Florida Department of Citrus Director Resigns

By Growing Produce Staff|July 29, 2011

[updated Aug. 4, 2011]

Confirming earlier news reports, Ken Keck, acting executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, resigned this week during a Citrus Commission teleconference.

Keck, also a longtime Florida Grower columnist, was appointed executive director by the Florida Citrus Commission in May 2006. His term was ended on June 30 in legislation sponsored by Senator J.D. Alexander, (R-Lake Wales), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, which also limited future executive directors to four-year terms and made them subject to Senate confirmation. The move seemingly put an exclamation point on the growing differences in opinion noted lately between Keck and Alexander on industry related issues.

After officially accepting Keck’s resignation, the Commission voted to appoint FDOC CFO Debra Funkhouser as the department’s new acting executive director. Funkhouser reportedly accepted the position.

The Citrus Commission will next meet at the end of the month to discuss the search for a new executive director.