Area officials up for statewide post

Florida CFO Jeff Atwater's decision to leave state politics for academia could have a big impact on the Sarasota-Bradenton region.

Atwater announced Feb. 10 that he accepted the position of vice president of strategic initiatives and CFO of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Atwater, from nearby North Palm Beach, will leave Tallahassee, where he holds an elected cabinet-level position, in May.

The next step is for Gov. Rick Scott to name a replacement CFO, who will hold the position at least until the 2018 election. The new CFO, with oversight of the Office of Insurance Regulation and the Office of Financial Regulation, would join Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Attorney General Pam Bondi in the four-person cabinet.