Jim Rosica
Governor-elect Ron DeSantis announced Monday he will recommend Jim Zingale as the next head of the state’s Department of Revenue (DOR), “build(ing) on the DeSantis-Nuñez Administration’s promise of bipartisanship.”
“I am pleased to recommend (him) … and am certain the Cabinet will share my confidence in Jim,” DeSantis said in a statement.
If chosen for Revenue, it would be a homecoming: Zingale served 18 years with the department, serving as Deputy Director for nine years and seven years as Executive Director, the top job, under former Gov. Jeb Bush.
The position answers to both the Governor and Cabinet, meaning hiring and firing also requires the consent of the CFO, Attorney General and Agriculture Commissioner.
Only incoming Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is a Democrat; the rest are Republicans.
Zingale, who turns 73 on Tuesday, also was House Appropriations Committee staff director under a Democratic majority.
“With his prior experience at the department, Jim has a deep understanding of this agency that has 5,400 employees and a budget of more than $500 million,’ DeSantis said. “His knowledge of the inner workings of DOR, paired with his innovative ideas for modernization, make Jim the ideal choice to lead this department into the future.”
Zingale most recently served as Research Director of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, and he also was a consultant with Capitol Hill Group and Deloitte.
“During his time at DOR, Zingale oversaw implementation of two monumental technology projects, including a $110 million Integrated Tax Administration System, which delivered a 10-to-1 return on investment, and an $86 million Integrated Child Support System,” the transition’s press release said. “His work earned the department the National Excellence Award from the LBJ School of Public Administration.”
Zingale was the Legislature’s first Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) Director, and served as an Environmental Specialist for the Florida Department of Pollution Control.
He received a Doctor of Philosophy and Economics from Florida State University, a Master of Arts in Economics from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, also from Bowling Green State University.
