TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Dane Eagle, former Secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, joins Ballard Partners, a bipartisan lobbying firm working to help clients navigate complex political and governmental matters.
“Ballard Partners is comprised of good people all around,” Eagle says. “I’ve known Brian Ballard for 17 years, and it seemed like a natural fit. I’m excited about it.”
Eagle began his career working on the campaign side of government before representing Cape Coral, in Lee County, in Florida’s House of Representatives. Eagle was a state representative for eight years, serving as the Republican Majority Leader for the last two.
Speaking to The Florida Standard about his most recent role as Secretary of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, Eagle says, “it was an amazing experience to work closely with Governor DeSantis in his bold vision, bringing Florida’s economy to the forefront of the nation.”
With a second child on the way, Eagle says he stepped away from state government to focus on his family, but he believes he can still make an impact in the lives of Floridians in his new role with Ballard Partners. A native of Cape Coral, Eagle looks forward to the opportunity to continue to advocate for those hit hardest last year by Hurricane Ian.
“Whether your client is a big business, environmental interest – or you’re fighting for families or special health needs – everyone needs someone fighting for them,” says Eagle. “I’m excited to come to the Capital halls to help fight for those causes.”
WORKING UNDER GOVERNOR DESANTIS
When we asked Eagle what he learned while leading DEO, he said, “the government is a big bureaucracy. The governor has always challenged us to cut the red tape and find inefficiencies. On paper, that sounds easy, but in practice, it’s difficult. I surrounded myself with the right people – we had a great team at DEO.”
“Finding efficiencies and following the governor’s lead and being bold enough to say ‘what can we do better?’ while not caving to the bureaucracy was the goal,” Eagle tells The Florida Standard. “It was a great experience not only leading DEO but leading under the governor’s leadership.”
“Dane Eagle is one of the most personable, caring, and hard-working people in state government,” James Uthmeier, Governor DeSantis’ Chief of Staff tells The Florida Standard. “He truly has everyone’s best interest at heart and puts others before himself. We’ll miss him on the team but wish him all the best in his next pursuits.”
FLORIDA’S PATH FORWARD
We asked Eagle what he believes Florida did right in the past few years and what he thinks still needs to be done.
“We’ve done a lot in the last four years. Putting freedom first and not giving in to the tides,” Eagle told The Florida Standard. “During the pandemic, every time there was an ebb and flow in COVID cases, other states would put more pressure on their people – we did not do that. We pushed against the tides and found ways to foster freedom, allowing people to make their own choices.”
“I think we’re going to continue to see that trend,” Eagle says. “The governor recently announced the push for answers on vaccines. People should be able to learn and know the risks as well as any benefits and whether they are effective or not.”
“I think there needs to be someone looking out for everyday people,” Eagle tells The Florida Standard. “The governor certainly has pushed to be that person, and I’m excited to see what he does in the next four years.”
