After narrowly losing his race for the 19th Congressional District to Byron Donalds, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed State Representative and House Majority Leader Dane Eagle to become the next executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Eagle was elected in 2012 to the Florida House of Representatives. He currently serves as the House Majority Leader. He will term limit out in November.
Eagle was born and raised in Southwest Florida. He graduated from Bishop Verot High School and attended Florida Gulf Coast University before graduating from the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Eagle and his wife Brooke live in Cape Coral with their newborn son, Ronin, and their 3-year-old golden retriever, Hampton.
“Leader Eagle is an experienced legislator, a family man, and the right choice to lead DEO,” said Governor DeSantis. “The Department has suffered some setbacks, but I have no doubt that Dane is up to the task. He is personable, enjoys broad bipartisan support, and I look forward to the many successes to come. Casey and I also congratulate Dane and his wife Brooke on the birth of their first child.”
“I am humbled and excited to serve Governor DeSantis and the people of Florida in this role,” said Leader Eagle. “We enter in precarious times and I look forward to working with my former colleagues to effectuate change and lead DEO into a bright future. I thank the Governor and the First Lady for their friendship and well wishes. I can’t wait to get started.”