[Nfbf-l] Governor Scott

[Patricia A. Lipovsky]

Although this has nothing to do with blindness, I found this interesting and thought I would share. 

Meet Governor Scott
Governor Richard L. Scott Biography 

Rick Scott is the 45th Governor of the great State of Florida. As promised during his campaign, Scott is focused on creating jobs and turning Florida's
economy around. Born in Bloomington, Illinois, and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, his father was in the 82nd Airborne during World War II. After the
war, Gov. Scott's father was a city bus driver and then a truck driver. His mother worked as a JC Penney clerk. At times the family struggled financially,
and when Gov. Scott started public school, they lived in public housing. In high school, Gov. Scott met Ann, and the high school sweethearts have been
married for 40 years and have two married daughters, Allison and Jordan, and a grandson, Auguste. 

After attending high school and community college, Gov. Scott enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served on active duty aboard the USS Glover as
a radar man. The G.I. Bill enabled Gov. Scott to attend college and law school. While enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and working full-time
at a local grocery store, Gov. Scott and Ann made their first significant foray into the business world by buying two Kansas City doughnut shops for Gov. Scott's
mother to manage. Following graduation from UMKC with a degree in business administration, Gov. Scott earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University. 

After law school, Gov. Scott stayed in Dallas, working for the city's largest law firm, Johnson & Swanson, primarily representing companies in the health
care, oil and gas and communication industries.  In 1987, while still practicing law, Gov. Scott made an offer to purchase HCA, Inc.  When the offer was
rejected, Gov. Scott started Columbia Hospital Corporation with his and Ann's entire life savings of $125,000.  Gov. Scott also started Conservatives for
Patient's Rights, which advocated for free market principles of choice, competition, accountability and personal responsibility in health care.  Gov. Scott
wanted to prevent further government encroachment on the rights of patients. 

When Gov. Scott left Columbia in 1997 at age 44, it was one of the most admired companies in America.  It had grown to become the world's largest health
care company with more than 340 hospitals, 135 surgery centers, and 550 home health locations in 37 states and two foreign countries.  Columbia employed
more than 285,000 people, making it the 7th largest U.S. employer and the 12th largest employer worldwide. 

Faith, Family and Community  

Before moving to Tallahassee, the Scott family lived in Naples. When they are back home, they still attend Naples Community Church, which Rick and Ann helped
start in 2006. Throughout their lives, Gov. Scott and First Lady Ann  have served their community through volunteer and charitable work. Rick has served
on the National Board of the United Way, and Gov. Scott and Ann have worked with World Vision to create a primary health care system in Bunyala, a poor
area of Kenya. In addition, they fund scholarships for graduates of the Kansas City high school they both attended, as well as one that enables a low-income
student to attend SMU Law School each year. They also fund an entrepreneur contest at George Washington University where one of their daughters received
a business degree. 

Businessman and Entrepreneur  

Gov. Scott is known as an innovator in business, health care, and politics. His specialization was in health care mergers and acquisitions, and it was during
his work on these transactions that he recognized how patients could be better served by improving hospital efficiency, lowering costs, and focusing on
better outcomes. 

Through his entrepreneurship, Gov. Scott developed a reputation in the health care industry for providing affordable, high quality care to patients. As
Governor, he brings a similar vision for quality and efficiency to benefit the people of Florida.  

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
?Oscar Wilde  

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