The Governor Jeb Bush Award for Outstanding Achievement

The Jeb Bush Award, named for a former Governor and founder of the Gubernatorial Fellows Program, provides a $5,000 scholarship to innovative Fellows who identify critical state concerns and address them with outstanding policy proposals.

The award is granted each year for one proposal.

Previous recipients of the Governor Jeb Bush Award include:

  • Class XVII: Stephen Marante, Florida S.E.A.P.O.R.T.S Act: Strategic Economic Advancement to Protect Our Residents from Threatened Supply Chains
  • Class XVI: Christina Castillo, Florida T.R.O.O.P.S Program: Teacher Recruitment Opens Opportunities Post Service
  • Class XV (tie): Brandon Brown, Closing the Skills Gap: Utilizing Financial Incentives to Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs
  • Class XV (tie): Destiny Goede, Funding Florida’s Future
  • Class XIV: Annalise Kapusta, Cities in Distress: Revising Florida’s Financial Emergency Laws
  • Class XIII (tie): Brian Menard, Incentivizing Public-Private Partnerships for Prescription Drug Disposal
  • Class XIII (tie): Joshua Winograd, State of Florida | DHSMV Statewide Reorganization of the Bureau of Administrative Reviews
  • Class XII: Ryan Salazar, Performance-Based Contracting: Incentivizing Value and Outcomes in the Child Welfare System
  • Class XI: Spence Purnell, The State’s First Comprehensive Inter-Agency Data Sharing Platform: An Initiative to Leverage State Data Into Innovation
  • Class X: Cody Farrill and Elizabeth Hyatt, Florida TeleHealth Network: A Strategic Initiative to Transform the Delivery of Healthcare
  • Class IX: Alex Andrade and David Mica Jr., Losing “The Campaign” Why Florida Could Save Money and Increase Charitable Giving by Eliminating the Middleman
  • Class VIII: Chris Emmanuel and Adam Kramarow, The Florida Prize: Floridians Inventing the Next Generation
  • Class VII: James VanLandingham, Realigning Florida Government to Promote Growth: Toward a New Model of Cluster Development
  • Class VI: Roger “Beau” Beaubien and Megan Duda, Spotlight on Disability Employment: A Job Creation Initiative for Persons with Disabilities
  • Class V: Ryan Todd, FCAT Waiver Extension Policy (First Place) and Ian Dankelman, Expanding Commercial Cattle Feedlots and Meatpacking Facilities in Northwest Florida (Second Place)
  • Class IV: Bradley Bodiford and Jacob Cremer, Gold in Green: Fashioning Florida into America’s Biofuels Leader
  • Class III: E. Tyler Cathey and Jennifer Hartzler, Financial Literacy in Florida: It Just Makes Cents

The Hoffman Public Service Incentive Award

Florida Fellows are naturally inclined to continue a public service career path following their fellowships. This award, a $2,000 gift from the Hoffman Endowment, is just a little extra encouragement.

To qualify, a Fellow must obtain salaried employment in state, local or federal government within six months of graduation from the Fellows program or graduation from school. (In the latter case, the Fellow must graduate within three years of completing the Fellowship.)

Previous recipients of the Hoffman Public Service Incentive Award include:

  • Christina Castillo, Class XVI
  • Abby Brinkman, Class XV
  • Kylie Werk, Class XV
  • Hana Bilick, Class XIV
  • Kapria Lee, Class XIV
  • Dylan Rettig, Class XIII
  • Rose Luzader, Class XIII
  • Grey Dodge, Class XII
  • Lazaro Fields, Class XI
  • Matletha Bennette, Class X
  • Cody Farrill, Class X
  • David Struhs, Class X
  • Daniel Blackman, Class X
  • Terrence S. Williams, Class IX
  • David Mica Jr., Class IX
  • Courtney Coppolla, Class IX
  • Christopher Emmanuel, Class VIII
  • Margaret Sanders, Class VIII
  • Jacob Horner, Class VIII
  • Matthew Christ, Class VII
  • Nicole Blanton, Class VII
  • Marcus Dixon, Class VII
  • Nicholas Russell, Class VII
  • Judson Searcy, Class VII
  • Ted Stratton, Class VII
  • Chanetell Carter-Jones, Class VII
  • Andrew Ketchel, Class VII
  • Tara Price Klimek, Class VI
  • Elizabeth Rojas, Class VI
  • Adam Giery, Class VI
  • Andrew Johnson, Class VI
  • Elizabeth Rojas, Class VI
  • Jennifer Campbell, Class V
  • Sarah Criser, Class V
  • Ian Dankelman, Class V
  • Bradley Bodiford, Class IV
  • Jeffrey Joyner, Class IV
  • Lauren Hylemon McKeague, Class IV
  • Sara Rubin, Class IV
  • Jalal Shehadeh, Class IV
  • Torey Alston, Class III
  • Cecilia Galavan, Class III
  • Danielle Wright, Class III

The Governor’s Washington, D.C. Fellowship Award for Outstanding Leadership

In 2011 beginning with Class VI, the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Board of Directors introduced a new award titled The Washington, D.C. Fellowship Award for Outstanding Leadership.  This award was established to give one member of each class the opportunity to continue their Fellowship in Washington, D.C. for six months after the completion of the traditional nine month Fellowship in Tallahassee.  Those selected for this award and Fellowship extension are paid $15.00 an hour and are placed in Governor DeSantis’ Washington, D.C. office.  Here they gain valuable experience working in our nation’s capital and quickly become an important member of the Governor’s federal relations team.

Interested Fellows must submit an application and essay by the posted deadline and are interviewed by the Director of the Washington, D.C. office and Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Board of Directors.  Winners are selected by the Board of Directors at their spring board meeting and are traditionally announced at the annual Gubernatorial Fellows reception held each year at the Governor’s mansion.   In addition to being personally recognized by the Governor, winners receive a $10,000 dollar stipend to help offset living expenses in Washington, D.C.

Previous recipients of the Governor’s Washington, D.C. Fellowship Award for Outstanding Leadership include:

  • Julia Canady, Class XVII
  • Robert “Chase” Brannan, Class XVI
  • Ryan Walsh, Class XV
  • Ella Biggins, Class XIV
  • Dylan Rettig, Class XIII
  • Jolande Morgan, Class XII
  • Rachel Smith, Class XI
  • Nemmi Cole, Class X
  • Margaret Spicer, Class IX
  • Katherine Walton, Class VIII
  • Marcus Dixon, Class VII
  • Elizabeth Rojas, Class VI