Eric was named the Chief Information Officer in October 2020. Prior to joining the department, he managed a private IT consulting firm and served as the Chief of Service Operations at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles where he led complex technical project implementations and operations. Eric earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Applied Social Science degrees from Florida A&M University. Eric also holds several professional certifications which include the Certified Information Security Manager, Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer, Project Management Professional, Certified Public Manager, and a Florida Certified Contract Manager.

Benita has served as the Information Security Manager (ISM) with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), since August 2020, leading the department’s Cybersecurity, Incident Response, Risk Management, and Cybersecurity Awareness teams.
Previously, Benita was also the ISM with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FL DJJ), from 2007 until 2015 and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FL DEM) from 2015 until 2020, where she led initiatives to protect the infrastructure and sensitive data.
Benita is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over two decades of information security and risk management experience. In addition to cybersecurity expertise, Benita holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Florida State University, and she is also a Florida Certified Contract Manager and a Florida Certified Public Manager, demonstrating a strong, multidisciplinary foundation in cybersecurity, public administration, governance, and policy development.