State Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) will be officially designated Monday as Senate president for the 2013-14 legislative sessions.
According to a recent press announcement, his Monday will begin with the private prayer breakfast in Tallahassee, followed by the designation ceremony. A dinner honoring Gaetz will be at 7 p.m.
Don Anchors, a Fort Walton Beach attorney and close friend of the Gaetz family, will give the homily at the prayer breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
The Rev. John Underdahl, pastor of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Niceville that Gaetz attends, will offer a benediction and invocation at the breakfast and will open the designation ceremony with prayer on the Senate floor.
Retired Air Force Col. Howard Hill of Niceville, a former Vietnam POW who served with Gaetz on the Okaloosa County School Board, will lead the Senate, governor and cabinet in the Pledge of Allegiance before the ceremony.
The Air Force Special Operations honor guard from Hurlburt Field will present the colors.
Niceville High School’s Opus One, an elite ensemble of singers directed by Michael Dye, will sing the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.â€
Gaetz will be joined on the Senate floor by his wife Vicky, his daughter Erin and his son, state Rep. Matt Gaetz.
As tradition dictates, a roll call of senators will be held so each can announce his or her approval of Gaetz as their next leader, the release said. Sens. John Thrasher of Jacksonville and Joe Negron of Stuart will officially nominate their Republican colleague.