Legislative Achievement Award presented to House Speaker Paul Renner

Public Affairs Supervisor Tyler Jarnagin reported to Historic City News this week that St Johns County Emergency Management Deputy Director Kelly Wilson joined Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord at the Tallahassee office of House Speaker Paul Renner (R-19th District) to present him with the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s “Legislative Achievement Award”.

Both Wilson and Lord come from Renner’s 19th District.  Lord nominated Renner for the recognition, and Wilson is the chair of the FEPA Awards Committee.  The pair are each active participants within the FEPA organization.  The presentation to Renner occurred on February 7, 2024, as part of “Emergency Management Day at the Capitol”.

“As a member of both the Flagler and St Johns County Legislative Delegations, I am committed to working with my colleagues to provide critical funding and programs our local governments, businesses, and residents need to preserve our coastal communities,” Speaker Renner said. “Florida’s peninsula is uniquely vulnerable to hurricane threats, and when disaster strikes, we must act. Thanks to the dedicated work of so many across our state, our communities have been able to recover faster and will continue to build so future generations can enjoy everything our region has to offer.”

House Speaker Paul Renner (R-19th District)

The Legislative Achievement Award is presented to a local, state, or federal Legislator for outstanding leadership in sponsoring legislation that improves Emergency Management in the State.  “Emergency Management Day at the Capitol” provides top leadership in local Emergency Management to meet and speak with their legislators about their departments, as well as county or regionally specific topics.

“It is an honor to present Speaker Renner with the FEPA Legislative Award,” Wilson said. “His leadership and support for our communities have been invaluable during the difficult recovery phase of several major hurricanes. We are grateful for his tireless efforts that have served as a steadying force enabling so many affected families and businesses to rebuild. Speaker Renner exemplifies the core tenets of this award.”

St Johns County Emergency Management Deputy Director Kelly Wilson

Last year, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord was twice invited to address the Florida House Select Committee about hurricane resiliency and recovery as part of a panel discussion that included representatives from Lee, Charlotte, Collier, and Volusia counties. All five counties suffered impacts from either Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole, and the committee wanted an update about how all the counties were faring a year later and following the impacts of Hurricane Idalia.

“It was a pleasure to nominate Speaker Renner after all he has done for Floridians to improve hurricane resiliency and recovery. He always lends an ear to emergency management,” Lord said. “It was an absolute honor to be able to present this award to him today.”

Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord

Under Renner’s leadership, the Legislature navigated the impacts of two catastrophic hurricanes – Ian and Idalia – in addition to Hurricane Nicole.  In response to these significant disasters, the Legislature has passed legislation providing unprecedented funding and programs for local governments, businesses, and residents. These programs have allowed communities to recover quickly and build back in a more resilient fashion.