The Florida Auto Body Association is gearing up for election season with the hire of lobbyist Foyt Ralston. The FABA Legislative Committee felt he would be the best representative for the association after interviewing several lobbyists and has been approved by the board, according to Executive Director Ementi Coary. 

Ralston is a veteran in government and political relations with more than twenty years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He’s done a three-day tour from Pensacola to Tallahassee and attended a virtual meeting as FABA begins work on a game plan for the upcoming election. 

“There’s a ton of different people running for office and retiring, and the landscape is ideal for any association to be able to get involved with having a lobbyist to get our name out there,” Coary said. “We're not anti-insurance, anti-DRP, anti-dealerships; we’re pro-consumer. It’s about what is best for the consumer and if the consumer is taken care of, the shops are taken care of. That is the whole goal behind anything taken care of with legislation.” 

Some of the areas FABA plans to look at include right to appraisal, total loss, and 48-hour supplements. 

“We’re going to be looking at actual bills passed in other states,” Coary said. “We’re not looking to redo the wheel. We want to look to see what’s been passed [and] rewrite those under Florida to help get those things passed.” 

The work requires educating legislators on the industry as Coary said that, unless they’ve personally been involved in an accident, they don’t really know about the industry. He encourages shops to get involved with the association as its work benefits everyone in the state. 

“I’m super excited about the direction this is going to go,” he said. “I’m hoping more people will join because this benefits everybody. I don’t want to see shops sitting on the sideline taking credit for things other shops are paying for.” 

Ralston has served as Florida’s chief information officer and chief of staff of the State Technology Office, where he helped lead major reforms that improved how government and private industry operate. He earlier served as staff director for the Florida Senate Majority Office, and he has also managed state and federal political campaigns, bringing valuable experience in strategy, leadership, and public policy. In the private sector, Ralston has represented clients across a wide range of industries including technology, energy, health care, and insurance.

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