NEWS: DeSantis Appoints Former Campaign Adviser to Disney District Board

Now that election and voting season is in full swing, we’ve seen Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s name quite a bit in the Florida headlines.

@CNBC

Recently, Governor DeSantis appointed republican Glen Gilzean as Orange County elections supervisor. Gilzean is an administrator that oversees Disney World on DeSantis’s Board, and is former president and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League. This role will last until the winner of the election takes office in January 2025. Until then, Gilzean wrote that Paula Hoisington (deputy district administrator) would take over his position on the Board during his “unavailability.” Now, though, we’ve gotten an update.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, DeSantis has recommended that Stephanie Kopelousos, an adviser who served on his presidential campaign, step in for Glen Gilzean as administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that oversees Walt Disney World.

©Governor DeSantis’ Website

The rest of the Board was hand-appointed by DeSantis, and they must now approve his recommendation. However, the governor’s office told the Orlando Sentinel that it was “a done deal.”

©Orlando Business Journal

Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’s communications director, said, “We are glad to see her step into this leadership role as the District embarks upon the next chapter in its efforts to ensure an even and transparent playing field for the businesses that operate in Central Florida.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Reuters

Gilzean has apparently gotten a series of questions pertaining to his salary. As Board administrator, Gilzean makes $400,000 per year, while he makes $205,000 as elections supervisor. He hasn’t answered whether or not he’ll continue to receive both salaries, although the Orlando Sentinel reports that he said in an email that it’s legal to perform both jobs and receive both salaries.