Five appointed to Florida Gaming Control Commission

FLORIDA — Two people have been appointed to the Florida Gaming Control Commission, and three have been reappointed.

Governor Ron DeSantis last week announced the appointment of John MacIver of Tallahassee and John D’Aquila of Jacksonville Beach and the reappointment of Julie Imanuel Brown of Tampa, Michael Yaworsky of Tallahassee, and Charles Drago of Chuluota.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Here is more about the appointees, according to the governor’s office:

John MacIver
MacIver, of Tallahassee, serves as General Counsel to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and the Department of Financial Services. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Ron DeSantis and as a senior official at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. He is also a sworn law enforcement officer. MacIver earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of Central Florida and received his juris doctor from Northwestern University School of Law. He will serve as Chair of the Commission.

John D’Aquila
D’Aquila, of Jacksonville Beach, is a certified public accountant and owner of D’Aquila Advisors, LLC. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer of Comstock Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Select Wines, LLC and was a Senior Auditor for Ernst and Young. D’Aquila is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a Past Vice Chairman of the Society of Financial Professionals. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Binghamton University.

Julie Imanuel Brown
Brown, of Tampa, is the former Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Previously, she spent 10 years on the Florida Public Service Commission, serving as Chairman from 2016 to 2018. Brown is a graduate of Leadership Florida, served on the Florida Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and is a former President of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations and juris doctor from the University of Florida.

Michael Yaworsky
Yaworsky, of Tallahassee, most recently served as Chief of Staff at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Previously, he was Legal Counsel to the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, Counsel to the Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore and Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Yaworsky earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State University and juris doctor from Samford University. He will serve as Vice Chair of the Commission.

Charles Drago
Drago, of Chuluota, is the founder and President of Drago Professional Consultants. Previously, he was Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Chief of Police to the City of Oviedo and spent 29 years with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, working his way up from a Police Officer to Assistant Chief of Police. Drago earned his associate degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York and bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from St. Thomas University.