To Tallahassee and Back: A Well-Kept Secret Revealed

I admit I was caught off-guard this week.  I suppose in the often surprise –laden world in which the Florida Legislature exists, surprises should be expected.  Tallahassee is not a city in which secrets are always well-kept.  However, I was not party to a secret that ultimately involved me.  When one looks at the big picture of what occurs in the Capitol this particular secret really is a small thing.  However, in my own little part of that world it was a big thing (at least to me!).

LeadingAge Florida is an organization that unites groups and facilities that provide services to Florida’s seniors.  Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with various members of this fine advocacy group. In particular, when Representative Fasano was a senator who represented Dunedin, I got to know Luanne Reese Moore from Mease Manor quite well.  Mease Manor is a premier residential facility for seniors which provides an array of nursing, assisted living and rehabilitative services.  As LeadingAge Florida’s Southwest Florida Division Chair, Luanne does an excellent job keeping this office informed of proposed changes in law that would be good, or detrimental, to not only Mease Manor but to the statewide community her organization represents.

Well, the secret I refer to originated with Luanne.  I have no doubt about that!  This week LeadingAge Florida had its annual Tallahassee gathering during which members from all across the state converge on the Capitol to meet lawmakers and share the priorities of the organization.  Under the guise of “representing” Representative Fasano at a luncheon he could not attend, I was dispatched to the Governors Club, a local restaurant that is often used as a meeting place for groups great and small, on his behalf.  Accompanied by our fine student intern Steven Gould, I entered the crowded room fully expecting to merely wave at the crowd when Representative Fasano’s name was called.  Instead, I found myself being beckoned to the front of the room by Luanne when she announced that I would be the recipient of LeadingAge Florida’s first ever award to a legislative staffer. Neither she nor members of her organization, who had met with us earlier that morning, said a prior word about this pending award to me.

Stunned and surprised I made my way to the front of the room to accept the award.  I thought I was used to surprises.  Over the years so many things pop up in this process that one has to be prepared for last minute things to happen (i.e. amendments filed moments before a bill is heard on the floor, unscheduled drop-in visitors to our office, etc.).  However, a personal surprise such as this truly caught me off-guard.  More importantly, it was an extremely touching gesture.  I soon found out that Steven and Representative Fasano knew about this at least since last week.  As soon as I returned to the office, Representative Baxley’s assistant Debbie Dennis immediately asked me about the award.  My response was “you knew about this too?” 

I’ve always considered myself pretty good at keeping secrets.  But I have to say, I never saw a better group of “secret keepers” than those aforementioned.  Thank you, Luanne, and your president Janegale Boyd, for the honor.  Thank you, everyone else, for keeping the secret so well.  It surely made my day. 

Thanks for bearing with my little digression from the day-to-day activities of the Florida Legislature.  Next week I expect a report about the soon-to-commence budget conference may be in order.  Additionally, other hot-button topics such as ethics and elections reform, property insurance and other top-shelf priorities will need an update.  Don’t forget to check back!