IMPORTANT NEWS...
Chuck Drago to Serve as Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation
July 31, 2008
TALLAHASSEE—Today, Governor Charlie Crist appointed Chuck Drago to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Drago has served as Interim Secretary since Governor Crist appointed Holly Benson to head the Agency for Health Care Administration in February 2008.
“I am honored and privileged to serve Governor Crist and the people of Florida as the Secretary of DBPR,” said Secretary Chuck Drago. “During my time as Interim Secretary I have been dedicated to continuing to make Florida a great place to do business, and I will continue with that mission in mind.”
Before joining the Department as Deputy Secretary in January 2007, Drago, 56, served as a law enforcement officer for 32 years. He served in various roles within the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department for nearly 30 years, starting as a detective and officer in 1975 and rising through the ranks to Assistant Chief of Police in 2001. During that time, he worked in the areas of organized crime investigations, narcotics enforcement, vice, tactical operations and stalking. Among his many commendations for community work and accomplishments in major criminal investigations, Drago received the 1989 Ft. Lauderdale Police Department’s Officer of the Year Award and was runner-up for the State of Florida Officer of the Year.
Beginning in 2004, Drago served as Chief of Police for the City of Oviedo. During his three years there, he established community policing and problem-oriented policing, which emphasizes research and analysis as well as prevention. Drago is a graduate of St. Thomas University in Miami and the Broward County Institute of Criminal Justice. He also completed the Command Officers Development Certification at the Southern Police Institute, University of Louisville, Kentucky.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The Department licenses more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from real estate agents, veterinarians, and accountants to contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com.