Governor Ron DeSantis Nominates Dave Kerner as Executive Director of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

January 6, 2023

Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis nominated Dave Kerner as Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Kerner is currently a Palm Beach County Commissioner and previously served as County Mayor for Palm Beach County.

Kerner will serve as Interim Executive Director until his nomination is brought before the Cabinet for final approval at the January 17, 2023, Cabinet meeting.

Governor DeSantis also announced his appointment of Michael Barnett to fill the vacancy on the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners created by Kerner’s appointment.

Dave Kerner

Prior to his election to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, Kerner served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives. He also served as a police officer and as a special prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Kerner earned his bachelor’s and juris doctor from the University of Florida.

Michael Barnett

Barnett is an attorney for Shiner Law Group. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County. He has also served as Committeeman, Secretary, and Vice Chair of the Republican Executive Committee of Palm Beach County. Barnett earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and his juris doctor from the University of Miami School of Law.

This is a terrible appointment/nomination by DeSantis. During Dave Kerner’s (Democrat) time as Mayor not only did he shut down Palm Beach during Covid but threatened small businesses with local police that did not follow his authoritarian regime. Kerner endorsed DeSantis as governor so I suppose this was the reward for doing so. In a state that Republicans won a majority of elections by huge margins, any Covid tyrant, like Kerner, should not be rewarded with any leadership position in Florida.