Winners & Losers 4/15/21
Winners
Mary Donovan McClellan
Autism Pensacola’s Board of Directors selected McClellan as its new executive director. She is responsible for fundraising, donor stewardship, community engagement and campaign development, as well as managing the general day-to-day operations of the organization. The Pensacola native has worked for years providing public relations, marketing, corporate event planning, content writing and nonprofit fundraising services. Autism Pensacola was established in 2002 by a select group of parents and community members who worked tirelessly to promote awareness, advocacy and education of autism and those affected by it. Susan Byram was the organization’s executive director until her retirement in 2018 and has continued to serve as API’s organizational consultant.
Norman Vickers
The founder of Jazz Pensacola has been named a “2021 Jazz Hero” by the Jazz Journalists Association. Dr. Vickers is one of only 23 persons nationwide to be honored this year. Jazz Heroes are united in determination to keep jazz in the air and in our ears and include presenters, educators, writers, photographers, broadcasters, videographers nonprofit administrators, chefs, festival workers, public faces of grassroots organizations and active musicians who have developed, sustained and helped document America’s native-born music in their local communities and beyond. Kudos to Pensacola’s harmonica-playing physician.
Losers
Joel Greenberg
The indicted former Seminole County tax collector appears to be at the center of the reported federal investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz concerning allegations involving sex with a teenage girl that supposedly Greenberg hooked him up with. He allegedly recruited “sugar babies” for his buddies. Rumors that Greenberg was “singing” to the feds turned out to be true when his attorney announced last week he was negotiating a plea agreement.
Chris Dorworth
The affable, one-time hard-partying lobbyist for the city of Pensacola stepped down from his job with Ballard Partners after reporters began to dig into his relationship with Matt “Not a Monk” Gaetz and his “Night at the Roxbury” buddy, Joel Greenberg. A photo of the trio outside the White House in 2019 has been widely circulating on the internet. The former GOP state representative from Lake City had a bright political career when he was chosen as the House Speaker-designate for 2014-2016. Then he lost re-election.
Jason Pirozzolo
The doctor hosted Gaetz at several events promoting medical marijuana. Both Gaetz and Greenberg spoke at a fundraiser for Ron DeSantis hosted at Pirozzolo’s house in 2018. CBS News has reported investigators are probing into a trip to the Bahamas funded by Pirozzolo and reportedly included female escorts, Gaetz and others. With Gaetz’s help, the doctor was appointed to the Greater Orlando Airport Authority. Dorworth lobbied for the authority in 2019.
Halsey Beshears
According to the New York Times, the former state lawmaker and head of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation was on the Bahamas trip funded by Pirozzolo. Beshears resigned from the DeSantis administration in January for health reasons.
Anthony Sabatini
The GOP lawmaker was hired in 2019 to provide legal services to Greenberg’s office. A county audit was unable to determine what services were provided for the money. Sabatini and Gaetz recently sang karaoke in Tallahassee with Pensacola’s Rep. Alex Andrade.