Gov. Ron DeSantis has filled three commission vacancies for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, an independent taxing district that provides numerous local health care services.
On Tuesday, DeSantis announced the appointments of Tracy Caruso, Patrick Rooney and Carlos Vidueira to the district’s seven-member Board of Commissioners. Each appointee will take three previously vacant seats the Governor has the sole power to fill.
Caruso serves as Vice Chair of the Palm Beach Housing and Finance Authority, a county agency created in 1979 to help improve the local affordable housing index. In private life, she is the co-founder and President of Delray Beach Executive Suites, a private rental agency.
Rooney, meanwhile, is a former Republican state Representative who served three consecutive terms in Tallahassee through 2016, when he announced he would not seek re-election. He now serves as President of the Palm Beach Kennel Club, a gambling and racing operation in West Palm Beach.
Vidueira is the Vice President of Huizenga Holdings, an investment conglomerate with interests in real estate, marinas and marina-related companies launched by H. Wayne Huizenga, whose holdings included Blockbuster Video, AutoNation and the Dolphins, Marlins and Panthers sport franchises.
Vidueria also runs the Superyacht Life Foundation, which works to positively reframe the image of the superyacht industry and its patrons.
In joining the Palm Beach Health Care District Commission, DeSantis’ three appointees will Palm Beach Department of Health Director Alina Alonso, who chairs the group, Vice Chair Sean O’Bannon, Secretary Tammy Jackson-Moore and Erica Whitfield.
Palm Beach voters created the Palm Beach Health Care District in 1988 to fund a trauma care system, school health, hospitals, nursing care and primary care clinics, among other things.
In accordance with county rules, one Commissioner must be a representative from the Florida Department of Health, three must be Palm Beach County Commission appointees and three must be appointed by the Governor.
Commission can serve up to two four-year terms.
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