Disney World governing board hires new administrator with $400K salary

Glen Gilzean Jr.

Central Florida nonprofit leader Glen Gilzean Jr. will get paid $400,000 a year — $45,000 more than his predecessor’s pay, a 14% increase — after being hired to be the next district administrator for Disney World’s government.

The state-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight board applauded Gilzean’s credentials and his personality and defended his higher salary when the board approved his contract.

Tourism board Chair Martin Garcia said the higher salary was warranted, calling it “a very different job description. We are now functioning under a new legislative act.”

Gilzean, an Ocoee resident who previously was the CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, starts his new job in a politically charged situation.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new members to the tourism board in March following a more than yearlong state fight with Disney that has led to two lawsuits so far.

With the state taking control of the board, the district will be required to file more reports to the state, adding to the district administrator’s responsibilities, Garcia said during Wednesday’s meeting.

Gilzean will also be asked to support Orange and Osceola county governments in fighting 87 lawsuits Walt Disney World Resort has filed over the years to contest property taxes, Garcia said.

And Gilzean can expect to get sued himself, Garcia warned.

Disney is suing the DeSantis-appointed board members, as well as DeSantis, in a federal lawsuit alleging public officials targeted the company and retaliated against Disney for speaking out last year on the state’s Parental Rights in Education measure, known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay” law.

“We had to tell him that he is going to not only be an administrator, but he’s probably going to be a defendant in a lawsuit,” Garcia said. “It’s always challenging to recruit someone to a job and saying the first day, there’s going to be a process server coming down the sidewalk that’s probably going to serve you with a federal lawsuit.”

Garcia said the board also looked at other special districts with similar-sized budgets to see how they paid their leaders. He pointed to the Port of Jacksonville, which pays $438,000, and the Tampa International Airport, which offers $598,000, as examples.

John Classe, the Reedy Creek District administrator since 2016, will stay on as the board’s special advisor to help with the leadership change. Classe will continue to get paid his previous administrator salary of $355,000 annually in the new role, according to his one-year contract approved Wednesday. The contract can be renewed for an additional year.

Board members praised Classe for his professionalism at the meeting and said they were glad he will still be working there.

The district administrator essentially acts as a city manager overseeing Disney World’s government that can build roads and infrastructure, handle emergency services when tourists are sick or hurt, and has the power to levy taxes and issue tax-exempt bonds. The state created Disney’s special district in 1967 to give The Walt Disney Co. the power to build its theme parks without having to go before a local government for oversight or permission.

Up until now, Disney had control of the board, picking its own supervisors on the Reedy Creek Improvement Board. That changed this year after the Republican-led Legislature passed a law meant to punish Disney for speaking out against last year’s controversial law. DeSantis can appoint the new members to the board, which has been renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Gilzean said he is glad the state-run Disney governing board took steps to be more transparent and independent by hiring its own legal counsel and financial advisor.

“This board can now act without the pressure vested from outside influence,” he said, without mentioning The Walt Disney Co. by name as he addressed the board after winning the administrator job.

“My job is to make this district and in turn this entire region a better place. … Let’s continuously keep in mind that the people are at the heart of this matter. They are our constituents, the district employees, the Walt Disney employees, the small business owners, and of course the millions of tourists who visit annually.”

Building affordable housing for workers in the district is an issue he is passionate about, Gilzean added.

Throughout Gilzean’s career, he has been involved in state-level and local boards.

DeSantis previously chose Gilzean to serve on a working group to open up the state during the pandemic.

Gilzean has been an advocate for school vouchers and served as vice president of Step Up For Students.

Gilzean serves on the Orlando Economic Partnership‘s board, so he knows some of the biggest stakeholders in Central Florida, said board member Brian Aungst Jr.

“Mr. Gilzean is a bridge builder. He’s a consensus builder. He’s a good person,” Aungst said. “We’re very blessed and lucky to have you.”