Darling Steps Down as State Economic, Development Leader

Gov. Rick Scott has accepted the resignation of Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Doug Darling, effective Jan. 31.

I am incredibly grateful for Dougs 15 years of service to the state of Florida and the contributions he has provided to numerous state agencies and my office, Scott stated in a release.

I appointed Doug in July to lead the new agency, and I thank him for his invaluable efforts in getting DEO off the ground. He has been a tremendous asset during these first months of the agency and has been instrumental in promoting Florida as the top place to do business."

Darling wrote in a letter to Scott on Thursday that he is stepping down for personal reasons.

Darling, brought in to oversee the department the state Legislature created last year as a one-stop shop for economic and community development, came in with more than 30 years of leadership experience and fiscal accountability in the U.S. Department of Defense and Florida state government.

His resume includes stops as inspector general to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a congressional liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The department is an effort to streamline government by combining the Agency for Workforce Innovation, Department of Community Affairs and the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.

Cynthia Lorenzo, who will take the temporary leadership role starting Feb. 1, was director at Agency for Workforce Innovation before the merger.