Former DeSantis senior official to open Fort Myers office for global lobbying firm

Ballard Partners, a global government relations firm with offices from Tallahassee and Tampa to Tel Aviv, is opening a new office in Fort Myers — and has hired a well-known Southwest Florida politico to run it. 

Dane Eagle, who served more than two years overseeing the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity under Gov. Ron DeSantis, will open the Fort Myers office for Ballard, according to a statement. Eagle was secretary for the DEO from September 2020 until late last year. Prior to that role, Eagle, a Republican, was a state representative from 2012 to 2020, representing Cape Coral. He rose to the rank of majority leader, the release adds, where he was responsible for leading the Republican Caucus and ushering legislation to the governor’s desk.