Task force to reopen state begins work

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a conference call Tuesday, April 21, among members of a task force committee formed to formulate a plan for reopening the state after the coronavirus pandemic caused many businesses to temporarily close in hopes of slowing the spread of the illness.

The Re-Open Task Force Industry Working Group on Tourism, Construction, Real Estate, Recreation, Retail and Transportation discussed how it will approach the reopening of Florida’s economy.

“Opening Florida gets people back to work and back to some semblance of normalcy,” DeSantis said.

If it is done methodically and carefully, the plan can be successful, he said. As people begin returning to work and residents start returning to their normal day-to-day activities, it will be important to look at businesses as “high risk” and “low risk,” he said.

“Private businesses are thinking long and hard what things they should do to make a safe environment,” DeSantis said.

The task force members include representatives from local governments, tourism, theme parks, restaurants and hotels: Dana Young, president and CEO, VISIT FLORIDA; Secretary Halsey Beshears, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation; Secretary Kevin Thibault, Florida Department of Transportation; mayors Lenny Curry of Jacksonville and David Kerner of Palm Beach County; Sheldon Suga, chairman, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association; Blake Casper, CEO, Caspers Company; Amy Schwartz, owner, Bella Bella Restaurant; Collier Merrill, president, Merrill Land Company; Philip Goldfarb, president and COO, Fontainebleau Miami Beach; John Tolbert, president and managing director, Boca Resort and Club; Jose Cil, CEO, Restaurant Brands International; Josh D'Amaro, president, Walt Disney World Resort; John Sprouls, CEO, Universal Orlando Resort, and executive vice president, Universal Parks & Resorts; Tim Petrillo, cofounder and CEO, The Restaurant People; Dev Motwani, president and CEO, Merrimac Ventures; Chad Harrod, CEO, Harrod Properties Inc.; Walter Carpenter, chairman, NFIB Florida Leadership Council; Len Brown, executive vice president and chief legal officer, PGA Tour Inc.; Gary Lester, vice president, The Villages for Community Relations; Glen Gilzean, president and CEO, Central Florida Urban League; Max Alvarez, president, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Inc.; Tom Crowley, CEO, Crowley Maritime Corporation; Joe Lopano, CEO, Tampa International Airport; Ted Christie III, president and CEO, Spirit Airlines; Rick Sasso, president and CEO, MSC Cruises; Maury Gallagher Jr., chairman and CEO, Allegiant Air; AJ de Moya, vice president and general manager, The de Moya Group Inc.; Paul Anderson, CEO, Port Tampa Bay; Ken Stiles, CEO, Stiles Corporation; Bob Flowers, president, C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc.; Rob Kornahrens, president and CEO, Advanced Roofing and Green Technlogies; Monesia Brown, director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Walmart; Cody Kahn, owner, Holiday Inn Resort; and Matthew Caldwell, president and CEO, Florida Panthers Hockey Club.

An executive committee was announced Monday, April 20, and includes government officials on the state and local levels, as well as representatives from some of the state’s largest companies.