Charles F. Dudley is the managing partner of Floridian Partners, a corporate and public affairs consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Coral Gables, and Fort Lauderdale Florida. Charlie and the firm represent a variety of clients before the Florida Legislature, Cabinet and other governmental bodies, including matters related to business and professional regulation, education, pari-mutuels, taxation, health care, financial services, employment, environment, elections, communications and utilities, and information technology. Charlie’s combination of legal and legislative experience provides clients with the in-depth understanding of the law and the regulatory and legislative processes necessary to advance and protect their proprietary interests. 

Charlie is also an attorney specializing in all aspects of communications and administrative law in Tallahassee, Florida. Charlie also serves as the general counsel and chief lobbyist to the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association (FCTA) and as such, he is in regular contact with Florida-based and corporate representatives of the country’s largest communications and information providers regarding legislative, regulatory, tax and other aspects of law. Charlie provides daily counsel and recommends policy action regarding the interaction between communications providers and state and local governments. In 1996, Charlie was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Telecommunications Tax Task Force, where he successfully advocated for the development of a unified or flat taxing scheme for communications services in the state of Florida, which was adopted by the Florida Legislature resulting in the Communications Services Tax Simplification Act.

In addition to the FCTA, Charlie’s clients include, among others, Florida Hospital Association, Florida Insurance Council, Las Vegas Sands Corp., Value Options, Florida Family Insurance Company, John Deere, Allstate Insurance Company, FCCI Insurance Group, Ceridian and the Florida International University Foundation.

Charlie is an honors graduate of Florida State College of Law, where he earned distinction as a member of the law school's Moot Court team. Charlie is the co-author of The Law of Florida's Homeowners Associations, and was featured in the December 1993 edition of Florida Trend magazine as one of Florida's "Next Wave" of leaders. He also serves on the Board of Maclay School. 

Charlie and his wife Alison are lifelong Floridians and have two children, Charles William and Emily Alexandra.

Robert Reyes has provided governmental consulting services to the private sector since 1995. He has extensive experience in a wide array of matters before both legislative and executive branch agencies. Robert’s practice has an emphasis on the field of insurance and financial services; representing domestic and foreign stock insurers, self-insurance groups, health maintenance organizations, mutual insurance companies, managing general agencies, third party administrators and reinsurers.

Prior to entering the private sector, Robert served as Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Insurance under Commissioner Tom Gallagher. During his tenure with the Insurance Department, he coordinated the "sunset review" of the entire insurance code. Following Hurricane Andrew, Robert coordinated the Department’s push for sweeping insurance reforms; including financing a $500 million deficit in the Insurance Guaranty Fund; instituting a moratorium on non-renewal or cancellation of homeowners insurance policies; creating the Residential Joint Underwriting Association (now Citizens); and increasing minimum capitalization requirements for insurers generally. Robert also oversaw significant reforms in the Small Group Health Insurance and Workers Compensation areas.

From 1987-89 Robert served as Legislative Affairs Director of the Florida Department of Business Regulation where he was responsible for coordination of legislative activities in areas of pari-mutuel wagering, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, condominiums, mobile homes, hotels and restaurants, and land sales.

Robert has been active in local and statewide campaigns, most recently serving as Finance Director to Tom Gallagher's 1994 Gubernatorial Campaign and Finance Director & Treasurer to Gallagher's campaign for State Education Commissioner.

Robert received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Florida State University in 1989. He and his wife Karen reside in Tallahassee with their son, Brennan.

Gary Guzzo has been providing lobbying and consulting services to the insurance industry as well as other financial institutions and regulated industries for 25-plus years. These corporations include foreign and domestic property and casualty insurers, banks, telecommunications and health care industries. Gary represents numerous companies and trade associations as they try to navigate their way through both the executive and legislative branches of government.

Gary’s specialties include acting as an advocate for clients in front of state agencies and the Florida Legislature as well as working with his clients’ management teams and boards, providing strategic planning and consulting services on business issues and opportunities in the Florida and national marketplaces.

Prior to entering the private sector, Gary worked in state government with the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services doing program planning and evaluation. He served as a Staff Director to the Florida House of Representatives Health Care Committee. Gary had an extensive career with the Florida Department of Insurance holding numerous positions in Financial Regulation and Cabinet Affairs. His career in state government culminated in his appointment as Florida’s youngest Deputy Insurance Commissioner. As Deputy Commissioner, Gary was responsible for all insurance regulatory issues, served on numerous committees with the NAIC, and graduated from the NAIC Commissioner’s School.

Since 1984, Gary has helped his clients with rate filings, banking regulation issues and market conduct examinations. He has spearheaded legislative initiatives including the workers’ compensation rewrite, property insurance initiatives, Florida no fault sunset, telecommunications reform, tax issues affecting insurance, aerospace, tobacco, telecommunications and retail industries.

