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Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón remarked late last week that she does not plan to retain Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration Commissioner Nino Correa Filomeno in his role.
“No,” was González Colón’s reply when asked if she would consider doing so.
“I previously stated that I would implement changes in the government,” she elaborated. “I stand by that commitment. During the primary, I indicated that changes would occur in agency leadership. Therefore, I will not highlight any specific agency head. It is essential for people to recognize that I have been given a mandate for transformation, and I am determined to fulfill it. As I assess the other government agencies, that review will take place, and should an exceptional agency head prove themselves worthy after discussions and I find their plans compelling, I will consider them. I do not wish to entirely close that option. I support providing opportunities, but these may or may not align with their current roles. However, I will refrain from rushing into a process when I have yet to appoint any agency head.”
“I mentioned during the campaign that my priority was to secure victory first so I could subsequently select agency heads and evaluate what follows the election—this involves changing leadership in the House, in the Senate, and I am now doing the same with municipalities,” González Colón continued. “The next phase will involve forming the transition committee. Following that, I will internally establish a committee dedicated to assessing candidates for government positions. Just as I have publicly invited individuals interested in serving the people of Puerto Rico to submit their resumes to my party’s website for evaluation, we will also assess candidates through this process. During this time, I will meet and reach out to many agency heads who have shared with me their visions for the agencies. I want to be fair to the professionals in place. While there may be skilled professionals, my emphasis is on real change. When I speak of change, I mean substantial transformation.”
