Kirk Fordham, who gained national notoriety as a former chief of staff to Mark Foley, has been picked to be chief executive officer for the Everglades Foundation.

Fordham wasn’t serving in Foley’s office when the page scandal ended Foley’s political career in 2006, but he helped engineer Foley’s exit from Congress and testified before the House Ethics Committee investigating how top congressional leaders mishandled the situation.

But Fordham has a long history of working in the political and legislative arenas. He has been a chief of staff to three congressmen and spearheaded Sen. Mel Martinez’s fundraising efforts during the 2004 campaign.

The Everglades Foundation put out a news release offering bipartisan praise for Fordham’s abilities. Here’s what some key politicos said:

• Sen. Mel Martinez: “Kirk is the perfect person for the position. He’s a shrewd strategist, an honest broker and a
  person of great integrity. For those of us who care about
  restoring the Everglades for future generations, we are fortunate to have him as part of the team
  tackling this critical issue.”

• Rep. Robert Wexler: “The daily battle to save the Everglades needs a
  leader who can use every weapon at his disposal to lead this effort. Kirk Fordham brings a
  considerable arsenal of talents and isn’t afraid to stand up to powerful opponents to accomplish
  this effort. He’ll have allies on both sides of the aisle when we push for a continued federal
  commitment to restore the Everglades.”

• Gov. Charlie Crist: “The Everglades is a national treasure that Floridians are
  committed to restoring to its original splendor. I look forward to working with Kirk and the
  Everglades Foundation in achieving this critical goal.”

Tags: Charlie Crist, Mark Foley, Mel Martinez, Robert Wexler

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