Lawmakers confirm 4 Gov. DeSantis appointees to Florida Transportation Commission

In the waning hours of the 2025 Legislative Session as uncertainty swirls about the fate of the budget, progress was still being made.

That includes movement on appointments made by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Florida Transportation Commission. Lawmakers confirmed four appointees, including John Browning Jr. of Palatka, David Genson of Naples, Barbara Haselden of St. Petersburg and Hung Mai of Lutz.

Browning is the Vice President of New Projects for The Goodman Company, headquartered in West Palm Beach. The company has developed several regional malls and power centers over the past half-century in Pennsylvania, where it was founded, as well as in Florida, New Jersey, Virginia and Ohio. It was an early pioneer in the development and management of super-malls. In addition to his work with The Goodman Company, Browning also serves as President of Browning Packing and Browning Consulting.

Genson is President of Development with Barron Collier Companies, one of the largest diversified companies in Florida with enterprises in agriculture, land development and minerals. He has served on the Collier County Housing Authority since 2013.

Haselden is a life and health insurance broker of her own insurance agency. She became heavily involved in transportation issues in 2010 and has led opposition efforts on tax-related referendums seeking to fund public transit and transportation projects in the Tampa Bay area, including playing an integral role in defeating the 2014 Greenlight Pinellas penny sales tax initiative. She now serves on the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Board of Directors where she helps oversee public transit in Pinellas County.

Mai has more than 42 years of experience in civil engineering and, through his company, specializes in land development, infrastructure planning, environmental analysis and water resource management in Florida. His experience also includes environmental permitting, regulatory compliance and public engagement. He has served on numerous boards, including some with direct relevance to transportation planning. That includes the Hillsborough River Basin Board, the City-County Planning Commission and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. He previously served as Vice Chair of the Port Tampa Bay Board of Commissioners.

The Florida Transportation Commission, established in 1987 by the Legislature, is an appointed body providing performance, production and fiscal oversight of the Florida Department of Transportation. It also makes transportation policy recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.