Staff Reports
William Spicola, general counsel to Gov. Rick Scott for the past year, is leaving to become top legal officer of the Constitution Revision Commission.
Replacing him as GC in the executive office of the governor is Daniel Nordby, a partner in Shutts & Bowen’s Tallahassee office.
Both job changes become official on April 17, the governor’s office announced Monday.
“Will has been a valuable member of my team and has done an outstanding job leading efforts to appoint qualified judges to the bench, including our newest Supreme Court Justice, Justice Alan Lawson,” Scott said in a written statement.
“The CRC only comes once every 20 years, and it is an incredible honor that Will has the opportunity to serve in such an important role for the future of our state. I have enjoyed working with Will over the many years he has served in my administration and know that he will do a tremendous job in this leadership role at the CRC,” the governor said.
Before joining Scott’s office, Spicola was a veteran of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where he had served as general counsel, director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, and chief attorney in the Division of Pari-Mutual Wagering.
Nordby has practiced election, constitutional, and administrative law at his firm since 2014. Before that, he served stints as general counsel to the Florida House and the secretary of state’s office.
Scott named him to the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission in 2012.
The commission is holding public hearings around Florida as it considers changes to the state’s charter.
Presiding over the 37-member board is Carlos Beruff, a Manatee County homebuilder and unsuccessful Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016.
The commission has met twice before, in 1977-78 and 1997-98, but this is the first to be selected by a majority of Republicans.
Any changes the commission proposes would be in the form of constitutional amendments, which would have to be approved by 60 percent of voters on a statewide ballot.
