Without surprise or intrigue, the full board of Enterprise Florida (EFI) on Monday hired lawyer and Gov. Rick Scott loyalist Pete Antonacci to be its next leader. The former lobbyist had been recommended as the new CEO by the jobs-recruiting agency’s executive committee during a conference call last week. Scott chairs the EFI board of directors as governor.
Enterprise Florida’s Executive Committee named Mike Grissom interim CEO Tuesday, a day after the embattled agency’s CEO abruptly resigned. Former CEO Chris Hart IV resigned after serving only three months on the job. Stan Connally, vice chairman of the Enterprise board of directors, hastily called the meeting Tuesday and nominated Grissom, who served as interim CEO last year. Grissom is the current executive vice president of the economic development agency. “Mike Grissom served in the previous interim CEO role,” said…
A former state lawmaker has been selected to lead Enterprise Florida, a decision that comes as proponents gear up for what could be another difficult year for the public-private economic development agency. The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors on Wednesday voted unanimously to hire Chris Hart IV as the CEO of Enterprise Florida. Hart, the president and CEO of CareerSource Florida, will start on Jan. 3, and will be paid between $175,000 and $200,000 a year. “Thank you for your…
The presidential search committee for Enterprise Florida (EFI) on Friday whittled down its list of finalists to lead the state’s public-private economic development organization. The final two are: — Michael Finney, former chief executive officer, Michigan Economic Development Corp., who was ranked No. 1 by five of the committee’s six members. — Richard M. Biter, a retired assistant secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation. Three of the six committee members ranked him either No. 1 or No. 2. They will be invited to…
Enterprise Florida (EFI), the state’s public-private economic development agency, is aiming to hire a new CEO on a tight timeline — by September. Members of the agency’s search committee held a brief organizational conference call Thursday. Discussing the job ad soon to go out, committee member Carol Craig suggested it make clear they need a candidate “strong on legislative experience.” “That’s a really big deal, especially with everything that’s gone on the past,” said Craig, CEO of Cape Canaveral’s Craig Technologies. Bill Johnson, EFI’s immediate…
Amid a major shakeup pushed by Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida agency responsible for luring jobs to the state is paying nearly a half-million dollars to departing employees. Florida taxpayers are picking up the majority of the cost for severance payments and payouts for unused leave. Records requested by The Associated Press show that 10 departing employees at Enterprise Florida are receiving more than $430,000. Rank-and-file state workers are not allowed to receive severance payments, but employees at Enterprise Florida…
Stephen Lawson tells FloridaPolitics.com he’s departing as communications director for Enterprise Florida for the same job at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Lawson’s last day at EFI is Thursday. He starts at DBPR next week, replacing Chelsea Eagle. She wasn’t immediately available Wednesday. Eagle departs in the wake of a high-profile battle with POLITICO Florida over the release of depositions and other material related to the state’s legal fight with the Seminole Tribe of Florida over gambling. Lawson,…