Gov. Rick Scott announced on Monday that Bill Johnson is leaving as CEO of Enterprise Florida, the public-private partnership focused on expanding economic development.
Johnson had taken over at Enterprise Florida at the start of 2015. Scott had made sending an additional $250 million annually to Enterprise Florida as one of his chief legislative priorities this year but, despite GOP control of both chambers of the Legislature, no additional funds were sent to the organization.
Despite that loss, Scott praised Johnson on Monday.
“Bill has traveled the globe to let businesses know that Florida is the top destination in the world for jobs,” Scott said. “He played a key role in our mission to make Florida first for families and he has vigorously fought to bring new opportunities to the Sunshine State so we can grow our economy for future generations. Bill has been laser-focused on helping us beat Texas to become the number one state for job creation in the nation and we are deeply grateful for his service to our state.”
“It has been an honor to serve in this role and work alongside Gov. Scott to bring more jobs to Florida,” Johnson said. “Our economy is growing with more and more businesses selecting Florida over our competitors. I am pleased that during my tenure at Enterprise Florida, the state achieved a critical milestone in creating more than one million jobs during the governor’s administration.
“I would like to thank Vice Chair Alan Becker and the EFI Board of Directors, as well as our economic development partners throughout the state, and the professional EFI staff for their contributions over the last year,” Johnson added.
Before taking over at Enterprise Florida, Johnson was well-known throughout the Sunshine State for his leadership of Miami’s port. After leaving PortMiami, Johnson took over as director of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department.
Scott did not name a replacement for Johnson on Monday or when he will be leaving Enterprise Florida.
“The details of his departure are being finalized to allow Mr. Johnson to fulfill existing EFI commitments," Scott’s office noted.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
