A coalition of major Florida business groups is bringing in some big names to help guide Florida through the economic chaos caused by coronavirus. The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), Florida Retail Federation (FRF), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA)’s RESET Task Force today announced the hiring of Dr. Ed Moore as its executive director and Craig Fugate as a senior advisor, preparing the gropu to move into its planning and research phase.
The task force, whose membership has increased since it was announced last month, was formed to focus on providing industry-specific policy recommendations to the Florida Legislature and bringing forth initiatives that will seek to help all of Florida’s economy rebound from the effects of COVID-19 and future economic slowdowns.
“Ed and Craig bring a wealth of experience and background and we are so grateful they have agreed to help this effort,” said AIF Senior Vice President of State & Federal Affairs Brewster Bevis. “Governor DeSantis has led the recovery and reopening of our state with a steady hand, focusing on how we reopen our state for business and get Floridians back to work, all while continuing to focus on the management and containment of the virus. As RESET moves into its next phase and our growing membership comes together to share perspective and experiences, we look forward to echoing his leadership and exploring ways the business community can assist with future planning and recovery.”
Craig Fugate is a leading expert in emergency management and crisis response. Having served as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2009 to 2017, Fugate led the federal government’s response through multiple record-breaking disaster years. Prior to that, as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2001 to 2009, he oversaw the state’s recovery efforts after numerous major hurricanes and launched the largest mutual aid response to affected states in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Fugate currently leads Craig Fugate Consulting LLC and serves as the Chief Emergency Management Officer for One Concern, an artificial intelligence platform for disasters. He is also a senior advisor to several organizations including The Cadmus Group, Inc., BlueDot Strategies and Interagency Readiness Solutions LLC.
Since the announcement of the RESET Task Force, the membership has grown, boasting 50 organizations and growing. A complete list of the RESET Task Force to date is listed below, in alphabetical order:
The RESET Task Force, which was announced last month, is co-chaired by AIF Senior Vice President of State & Federal Affairs Brewster Bevis, FRF President & CEO Scott Shalley, NFIB Executive Director Bill Herrle and FRLA President & CEO Carol Dover. The task force and its membership will focus on policy recommendations and initiatives that will seek to help all Florida’s economy rebound from the effects of COVID-19 and any large-scale incidents that could impact Florida’s economy in the future.