Florida TaxWatch names Robert Cruz new chief economist

robertcruz

Nonpartisan government watchdog Florida TaxWatch has named Robert Cruz as its new chief economist, the group announced Tuesday.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro said the hire “will further Florida TaxWatch’s status as the premier government watchdog in the Sunshine State.”

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Cruz to our team,” Calabro said. “He brings a breadth of experience to our organization with a professional career spanning 33 years as a university professor, academic researcher and economics consultant to private sector firms and public sector agencies.”

Cruz most recently worked as the department chair of the business school at Miami-Dade College’s Kendall Campus and has worked as a professor in the Andreas School Business at Barry University.

Outside of academia, Cruz was chief economist for Miami-Dade County. He earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985.

Drew Wilson

Drew Wilson is Vice President of Florida Politics, where he helps lead a talented team that produces must-read newsletters including Sunburn, Takeaways from Tallahassee, and Diagnosis. A University of Florida alumnus, he began his career at The Independent Florida Alligator — the nation’s largest student-run newspaper and a training ground for many of Florida’s top political reporters. He later served as a business correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, then returned to Tallahassee to cover the state economy and Legislature for LobbyTools and The Florida Current, before segueing to Florida Politics, where he’s been for more than a decade. He spends too much time workshopping zingers for Capitol Directions — and not enough time outdoors.



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