about us
mission
vision
promise
Our team
president
Richie Kidwell
Richie Kidwell became a business owner at a very young age—starting his own business in his 20’s while also pursuing his higher education goals. His first businesses provided pest control and landscaping services while he also performed home inspections. During this time, Richie received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management and later his Master’s degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix. In 2013, Richie started Air Quality Assessors, which provides air quality evaluation services and is currently located in 6 major Florida cities including Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Naples, and Panama City. Mr. Kidwell is a Florida licensed mold assessor, a Florida licensed mold remediator, a Florida certified operator for termite and WDO, and his company is licensed as a Florida licensed engineering firm. He is also certified through the National Environmental Training Institute to teach mold assessment and mold remediation classes. Richie is the founding President of the Restoration Association of Florida which was created to provide advocacy at the state level and to improve professional standards throughout the Florida restoration industry.
executive director in government affairs
Amanda Prater
Amanda has worked in Florida politics for over 14 years and has held numerous roles both inside and outside of state government. She began her career working in the Executive Office of the Governor for both Governor Bush and Governor Crist focusing on policy and legislative affairs issues. She then went on to work for several years in the Florida House of Representatives before being named as the Legislative Affairs Director for the Department of Children and Families where she eventually became Chief of Staff. After serving several years with DCF, Amanda opened her own consulting firm, Cooperative Strategies where she has provided lobbying, public relations, fundraising, and political expertise. Amanda has been representing the Restoration Industry for the past 5 years.
Board Member
Richard Diaz
Cutler Cleaners
Richard opened Cutler Cleaners in Miami back in 2001. Since then, Cutler Cleaners has established the reputation of being one of Miami’s leaders in high end garment care and customer service. Cutler Clothing Restoration brings that same expertise in garment care and customer service to their clients who have experienced a fire, water, or mold disaster. Cutler Clothing Restoration is the best choice for restoring your families wardrobe after a disaster.
Board Member
Stephen Rowe
Mr. Restoration
Stephen L. Rowe II is a board member of the Restoration Association of Florida (RAF) and the owner of MR Restoration, a restoration company specializing in water, fire, and mold damage, with offices in Miami-Dade, Broward,and Palm Beach Counties. Rowe is a U.S. Army Combat-Veteran and formerly worked as an insurance adjuster for several companies including Citizens.
What is an Assignment of Benefits?
It is a contract that allows a policyholder to assign the rights and benefits of their insurance policy to a third-party contractor of choice. This effectively allows a third-party contractor to “step into the shoes” of a policyholder, granting permission to discuss a claim, bill a carrier for the service and materials in which they furnish, be paid directly by the insurer, and/or bring causes of action for the collection purposes, if necessary.
The AOB is a legal tool that has been used since the early 1900s which allows a contractor to begin work immediately and be paid later by an insurance carrier. This tool is commonly used every day when we visit a doctor, chiropractor, surgeon, etc., and is becoming more commonly used in residential property damage losses.