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4.A. PRESENTATION FROM THE ATTORNEY APPLICANTS IN THE <br />FOLLOWING ORDER <br />(Presentations are to be limited to 5 minutes) <br />Nicholas D. Thomas, Esq. <br />Michelle Napier, Esq. <br />Daniel C. Stump, Esq. <br />Scott Widerman, Aaron Thalwitzer, and/or Phillip Zies, a Team from the Law Firm of Zies <br />Widerman & Malek <br />Following introductions by the applicants Attorneys Nicholas D. Thomas, Michelle Napier, <br />Daniel C. Stump, and Scott Widerman (who was accompanied by Aaron Thalwitzer) each <br />gave a five-minute presentation. <br />4.B. DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD <br />Attorney Thomas felt that a distinction should be made that DOR Rule 12D-9.009 clearly <br />indicates to hire a single individual. Attorney Scott Widerman agreed, but he wanted <br />to clarify that as a team they have the resources to fill in if one of them was not available. <br />Discussion ensued and additional questions were posed to Attorney Widerman who clarified <br />that the appointment would be a specific appointment with any one of the three applicants <br />from his firm. <br />Commissioner O'Bryan was concerned that there may be a conflict of interest if Attorney <br />Stump was appointed as Counsel and was appointed as Special Magistrate in St. Lucie <br />County. Attorney Stump said he would be declining the appointment as Special Magistrate <br />if he was appointed as Counsel. <br />Commissioner O'Bryan asked Attorney Napier to elaborate on the type of cases that she was <br />involved with during the six years she served as Assistant City Attorney in Fellsmere. <br />School Board Member Johnson asked the applicants if they are willing to register for the <br />DOR training and take the test for certification. <br />VAB Clerk Suesz advised the Board that some counties have hired an alternate attorney to <br />serve as private counsel and she asked the Chairman if this Board wanted to consider it. <br />Discussion continued and Chairman Davis felt they could never be prepared enough in light <br />of what the Board recently experienced (the sudden death of the VAB Attorney David <br />Hancock). He felt it would be prudent to do so, however, Attorney Thomas disagreed, and <br />remained opposed to the Board taking action on this matter, as it was not following the law. <br />No further action was taken on this issue. <br />VAB Special Meeting to Hire Private Counsel <br />July 21, 2014, 11:00 a.m. <br />