Seminole County holds swearing-in ceremony for supervisor of elections, tax collector and commissioner

Seminole County held a swearing-in ceremony (date not specified) in the county commission chambers where Amy Pennock was sworn in as Seminole County supervisor of elections, J.R. Cole was sworn in as Seminole County tax collector and Andrea Hur was sworn in as Seminole County commissioner for District 5.

The ceremony opened with an invocation by Pastor Andy Serrells and brief welcomes from county staff. Judge Mark Hur administered at least one of the oaths; another judge administered the oath for the tax collector (name in the record is unclear). Each official read the oath and briefly addressed the audience after being sworn.

Amy Pennock, Seminole County supervisor of elections, was introduced with a summary of her private-sector and public-service background. The introduction said Pennock is owner of Pennock Consulting Group and previously held senior financial management roles including controller at Cathcart Contracting, administrative services director at the Florida Department of Health and assistant controller at Osceola Regional Medical Center. The introduction noted she holds two master’s degrees (one in business administration and one in forensic accounting) and certifications including certified fraud examiner and certified internal controls auditor. Pennock told attendees, “It’s a great honor to have all of your support,” and said she was “headed straight over there to start working” after the ceremony.

J.R. Cole, Seminole County tax collector, was introduced with biographical details saying he has lived in the county since 1983 and attended local schools and the University of Central Florida. The introduction said Cole eliminated more than $300,000 a year in unnecessary leases, introduced self-service kiosks at select Publix locations at no additional cost to taxpayers, and reduced average DMV wait times from about two hours to roughly 15 minutes. Cole told the audience he was unopposed in the most recent election cycle and thanked supporters and family, saying his office has focused on technology updates and service improvements.

Andrea Hur, sworn in as commissioner for District 5, was introduced with her professional and civic background, including a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stetson University and prior service as vice chair of the county commission. The introduction said she has served on the Central Florida Expressway Authority (by gubernatorial appointment) and on nonprofit and business boards. After being sworn she said she was “happy to serve for the next four years” and thanked supporters.

The ceremony included group photographs and a reception in the lobby for attendees. Several local officials and staff were listed among those attending in the introductions, including county manager Darren Gray, deputy county manager Tricia Johnson, assistant county manager Melanie Kuntz, County Attorney Kate Latore, Commissioner Bob Dilaura, Commissioner Amy Lockhart, representatives from U.S. Rep. Cory Mills’ office, and local school board members. The record does not specify the date of the ceremony.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken during the event; it was ceremonial swearing-in and brief remarks.