Just appointed in June, Martin Garcia resigning from Hillsborough County Aviation Authority

in Uncategorized by

Martin Garcia, close friend of Attorney General Pam Bondi, today inexplicably submitted his letter of resignation from the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority to Governor Rick Scott ten months after he was appointed to the board governing Tampa International Airport.

The submission of Garcia’s letter was confirmed by TIA’s Director of Communications, Janet Zink.

Garcia, a private investment firm founder from Tampa, was first appointed to the board to finish out the term of the late Steve Burton. Garcia was reappointed to the HCAA in October.

In his letter, Garcia gives no reason for his resignation, although a source who has long been involved in the affairs of the Aviation Authority said Garcia was at odds with the other members of the board more closely aligned with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

Garcia was originally chosen over a host of other applicants, including former City Councilman and County Commissioner Tom Scott, Ret. Brig. Gen. Arthur “Chip” Diehl III, former deputy director of plans for the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base and Ret. Col. Evelio Otero, a former division chief for the Special Operations Command at MacDill and unsuccessful 2012 congressional candidate.

Developing…

Material from Creative Loafing was used in this post.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.