AARP ADVOCACY:
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Friday, November 22, 2024
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
presented by:
Join us as AARP Florida provides an interactive review of the 2024 legislative session and preview of 2025. Come learn how what happens in Tallahassee affects us all and even the rest of the country. This session will discuss how all the pieces fit together; background on key legislative, budgetary and public policy issues including health care, long term care, utilities and consumer protections that are of interest to Floridians 50+.
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Friday - November 22, 2024
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - VIRTUAL
$50.00 - Non-Members
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Applied for CEU, CLE, and CTFA
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SPEAKER BIO:
ZAYNE SMITH ~ Zayne Smith is the Director of Advocacy for AARP Florida, working in the St. Petersburg and Tallahassee offices. She directs AARP advocacy efforts and strategy on a wide range of issues including prescription drugs, long-term care, utilities, guardianship, elections, state budget and housing issues. She has represented AARP Florida on the Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardianship Stakeholders, Guardianship Improvement Task Force, Sadowski Coalition, Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida, Department of Elder Affairs Florida State Plan on Aging Advisory Group, National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition and the Florida Don’t Text & Drive Coalition.
Prior to working with AARP, Zayne worked as a lawyer/lobbyist on health, poverty and immigration issues throughout Alabama and the Southeast for Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice where she presented testimony to the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Human Rights Coalition. Zayne holds a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law and B.A. in History & Journalism from the University of West Alabama. She earned a certification in utility ratemaking at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Rate School. Zayne was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
CHANTE' JONES ~ Chante’ Jones serves as the Associate State Director of Advocacy for AARP Florida, where she serves as registered lobbyist to devise and execute advocacy strategies across local, state, and federal levels. She collaborates with diverse teams and external partners to achieve the organization's objectives. Chante’ effectively represents organizational interests before legislative bodies, evaluates legislation alignment, and monitors impending bills that could impact strategic objectives.
Prior to her current role, Chante’ held the position of Executive Director at the Office of Public and Professional Guardians within the Department of Elder Affairs, overseeing the registration, regulation, and oversight including discipline of over 650 professional guardians and 17 public guardian offices statewide.
Chante’ is a Florida Bar attorney and earned her Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law in 2018, following a notable career spanning over two decades with Verizon Communications. Beyond her professional commitments, serves as an advisory board member for the Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida and she contributes her expertise to various committees with the Florida Bar and serves as Chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement for the Elder Law section of the Florida Bar. Additionally, Chante’ is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
