Gov. DeSantis appoints three to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission

Florida Politics | By Anne Geggis | July 7, 2023

The Commission was formed in the wake of the state’s worst school shooting in 2018.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three new members to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, including one who is the Governor’s current appointee to the Broward County School Board.

The Commission was created in the wake of the state’s worst school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 which left 17 dead and 17 others at the school injured. The Legislature charged it with analyzing school safety data and making recommendations for system improvements.

New members appointed Friday were:

— Pamela Davis, chief of the Punta Gorda Police Department since 2017. She worked previously as deputy chief of the Baltimore Police Department and director of the Baltimore Department’s Professional Development and Training Academy. Since coming to Florida, she’s served as the President of the Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Vice Chair of Drug-Free Charlotte County. Davis earned her master’s degree in management from Johns Hopkins University and is a graduate of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum.

— Daniel Foganholi, DeSantis’ appointee to the Broward County School Board, representing District One. He is the strategic partnership director for the Brazilian American Coalition and the legislative affairs director for New Generation Children’s Ministry. Foganholi holds certificates in marketing and business management from Florida Atlantic University, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.

— John Newman, the chief of Security and Emergency Management for Hillsborough County. He was previously the Assistant Chief for the Tampa Police Department. Newman earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and his master’s degree in American studies from the University of South Florida and graduated from the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission had been due to expire last week, but 2022 legislation extended its life so it’s due to sunset July 1, 2025.

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