Facing term limits, state senator joins health care nonprofit

FORT MYERS — After a decade as a state senator representing Southwest Florida, Lizbeth Benacquisto is joining Hope Healthcare, one of the region’s leading hospice organizations, as an executive vice president.

Hope Healthcare provides care and comfort to more than 4,000 people a day in Southwest Florida, with annual revenue of more than $112 million, according to its public tax filings.

“Lizbeth’s knowledge and skills will be an incredible asset to Hope,” says Hope Healthcare President and CEO Samira Beckwith in a statement. “She brings a unique understanding about health care and services that matter most to Southwest Floridians. The board and I are confident Lizbeth will help support Hope’s mission of improving the quality of life for those experiencing serious illness and frailty.”

Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, was first elected to the Florida Senate in 2010. The deputy majority leader from 2011 to 2012 and the majority leader from 2012 to 2014, Benacquisto is term-limited from running for the senate again in 2020. She considered running for U.S. Congress in 2020, in the seat held by U.S. Rep Francis Rooney, R-Naples, who is retiring. “After thoughtful consideration I have decided that running for Congress in 2020 is not the right path for me and my family at this time,” Benacquisto Tweeted late last year.

Also a Realtor, Benacquisto was a councilwoman for the Village of Wellington, outside West Palm Beach, from 2002 to 2010. In Southwest Florida, she’s supported Hope Healthcare for several years, according to the statement. That includes serving as co-chair of the annual Yachts of Hope and Shine events that benefited those in need of Hope Hospice.