Martin Garcia is stepping down as chairman of Florida’s Disney World oversight board, creating another leadership shakeup at the district playing a starring role in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ nationally watched feud with the theme park giant.

Garcia’s departure comes about a week after district administrator Glen Gilzean left his post to serve as Orange County’s elections supervisor, a position that pays roughly half the $400,000 annual salary Gilzean earns at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, thanked Garcia for his service on the five-member, governor-appointed board. Garcia was appointed as board chairman in February 2023 as part of a state overhaul of the district previously known as Reedy Creek. His term on the unpaid board ran through 2027.

“We thank and greatly appreciate Martin Garcia for his full year of service to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, having successfully navigated the transition from the former Reedy Creek District and developed a new district focused on transparency and the elimination of corporate welfare,” Griffin said in an email.

Garcia and the tourism oversight district did not respond to emails seeking comment on Wednesday.

State Sen. Linda Stewart said she’s concerned about instability at the district, which oversees fire protection, roads and other government services for Disney World and nearby properties.

“What it seems to say is things are not operating properly,” the Orlando Democrat said of the departures.

Critics have accused the district’s leadership of cronyism by awarding no-bid contracts and jobs with lucrative salaries to conservative allies. The district saw dozens of employees resign or retire after the state takeover.

In exit surveys, some departing employees said they were leaving because of a politicized work environment and low morale. Gilzean disputed that assessment, saying morale had improved under his leadership.

DeSantis hailed the district as a model of good government during a visit last month, marking one year since he ousted Disney loyalists on the board and replaced them with his political allies. DeSantis’ feud with Disney started in 2022 over the company’s opposition to legislation critics called the “don’t say gay” law, which limited classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

For decades, Disney controlled the district’s board by electing its members, allowing the corporation to essentially self-govern its Central Florida theme parks and resorts. State lawmakers upended that arrangement last year, granting the governor the power to appoint the board.

For Gilzean’s job, DeSantis is recommending Stephanie Kopelousos, a top adviser who most recently worked on his campaign for president. The DeSantis-appointed board must vote to hire her. The governor’s office has not announced a replacement for Garcia.

Stewart has asked DeSantis to appoint a Central Florida resident to the board. Only one of the five board members, Ron Peri, lives in the Orlando area. The other members are Moms for Liberty co-founder and Sarasota resident Bridget Ziegler and Tampa Bay lawyers Charbel Barakat and Brian Aungst Jr.

Garcia, also a Tampa lawyer, is a DeSantis ally and a GOP donor. Through his Pinehill Capital Partners investment firm, he has donated $260,000 to political campaigns in Florida, including $53,000 to DeSantis and $25,000 to the Republican Party of Florida.

Garcia praised the board’s work during the governor’s visit last month.

“Instead of acting as a corporate subsidiary of Disney, our board now operates as an independent government agency for all of the citizens of the state of Florida,” he said.

Gilzean told Spectrum News 13 he plans to resign from the district after working with the board on a “seamless transition.” He wouldn’t say how long the process could take because he didn’t want to “get ahead of the board.”

District officials have not responded to questions from the Orlando Sentinel on whether Gilzean has submitted a notice of resignation or received written authorization to work as Orange County’s election chief.

Garcia is the second board member to resign since DeSantis seized control of it last year. Michael A. Sasso, a Central Florida attorney, resigned in May just a few months into his tenure. His resignation came as his wife, Meredith Sasso, was elevated to the Florida Supreme Court by DeSantis.

Disney is clashing with DeSantis and the district in court. DeSantis won a victory in a federal lawsuit filed by Disney, accusing him of political retaliation. Disney is appealing that ruling dismissing the suit. The oversight district sued Disney in state court, asking a judge to void agreements limiting its authority over development.

The Orange County elections chief position, which Gilzean now fills, became vacant when Bill Cowles, a Democrat, resigned on Jan. 31. That allowed DeSantis to appoint a temporary director to oversee voting in one of Florida’s most Democratic counties.

Gilzean’s appointment lasts only until the winner of the election in November takes office in January 2025. Gilzean, who has no experience running elections, is currently not listed as a candidate.

Kopelousos’ work for the governor includes serving as his legislative affairs director. In that role, Kopelousos worked behind the scenes to get Disney World a carve-out from the governor’s Big Tech social media bill three years ago, when the company still was contributing to his gubernatorial reelection campaign.

Kopelousos also served as Clay County manager for eight years and was Department of Transportation secretary under former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Stewart said she thinks Kopelousos is qualified and will work across the aisle, but the board should consider other candidates and conduct interviews before making its decision.

“That would be a better process than the governor having total say in who he puts into the office,” Stewart said. “They just hire people they know.”

Staff writer Jeffrey Schweers contributed to this report.