Jimmy Patronis appointed as next CFO

Scott on Monday will announce that he's appointing Republican Jimmy Patronis as the state's next chief financial officer.

"He's got a breadth of knowledge about a lot of things", Scott said during an appearance at Patronis' family-owned Capt. Anderson's Restaurant in Panama City.

Patronis served in the Florida House from 2006 until 2014.

Current Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced earlier this year that he was ending his political career to take a job at Florida Atlantic University.

Patronis now serves as a commissioner on the Florida Public Service Commission and has been a strong backer of Scott since he first popped onto the Florida political scene in 2010. "I know that he will bring his wealth of private sector experience with him to Tallahassee".

Patronis in a statement said he was "honored" by the appointment. He broke from the party's leadership in 2010 to support Scott in his initial gubernatorial campaign over then-Attorney General Bill McCollum.

"As Florida's next CFO, I want Florida to be the place where government does its job fairly and predictably so workers can find great jobs at great businesses", Patronis said. Last year, Scott and Atwater also clashed in their joint appointment of a new insurance commissioner.

The CFO is one of three cabinet level positions. Patronis hasn't indicated if he'll run to keep the job next year.

Atwater will step down from the position on Friday and Patronis will be sworn in the same day.

"I truly believe every family that every family, from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Miami to the Florida Keys, should have every opportunity to succeed here", said Patronis. But the two clashed a year ago over who should become the state's insurance commissioner.

Democrat Jeremy Ring, a former state senator from Parkland and former executive with the internet firm Yahoo, is the only candidate who has opened a campaign account to run for chief financial officer.

In March, Patronis was among a number of political loyalists the governor appointed to the state Constitution Revision Commission.