Guthrie to Stay as Emergency Management Chief

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced state Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie will remain in that post as DeSantis begins his second term. “From the tragic condo collapse in Surfside to the destructive Hurricane Ian, Kevin Guthrie has led emergency response efforts with leadership and skill,” DeSantis said in a Twitter post. Guthrie, who has been a point man for DeSantis in Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian, replied “thank you” in a tweet and said “it is my honor to serve the great state of Florida.” Guthrie became director in 2021, replacing Jared Moskowitz, who had spent two years overseeing the state’s response to disasters and COVID-19. Moskowitz, a Democrat from Broward County, was elected to Congress on Nov. 8. Guthrie was deputy director under Moskowitz and previously worked in Flagler and Pasco counties and at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. DeSantis has named three transition chairmen to advise him on appointments going into the second term, which begins in January.

Article reposted with permission from The News Service of Florida.