Swoope to Head Enterprise Florida

   The board of Enterprise Florida voted Monday afternoon to hire Gray Swoope as its new president and chief executive officer, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, was recommended by Gov. Rick Scott. The board, which had begun a search for new president since Scott fired former President John Adams, decided it would forgo a national search and go with the governor’s recommendation.
   In fact, former House Speaker Allan Bense, who was leading the search effort for Enterprise Florida, cited how long it took — six months– for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission to find a new president.
   “Frankly, I don’t think Florida is in a position right now where we can wait five or six months,” Bense said.
   The board voted to cap Swoope’s salary at $300,000, including base pay equal to the governor’s salary of about $130,000 and incentive pay not to exceed $170,000.
   There’s a big catch in his contract, though. Swoope has agreed to work without a cushy severance package. All that his contract will require is that he receive 30 days notice if the governor decides to fire him.
   Last month in a move symbolic of his assertion as the state’s chief economic development officer, Scott led an Enterprise Florida board meeting and then promptly fired Adams.
   Also on Monday the board approved Adams’ severance package, which board members noted will not be paid with any taxpayer money. The exact value of the package was not discussed during the the meeting and Enterprise Florida did not immediately respond to a request for the details.
   According to a letter sent by Scott to Enterprise Florida Vice Chairman Hal Melton and obtained by the Sentinel, the governor reiterated his plan to create a Department of Commerce, which would include economic development, workforce training and community development.
   He said he wanted to maintain the private investment in Enterprise Florida, but said the same person would lead the group as well as the Department of Commerce.
    Bense and others said during the meeting that they were unsure whether Swoope will be based in Tallahassee or Orlando, where Enterprise Florida is headquartered.
   Scott, clearly impressed with Swoope’s credentials, said Swoope helped convince companies like Toyota and  GE Aviation to build facilities in Mississippi.
   He also said Swoope refocused Mississippi’s efforts “to aggressively support industry retention and expansion” resulting in a “measurable increase” in jobs saved or created through expansions.
   And Scott pointed out that Swoope was successful at increasing his agency’s services and programs while decreasing its staff by 15 percent and lowering its budget by 26 percent over seven years.
   According to Swoope’s bio at the Mississippi Development Authority, he joined the organization in 2004 and was appointed as executive director by Barbour in 2007.