Collins Center President Rod Petrey Named Florida Trend Floridian of the Year

MIAMI, Dec. 27, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Florida Trend, the state's leading business publication, has named Collins Center President Rod Petrey Florida Trend's Floridian of the Year for 2010. In choosing the 2010 Floridian of the year, Florida Trend looked for someone who had helped Florida while engaging in at least one of the year's biggest issues.

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Two issues of great significance to Florida in 2010 and in which Petrey and the Collins Center provided "remarkably nonpartisan" solutions were oil drilling and the huge volume of foreclosures inundating Florida's courts.

According to Florida Trend, "In both arenas, Petrey steered courses that served the state, its citizens and businesses well. In a highly politicized year, he took a practical, even-keel approach that kept the center focused on service and out of politics."

"This article is recognition of the good work the Collins Center does together," said Petrey. "I am honored by the recognition and consider it to be a legacy of Governor LeRoy Collins and his dedication to making Florida a great state."

Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation

The Collins Center's Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program helps homeowners whose residential property is facing foreclosure. In December 2009, the Florida Supreme Court ordered all of Florida's 20 Judicial Circuits to institute programs of mandatory residential foreclosure mediation. Currently, six of Florida's 20 Judicial Circuits are participating in the Collins Foreclosure Mediation Program.

Off-shore Oil Drilling

In November 2009, Senate President Jeff Atwater called upon the Century Commission, staffed by the Collins Center – along with Florida State University's Institute for Energy Systems and Economic Sustainability (IESES) and the Florida Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research – to assist the Senate with a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore drilling.

In responding to the charge from Mr. Atwater, the Collins Center developed a report for the citizens of Florida. The report highlighted what is known about the potential risks and rewards of offshore drilling, what is unknown or uncertain, and what assumptions, claims and/or conclusions are reasonable. To view a complete copy, click on Potential Impacts of Oil & Gas Exploration in the Gulf. Additional resources are also available on the Collins Center web site.

"As the Florida Trend article mentions," said Petrey, "2010 was a difficult year with most Floridians being impacted in one way or the other by the gulf oil spill or the foreclosure crisis. Our mission has been and continues to be to focus on working to help resolve Florida's tough challenges in an objective and practical way."

Learn more about other Collins Center programs by visiting www.CollinsCenter.org.

CONTACT: Jon DeVries

Senior Vice President for Communications,

Marketing and Development

941-309-5321

SOURCE Collins Center for Public Policy