Ron DeSantis wants Jim Zingale for Dep’t of Revenue director

Jim Zingale

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.

Jim Rosica

Jim Rosica is the Tallahassee-based Senior Editor for Florida Politics. He previously was the Tampa Tribune’s statehouse reporter. Before that, he covered three legislative sessions in Florida for The Associated Press. Jim graduated from law school in 2009 after spending nearly a decade covering courts for the Tallahassee Democrat, including reporting on the 2000 presidential recount. He can be reached at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories