After chairing the Enterprise Florida board meeting in downtown Tallahassee this morning, Gov. Rick Scott quietly fired the public-private economic development agency’s president John Adams, the governor’s office confirmed.

Adams, who earned $293,400 last year, was hand-picked for the job five years ago by then-Gov. Jeb Bush.

Scott’s move, which will require some action by the board but which his office will take effect immediately, took Enterprise Florida Board member Hal Valeche by surprise.

“I’m shocked. That’s just completely out of the blue,” said Valeche, president of York Street Capital Advisers, who served on Scott’s economic development transition team. “Wow. Boy. When I left the hotel, he was still there. I said goodbye to him and nothing had happened.”

Valeche said severing Adams’ contract was not discussed during the board meeting.

“It just seems very odd,” he said.

Florida TaxWatch CEO Dominic Calabro was also unaware of Adams’ firing, but it would not be an unusual move for the new governor.

“He’s going to be the chief economic officer. So it stands to reason that he should feel comfortable with the CEO of Enterprise Florida or whoever’s going to serve in a similar capacity,” Calabro said. “I’m not saying I agree with it. I don’t know enough. I think John’s served well in the area of economic development for the past four years.”

Former Palm Beach Gardens councilman and 2008 congressional candidate Hal Valeche is among the people tapped by Gov.-elect Rick Scott to serve on teams that will advise Scott on economic development and regulatory reform.

Valeche, owner of York Street Capital Advisors, is one of about 50 people on the economic development team, which is chaired by Wayne Huizenga. The regulatory team is chaired by Chris Corr of global consulting firm AECOM.

Click here to read the Scott transition team’s full release and list of names.

So state Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach, is remaining in the Senate District 27 race after some aggressive flirtation last week with the Senate District 30 contest.

But will the treadwear-testing Fort Myers-to-West Palm Beach district survive the 2012 redistricting?

Read about it in this week’s Politics column. Also, catch the latest on state House musical chairs, GOP Second Amendment love and Hal Valeche’s fence-mending with the Rooney family.

It took 37 days, but GOP state House hopeful Pat Rooney Jr. on Thursday was able to lock down the endorsement of his younger brother, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney of Tequesta.

Tom Rooney released a statement that praises his brother’s business and charity work and says he is “flattered that my older brother is looking to follow in my footsteps by entering public service.”

Pat Rooney, one of three Republicans running for the northern Palm Beach County seat of term-limited Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, has also received the backing of former Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche. Valeche, a Republican, was considering running for the seat.

Valeche ran against Tom Rooney and former state Rep. Gayle Harrell in a 2008 GOP primary for Congress. In that campaign, social conservative Valeche tangled with the Rooney family over gambling issues. Pat Rooney Jr. is president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club dog track.

Pat Rooney Jr. — the president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club dog track, restaurateur, attorney, radio personality, South Florida Water Management District board member and older brother of Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney — says he’s leaning toward running for a northern Palm Beach County state House seat next year and will announce his plans in September.

Rooney, a Republican, is eyeing the state House District 83 seat of state Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, who faces term limits in 2010 and is running for state Senate.

Republicans already in the race: Nancy Cardone, Francisco Rodriguez and Nick Wukoson. Former Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche — who ran against Tom Rooney in the 2008 GOP congressional primary — is also looking at the race. Democrats Tony Arena, Gary Lew and Mark Marciano have also filed for the District 83 seat.

Pat Rooney Jr. — president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club and brother of U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta — is considering a run for the state House seat of term-limited state Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter.

It could be a crowded 2010 GOP primary with Realtor Nancy Cardone already in the race and Palm Beach Shores Mayor John Workman and former Palm Beach Gardens councilman Hal Valeche also eyeing Domino’s north-Palm Beach County seat. Plus, Valeche and the Rooney family have clashed in the past on proposals by the dog track to expand gambling.

Read about it here.