Latest news with #CareerSourceCentralFlorida
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Orange elections chief hails $3 million recovery after spending scandal as a ‘victory for taxpayers'
Orange County Elections Supervisor Karen Castor Dentel said Wednesday more than $3 million in questionable gifts handed out by her predecessor has been returned in a 'victory for taxpayers' that will help shore up her office's budget. Glen Gilzean — appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to temporarily run the elections office — gave away the money to Valencia College and to several nonprofits for scholarships and voter-engagement efforts. Those moves angered county officials who said Gilzean distributed funds without proper approval that were needed for core election functions. Gilzean, who left the post in January, at one point wanted the scholarship program Valencia was to create with elections office money to be named after himself. Castor Dentel, a Democrat who won the election in November, said on Wednesday that Valencia had returned $2.1 million provided for the scholarship fund and that the Central Florida Foundation, which had been engaged to oversee voter-engagement initiatives, had sent back $864,500. The foundation, which received about $1.1 million, had already granted 12 organizations some of their funds, and those contracts for voter registration and other efforts will be fulfilled, Castor Dentel said. Previously, CareerSource Central Florida returned $1.9 million to the county that it had received from Gilzean, and it recently gave back another $275,000 to the elections office, Castor Dentel said. That money was provided to retrain temporary elections workers. 'These are dollars that we need to make sure we have the ability to run elections,' she said of the payments to nonprofits. 'We didn't have … excess funds to do this. We are still going to be behind even with this money returned.' County officials said Gilzean's overspending was so severe that it left the office in jeopardy of not meeting payroll, and late last year they voted to freeze spending for his office. Castor Dentel's team said they discovered 118 outstanding checks totaling more than $2 million and 100 unaccounted-for invoices totaling $700,000 on their first day, including debts to deputies, election workers and vendors essential to election security and operations. The office, Castor Dentel said, has 'worked tirelessly to pay down these debts.' Embattled Gilzean ends tenure as Orange elections chief Gilzean's administration spent 51% of the office's budget in a roughly two-month span, according to a report released by Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond. Though that spending coincided with the 2024 presidential election, Gilzean did not get the necessary approval from the county commissioners to exceed his allowed amounts, Diamond wrote. Mayor Jerry Demings has criticized the office's unauthorized payments as improper, arguing the county doesn't fund the elections office so it can fund nonprofits, but instead to run elections. Gilzean called the actions of Castor Dentel and Demings 'shameful and purely political' in a statement Wednesday. 'My commitment to my community is unwavering,' he said. 'Everything we did was rooted in increasing voter education and turnout. ' He accused the two Democrats of 'choosing to keep kids from better opportunities, hindering our community's progress, and suppressing voter engagement.' DeSantis appointed Gilzean, a close ally, to the office in March 2024 following longtime Democratic elections chief Bill Cowles' retirement. Gilzean opted not to run for reelection this fall, and Castor Dentel prevailed with solidly blue Orange County voters. Gilzean's dispute with county officials grew so heated that he filed suit, which he dismissed when he left office. Castor Dentel said her office is continuing to probe her predecessor's spending, including expenditures on 'self promotion' and advertising after the election that she said 'are hard to justify.' She declined to release more details on those expenses, adding that the review is ongoing. 'We're about ready to close the book on this chapter and move forward,' she said. 'I'm excited about that.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TODAY: ‘Hearts for Veterans' job fairs happening at 5 locations
Veterans who are in job-hunting mode could find promising career opportunities on Thursday. On Feb. 13, CareerSource Central Florida is hosting 'Hearts for Veterans' job fairs at several locations. Veterans and their loved ones can connect with employers who will be hiring on-the-spot. The job fair will happen at each of the company's area career centers. READ: 3 manatees released back into the waters of Blue Spring State Park Those locations include: Seminole Career Center – 1209 West Airport Boulevard, Sanford, Florida 32773 Southeast Orange Career Center – 5794 South Semoran Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32822 Lake Career Center – Lake-Sumter State College, 9909 U.S. Highway 441 Building #M29, Leesburg, Florida 34788 West Orange Career Center – West Oaks Mall, 9401 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee, Florida 34761 Osceola Career Center – Valencia College, 1800 Denn John Lane, CIT Building #300, Kissimmee, Florida 34744 READ: Canine Companions DogFest 2025 Some participating employers include: City of Orlando Addition Financial Credit Union Price Shopper Allied Universal McLane Walden Security Rosen Hotels & Resorts Alorica UF Health Lake County Transit The Groove Hotel and Resorts The job fairs run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each location. To register and view a complete list of employers at each location, click here. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Hearts for Veterans job fair will be connecting Veterans with local employment opportunities
CareerSource Central Florida presents the Hearts for Veterans job fair to Central Florida to support Veterans and their loved ones in making the right connections for employment with local employers hiring on-the-spot job openings. The job fair will be held simultaneously across ALL CareerSource Central Florida's Career Centers. Whether they are searching for their next job or transitioning to civilian life, all they need to do is bring multiple copies of their resume and be ready for interviews. Read: Spirit Airlines reveals sunny Orlando as the place to be for spring break CareerSource locations: Seminole Career Center – 1209 West Airport Boulevard, Sanford, FL 32773 Southeast Orange Career Center – 5794 South Semoran Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32822 Lake Career Center – Lake-Sumter State College, 9909 U.S. Highway 441 Building #M29, Leesburg, FL 34788 West Orange Career Center – West Oaks Mall, 9401 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee, FL 34761 Osceola Career Center – Valencia College, 1800 Denn John Lane, CIT Building #300, Kissimmee, FL 34744 Read: NASCAR fans to drive into Speed Week events before Daytona 500 Participating companies include, but are not limited to, the City of Orlando, Addition Financial Credit Union, Price Shopper, Allied Universal, McLane, Walden Security, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Alorica, UF Health, Lake County Transit and The Groove Hotel and Resorts. Read: 'A Tale of Two Winters': Parts of US see cold weather blast as Florida stays warm and sunny Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
