tallahassee broke down some silos
Education Commissioner Henry Mack announced a broad reorganization of the Florida Department of Education’s leadership team, including a new Chief of Staff and expanded roles overseeing the department’s programs, policy, research, communications and finances.
Mack said the changes are intended to improve coordination across the department and strengthen collaboration among its education and workforce-development programs.
“As Florida continues to lead the nation in education, our organizational structure must support effective collaboration, informed decision-making, and exceptional service to Florida’s students, adult learners, families, and education leaders and lawmakers,” Mack said. “These talented leaders bring extensive experience, a deep commitment to public service, and a shared vision for educational excellence and freedom. I am honored to welcome these leaders to drive impact and deliver on the education and economic agenda of the Governor.”
Senior Chancellor Paul O. Burns will take on an expanded role overseeing all of the department’s program offices and divisions. Those include Florida Colleges; Career, Technical and Adult Education; Vocational Rehabilitation; Blind Services; the Commission for Independent Education; the Division of Public Schools; Safe Schools; School Choice; and Early Learning.
The department said the arrangement is intended to strengthen coordination across Florida’s pre-K-20 education and workforce systems.
Burns joined the department in 2018 as Deputy Chancellor of Educator Quality after nearly 20 years working in education. He became Chancellor of Public Schools in January 2023, overseeing programs serving nearly 2.8 million students, and was elevated to Senior Chancellor in August 2024. He earned his doctorate from Saint Louis University.
Flannery Sloan has been appointed Chief of Staff and will serve as Mack’s principal adviser. She will oversee and coordinate departmental functions, work plans and communications while helping advance the state’s education policy agenda.
Before joining the department, Sloan worked at the U.S. Department of Labor in Congressional Affairs and the Employment and Training Administration. She previously worked at Turning Point Action. Sloan earned a bachelor’s degree in civic and economic thought and leadership from Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University.
Katerina Maroney has been named Chancellor of the Division of Early Learning. Maroney has more than 20 years of experience working on early-learning programs in Florida and has served in several roles at the department and the division since 2005. She most recently served as Deputy Director of Programs and Policy.
Paul O. Burns is getting a major scope expansion. Image via Colin Hackley.
Former Chief of Staff Steven Koncar will become the department’s Chief Strategy and Policy Officer. In the newly created role, he will oversee the Office of Legislative Affairs and the Division of Accountability, Research and Measurement.
Before joining the department, Koncar held several positions in state and federal government. He earned his law degree from Marquette University Law School.
Jay Menees has been named Vice Chancellor of Research and Policy. He will coordinate the department’s research efforts, oversee efforts to integrate data with agencies including Florida Commerce and help modernize the department’s approach to data quality and transparency.
Menees most recently served as Senior Policy Director for higher education and the economy at the America First Policy Institute in Washington. He holds a doctorate in higher education administration and policy from the University of Florida.
Travis Jordan has been named Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, an expanded position intended to oversee the department’s communications, stakeholder engagement and public-awareness initiatives.
Jordan has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications across higher education, state government and economic development. He previously held senior positions at Emory University, Miami Dade College, Western Carolina University and Enterprise Florida. He also previously served in a statewide marketing role with the Department of Education.
Jordan holds a master’s degree in global strategic communications from Florida International University.
Cassie Edwards, who has served as Director of Communications, will remain with the department as Senior Adviser for Strategic Communications.
Suzanne Pridgeon has been promoted to Chief Operations and Financial Officer. She will oversee the department’s legislative and operating budgets, Public Education Capital Outlay budget, Florida Education Finance Program allocations and student financial aid. Her expanded portfolio also includes the budgets and operations of the department’s offices and divisions.
Pridgeon will continue overseeing the department’s day-to-day administrative operations, including personnel, accounting, purchasing and procurement, general services and emergency management.
She has worked at the department since 2000 and has served as Deputy Commissioner since 2019.
Additional information is available on the department’s leadership page.
Coming up, the usual assortment of news, intel, and observations from the week that was in Florida’s capital city by Peter Schorsch, Drew Wilson, Drew Dixon, Liam Fineout and the staff of Florida Politics.
But first, the “Takeaway 5” — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:
— Take 5 —
The Flock rebellion — Gov. Ron DeSantis is delivering on a promise to remove automated license plate reader (LPR) cameras from state rights-of-way, with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) ordering localities to pull the cameras within 30 days. Additionally, FDOT says it will move more quickly to remove cameras, made by Flock Safety, Axon and other brands, that it perceives to constitute an “immediate safety concern” or to be “causing an unsafe condition.” The memo, authored by Assistant Secretary Will Watts, roots the agency’s authority in Statute 316.0777. That law gives the FDOT jurisdiction over the tools used by local governments.
Shutting the door — Florida’s Board of Governors has barred students without legal immigration status from enrolling at any state university. The 17-member panel approved the change unanimously without debate during a meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University. The restriction is effective for the 2027-28 academic year and makes Florida the largest state in the nation to close publicly funded higher education to that group. As amended, the state’s General Admissions regulation provides that a person unlawfully present in the country “shall not be eligible for initial enrollment in any state un