A Florida official overseeing the state’s response to the pandemic confirmed Monday that he will step down, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.
Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Emergency Management Division, told the USA Today network, however, that his “exit will not be imminent.”
He refused to give a chronology until the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis on Sunday shows the preview: lawmakers weigh in on Trump’s indictment trial; The Biden administration observes the schedule for mass vaccinations in the White House: “No decisions are made” on national travel restrictions. (R) makes a formal announcement, which is expected Tuesday.
“My kids are 7 and 4. When I started this job, they were 5 and 2,” Moskowitz told USA Today’s Florida Capital Bureau. “I’ve been in this job for 50 percent of my younger life.”
DeSantis confirmed Moskowitz’s planned departure, despite praising his work, when asked during a press conference.
“He’s worked really hard,” he said. “He’s done a fantastic job.”
The governor said Deputy Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie will replace Moskowitz “when Jared is ready to leave.”
Florida Politics first reported Moskowitz’s resignation in a text message news alert, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
DeSantis took advantage of Moskowitz to head the Emergency Management Division after serving in the State House of Representatives from 2012 to 2019.
The division is trying to respond to hurricanes that frequently hit the state, but over the past year, Moskowitz has faced a different challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was more vocal than the governor when it came to promoting social distancing and the wearing of masks, even changing his name on Twitter to “Jared MASKowitz.”
As a director, he also organized responses to Hurricanes Dorian, Isaiah, Laura, and Sally.
Florida has documented more than 1.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 29,275 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Cases increased at Sunshine State last summer and early January, along with the rest of the country, according to The COVID Tracking Project.