Holly Benson
Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
Holly Benson was sworn in as Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration on February 2008.
Prior to joining Governor Charlie Crist’s administration, Secretary Benson served in the Florida House of Representatives from November 2000 until January 2007. She also practiced municipal bond law at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. from 1996 until her appointment.
During her time in the House, Secretary Benson tackled reorganizing the state court system as Chair of the Select Committee on Article V, updated the state’s procurement code as Chair of the Committee on State Administration, and transformed the state’s $16 billion Medicaid system as Chair of the Health and Families Council. She also remained active in the district and launched initiatives such as Bay Day and I LOVE Science.
Secretary Benson was born in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina and moved with her family to Pensacola in 1976. Her father is a physician, and her mother has served in local government and in the Florida House.
After graduating from Washington High School, she received a Bachelor’s degree with honors from Dartmouth College in 1993, and a law degree from the University of Florida in 1996. While in Pensacola, Secretary Benson participated in Leadership Pensacola, was a member of First United Methodist Church and the Downtown Rotary Club, and founded fundraisers like Scooper Bowl and organizations such as Culture Club.