U.S. Kathy Castor (FL14) has appointed new staff at her Tampa district office to serve neighbors and families.

“Every year, my Tampa office handles hundreds of constituent services cases to assist individuals, businesses and organizations as they try to navigate the various federal agencies,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “From accessing veterans’ benefits, assisting consumers with ID and tax refund fraud, to alerting nonprofits about federal grant opportunities, my team is there to serve with compassion, energy and professionalism.”

Patricia Givens has joined U.S. Rep. Castor’s Tampa office this month as office manager, bringing with her years of corporate customer service experience. Most recently, she worked as legislative aide to State Reps. Betty Reed and the Ed Narain, where she developed problem-solving abilities, as well as strong ties with our community and state legislators. As office manager, Ms. Givens will ensure timely constituent services, assist callers and visitors, provide referrals and manage special projects.

Ms. Givens replaces Damaris “Dee” Gonzalez, who has become a Constituent Services Representative in the office, focusing on assisting our military families and veterans with accessing their earned benefits and services. In addition to her experience in the legal profession, Ms. Gonzalez’s passion and community work as a hospital officer for AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Department of Florida and her other roles with the AMVETS National Service Foundation and its local chapters makes her well suited for her new appointment.

Ms. Gonzalez replaces Stephanie Germon, who moved on from U.S. Rep. Castor’s office to Gulf Coast Rehabilitation as a mental health therapist and consultant. Ms. Germon will practice in the area she specialized in through her graduate degree and will join a task force working directly with veterans to reduce the suicide and divorce rates among military members and families.

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