Prior to joining Floridian Partners, LLC, Gary worked as a sole practitioner as well as a Government Affairs Consultant with a large national law firm. Gary is a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in Government/Political Science and has spent the last 35 years as a Tallahassee resident working with and in front of Florida state government and raising a family.

An attorney and governmental consultant, Jorge Chamizo represents a variety of clients before the Florida Legislature, Executive Office of the Governor, Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and several state regulatory agencies. Before returning to the private sector, Jorge served as Chief Advisor to the Chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission, the state agency which regulates Florida's utilities. In that capacity, Jorge gave counsel to the Chairman on legal and policy matters related to telecommunications, energy, water, and wastewater issues coming before the Commission, assisted the Chairman in setting and implementing overall agency policy and direction, served as central contact to industry representatives, and was the Chairman's liaison to the Florida Legislature as well as state and local government agencies. 

Prior to his time at the PSC, Jorge worked as an attorney and governmental consultant for statewide law firms where he represented clients before the Legislature,  Florida Division of Administrative Hearings and various executive branch agencies on matters relating to professional licensure, design and construction, energy, telecommunications, and state taxation.  

Apart from his legal and governmental experience, Jorge brings to Floridian Partners over a decade of business experience in the areas of marketing, sales and management. 

Jorge is an honors graduate from the Florida State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2000) and received his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Miami (BBA, 1996). 

Jorge was honored in the Fall 2007 Edition of Insider Magazine as one of the top lobbyists in South Florida and received the 2009 Cuban American Bar Association Pro Bono Project Award.

A seventh generation Floridian, Elizabeth Wester, is a Tallahassee native. Elizabeth attended Rhodes College in Memphis, where she earned a bachelor of arts in Political Science, graduated with honors in History, and excelled in athletics. During her time in college, Elizabeth gained legislative knowledge as an intern for the Secretary of the Florida Senate, for the Republican Party of Florida, and for Representative Jane Gayle Boyd.
 
Elizabeth began her career as a governmental consultant/lobbyist with the Florida Bankers Association (FBA). During her tenure at the FBA, she served as Vice President of Governmental Affairs and represented Florida’s banking industry at both the state and federal level. In addition, Elizabeth helped develop and launch a public/private program designed to ensure the continued operations of Florida banks during and after a natural disaster or terrorist attack. In order to expand her political network, Elizabeth has participated as a volunteer in many legislative campaigns. 

Elizabeth joined Floridian Partners in March of 2007.

Scott L. Ross is the newest addition to the Floridian Partners’ team. Also an attorney, he represents clients on a variety of issues before the Florida Legislature, Cabinet, Agencies, and other governmental entities.

Prior to joining the firm Scott had extensive government experience serving as the Deputy Secretary at the Florida Department of Business and Professional regulation where he served as the chief regulator for Gaming, Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Hotels and Restaurants, and Condominium’s, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes.

He also possesses significant private sector experience serving as Director of Government Relations for one of the world’s largest gaming and entertainment companies, as well as serving as the Executive Director of the Florida Student Association, an association compromised of more than 300,000 members across the state of Florida.

Scott’s practice is focused on assisting clients who conduct business in highly regulated industry sectors. His public and private sector experience makes him well poised to represent clients on a wide variety of issues and provide expert analysis and professional representation.

Scott is a 2001 graduate of Nova Southeastern University School of Law and a 1998 graduate of the Florida State University where he was an inductee into the university’s Senior Hall of Fame.

Scott, and his wife Ashley, are residents of Tallahassee, Florida.

Ken Granger brings extensive public sector experience in administration, technology, and procurement to the firm after 8 years of service in state government.  During his time in state government he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director for Governor Charlie Crist and Chief of Staff for the Department of Management Services, among other positions.

As the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Ken oversaw numerous government agencies, including the Department of Health, Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of State, Department of Community Affairs, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and Florida’s Energy and Climate Commission. As the Governor’s Policy Director, Ken directed executive policy and budget issues that were adopted by the Florida Legislature.  In addition, he briefed and recommended substantive policy and budget changes to the Governor that were under consideration for becoming law upon the Governor’s approval. 

Previously, Ken served as the Chief of Staff, Deputy Secretary and Chief Information Officer for the Department of Management Services.  During his time at the department, Ken managed $8.7 billion in spending with an operating budget of $575 million and a staff of 1,000, focusing specifically on administration, procurement, facilities, and technology.  He also had the opportunity to oversee the successful implementation of the largest procurement and human resource outsourcing projects of any state government and transformed the state’s underperforming data center by promoting sustainable business lines and restructuring financial obligations.

Prior to joining state government, Ken was a senior strategic consultant and project manager for a leading technology firm.  He led multiple projects for companies such as Delta Airlines and Merck Pharmaceuticals.

Ken is a certified Project Management Professional and combined with his Bachelor of Science Degree from the Florida State University College of Business, Ken’s private and public sector experience in governmental affairs adds expertise and depth to assist our clients in their diverse needs. 

He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Tallahassee with their daughter, Mackinlee.