Palm Bay hires Workman to help with energy efficiency work Wayne T. Price, FLORIDA TODAY
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Former Florida Rep. Ritch Workman recently began work at Palm Bay City Hall as a special projects manager in the facilities maintenance department.
His mission is to oversee a $4 million effort to make all city facilities more energy efficient, which ultimately will lead to saving money in utility costs.
Workman served as business development director at Keiser University from 2014 until March when he was let go because of budget cutbacks. He was responsible for building business-to-business relationships for Florida’s second-largest not-for-profit university, his resume states.
"I did project management for Keiser and really that was the favorite part of that job," Workman said. "That type of work really is one my attributes,  that I enjoy and do well."
Workman added: "At the end of the day, Palm Bay has decided to do the right thing, both for the taxpayer and the environment."
Workman earns $62,000 per year. Salary range for this position is $50,478 to $75,811.
Palm Bay City Manager Gregg Lynk said of Workman: "We will be able to utilize his skill set and experience working in local government to help ensure continued success working with outside vendors and project managers. Mr. Workman comes highly recommended from colleagues at the county level and we believe he will be a valuable addition to our staff as we continue our work to make Palm Bay thrive."
Workman, a Melbourne resident, represented District 52 in the Florida House from 2008-16. The Republican chaired the House Local and Military Affairs; Finance and Tax; and Rules, Calendar and Ethics committees.
He could not seek re-election in 2016 because of term limits, and he lost the Florida Senate District 17 race to Debbie Mayfield in the GOP primary.
Prior to work in Tallahassee, Workman was owner/branch manager of Workman Mortgage Co. from 1995-2013.
Workman earned a bachelor’s degree in real estate and urban analysis from Appalachian State University in 1995. He was also a captain in the Florida Army National Guard, serving from 1990-2005.
According to the job description, Workman will implement and manage special projects for Palm Bay’s facilities maintenance department, such as obtaining project quotes from outside vendors, planning, estimating, scheduling and measuring performance data.
Last December, Workman withdrew his nomination to the five-member Florida Public Service Commission after Florida Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, accused him of inappropriate behavior at a 2016 charity event.
Neale is South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.
Contact Neale at 321-242-3638
or rneale@floridatoday.com.
Twitter: @RickNeale1I