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Talk of the bay

Enterprise Florida's next leader probably on governor's staff

By ROBERT TRIGAUX
Published September 12, 2005

The search to find a successor to Enterprise Florida chief Darrell Kelley passed a milestone Friday when the window closed for job applicants.

Kelley, a former Sprint executive, said this summer that he was stepping down after three years as staff chief of the state's primary economic development organization. The Orlando operation - half-public, half-private - is chaired by Gov. Jeb Bush and sets the statewide direction for encouraging growth in particular industries such as biotechnology and aerospace with taxpayer-supplied incentives and the state's marketing muscle.

Because Enterprise Florida is a pseudo-government entity, the process of picking Kelley's successor is spelled out to the public in black and white. On Sept. 21, the designated search firm, Korn Ferry, and the Enterprise Florida search committee meet to trim the "long list" of candidates to a "short list." Interviews start in October and, multiple meetings of various boards later, the new Enterprise Florida CEO should be unveiled by mid November.

Let's cut to the chase. Who has the inside track?

For all the blather about a nationwide search and the best pick, the three candidates heard most often as the next CEO are all part of Gov. Bush's inner circle. They include Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, Secretary of State Glenda Hood and the state's Tourism, Trade and Economic Development chief, Pam Dana.

Not exactly a wide-ranging trio, since the Tallahassee three probably run into one another every week. The final decision is in the hands of Bush, a second-term governor who probably does not want to break in somebody new in his last year in office.

[Last modified September 9, 2005, 20:56:02]