The head of the state’s prison system is seeking a new job, and he could be leaving as early as October. While Ken Tucker would be the second Florida Department of Corrections chief to leave during Governor Rick Scott’s term so far, he has the Governor’s blessing to do so.
Governor Rick Scott appointed Tucker as the Department of Corrections Secretary at the end of August of last year. Before coming to work at the department, Scott plucked Tucker from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, where he worked for close to 30 years.
Tucker’s time with the state was expected to come to an end in March, when his time in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, or DROP, was over and he could retire. But, department spokeswoman Ann Howard says an opportunity opened up for him to work with the federal government, and Tucker seized the chance:
“This wonderful opportunity would actually take him back to the Jacksonville area, which is where he and his family are from," said Howard. "And, it really goes back to the roots of his public service career which is dealing with law enforcement and things like that. It would be dealing with anti-drug trafficking efforts over in that part of the country.”
Tucker applied to be the director for the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, an anti-drug initiative.
Howard says Tucker did not make this decision lightly, and he did not do it behind the Governor’s back. In fact, he sought the Governor’s permission first before moving forward.
“The Secretary has received permission from the Governor’s office to pursue this wonderful opportunity. The Secretary has had a fantastic working relationship with this Governor. A lot of mutual respect for sure," said Howard. "At this point, the timing is a little bit off. I think the Secretary would have preferred it to be later in the year. And, again, he did speak to the Governor’s office before pursing this opportunity.”
If Tucker gets the job with the federal government, Scott will have to name his replacement, who would be the third Secretary Scott has chosen.
Tucker’s possible departure also comes at a time when several agency heads have resigned under Scott, with two resigning just last week: Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson and Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Mike Hansen.
Meanwhile, Scott says while he’s understanding of the circumstances surrounding the departures of his agency heads, he’s also grateful they took this journey with him to help the citizens of Florida.
“First off, I’m very appreciative of the people who’ve come to serve our state. I’m appreciative of the things that they’ve accomplished in the first 18 months since I’ve become Governor," said Scott. "And, I’m looking forward to new people coming on with new ideas and energies. It’s exciting!”
If Tucker leaves in October, he will have been on the job for about a year. Tucker’s predecessor Ed Buss resigned from the department, after only six months on the job.
