FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A pair of former state employees have been tapped to become the newest Broward County commissioners.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed Jared Moskowitz and Torey Alston to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Dale Holness and Barbara Sharief, who sought to run for Congress earlier this year.
"They're obviously both from here," DeSantis said during a news conference at the Florida Department of Transportation's district office in Fort Lauderdale. "They kind of live and breathe Broward County, and they both have demonstrated records of service to the community, both here locally as well as to the state of Florida."
Moskowitz is the former director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management.
"Thank you for having the confidence in me yet again, first as the director of emergency management in your administration and now as a Broward County commissioner," Moskowitz told DeSantis. "Let's just hope that this appointment is nowhere near as eventful as the last job you gave me."
Alston was most recently the chief of staff for the Florida Department of Transportation.
"Thank you for your vote of confidence in my leadership," Alston said.
Moskowitz resigned his position as the state's top emergency manager in February, citing the strain of being away from his family for so long. He said his family remained in Broward County while he was in Tallahassee at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I am humbled by this opportunity the governor has afforded me to both continue my public service but be at home," Moskowitz said.
Holness and Sharief sought the Democratic nomination to fill the congressional seat left vacant since U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., died in April.