Kirk Fordham
Encyclopedia
Kirk Fordham serves as the CEO of the Miami-based Everglades Foundation. A wide range of prominent businessmen and women serve on the Board of Directors of the Foundation, including hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones, recording artist Jimmy Buffett, golfer Jack Nicklaus and retailer-newspaper publisher Marshall Field.
At the Foundation, Fordham has overseen the organization's efforts to advance a wide range of massive restoration projects to protect the greater Everglades ecosystem and the water supply for most of South Florida http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/06/2155615/why-we-need-everglades-restoration.html.
Fordham has led lobbying efforts in Tallahassee and Washington, DC to secure funding for the multi-decade restoration initiative that is important to the Florida business community, including large tourism, boating and recreational and fishing industries. Everglades restoration has broad public support in Florida among both political parties, according to a number of public opinion surveys http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-28/news/os-everglades-public-opinion-20110228_1_everglades-restoration-everglades-foundation-growth-management
Fordham, working with a number of conservation and business groups, fought vigorously to support the acquisition of over 26,000 acres of sugar cane fields from U.S. Sugar Corporation after Governor Charlie Crist proposed a complete buyout of the corporation. The land will be used to treat pollution-laden water that flows from the agricultural fields into the Everglades, according to Fordham and other state officials. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-04-15/news/OPfordham15_1_everglades-restoration-lake-okeechobee-land-for-everglades http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/197-million-u-s-sugar-land-deal-for-855637.html
In recent years, a number of large restoration projects have broken ground after being funded by both the Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida. http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/nr_2010_0126_c111_groundbreaking.pdf
Prior to his work at the Everglades Foundation, he served on the staff of various U.S. Republican Party
politicians. Fordham was largely unknown outside of Florida and Washington until he was confronted with the fallout from the Mark Foley scandal
.
Fordham had worked for Foley, as his chief of staff and campaign manager from 1995 to 2004. Later, he was chief of staff to U.S. Representative Thomas M. Reynolds
(R-NY), who, in 2006, was also the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
.
In 1990, he received a BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park
.
He got his start in politics an intern for his congressman, one-term Republican Fred J. Eckert
. He worked for then Rep. James Inhofe from 1990 to 1994 as his Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff. In 1994 he managed the first congressional campaign of Foley, became his chief of staff, and worked with him for 10 years.
From January 2004 to January 2005 he served as the finance director for Senator Mel Martinez
In 2005, Fordham was National Field Director for the DCI Group
, a public and government affairs firm with close ties to the Republican Party.
In December 2006, Fordham launched his own public affairs and government relations firm, called Rock Creek Strategies.
In January 2008, Fordham was hired as the new CEO of the Everglades Foundation
, based in Miami, Florida.
When ABC news was about to break the story on Foley's instant messages, Fordham offered ABC News
a deal, asking that they delay publishing explicit messages from Foley to pages, in exchange for an exclusive story on Foley's resignation. After it became public, Fordham was then instrumental in working with his boss, Rep. Tom Reynolds, in arranging Foley's resignation. Fordham noted that he had raised the issue with the staff of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
more than three years prior—before Fordham left his post as Foley's aide in January 2004—but that little had been done. Hastert's Chief of Staff Scott Palmer
denied this assertion.
In December 2006, The House Ethics Committee released their report on the Foley scandal and found Fordham's testimony to be credible http://www.washingtonian.com/print/articles/6/174/20225.html. The report suggested Fordham had been truthful when he testified he had informed Palmer of Foley's inappropriate behavior toward young male staffers and pages. At the same time, the ethics report indicates that Hastert and Palmer may not have been truthful about their handling of the Foley matter, although the committee did not formally reprimand them.
At the Foundation, Fordham has overseen the organization's efforts to advance a wide range of massive restoration projects to protect the greater Everglades ecosystem and the water supply for most of South Florida http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/06/2155615/why-we-need-everglades-restoration.html.
Fordham has led lobbying efforts in Tallahassee and Washington, DC to secure funding for the multi-decade restoration initiative that is important to the Florida business community, including large tourism, boating and recreational and fishing industries. Everglades restoration has broad public support in Florida among both political parties, according to a number of public opinion surveys http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-28/news/os-everglades-public-opinion-20110228_1_everglades-restoration-everglades-foundation-growth-management
Fordham, working with a number of conservation and business groups, fought vigorously to support the acquisition of over 26,000 acres of sugar cane fields from U.S. Sugar Corporation after Governor Charlie Crist proposed a complete buyout of the corporation. The land will be used to treat pollution-laden water that flows from the agricultural fields into the Everglades, according to Fordham and other state officials. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-04-15/news/OPfordham15_1_everglades-restoration-lake-okeechobee-land-for-everglades http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/197-million-u-s-sugar-land-deal-for-855637.html
In recent years, a number of large restoration projects have broken ground after being funded by both the Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida. http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/nr_2010_0126_c111_groundbreaking.pdf
Prior to his work at the Everglades Foundation, he served on the staff of various U.S. Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politicians. Fordham was largely unknown outside of Florida and Washington until he was confronted with the fallout from the Mark Foley scandal
Mark Foley scandal
The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting e-mails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages...
.
Fordham had worked for Foley, as his chief of staff and campaign manager from 1995 to 2004. Later, he was chief of staff to U.S. Representative Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
(R-NY), who, in 2006, was also the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
.
Early life and career
Fordham is a graduate of Greece Olympia High School in Greece, N.Y.Greece (town), New York
Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town had a total population of 96,095. The town motto is "Discover the Promise."...
In 1990, he received a BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
He got his start in politics an intern for his congressman, one-term Republican Fred J. Eckert
Fred J. Eckert
Fred J. Eckert is a former one-term United States Representative from New York. He was born in Rochester, New York on May 6, 1941, graduated from North Texas State University in 1964 and took postgraduate courses at New York University and at the New School for Social Research from 1965 to 1966...
. He worked for then Rep. James Inhofe from 1990 to 1994 as his Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff. In 1994 he managed the first congressional campaign of Foley, became his chief of staff, and worked with him for 10 years.
From January 2004 to January 2005 he served as the finance director for Senator Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
In 2005, Fordham was National Field Director for the DCI Group
DCI Group
DCI Group is an American public relations, lobbying and business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded in 1996 as a grassroots consulting firm, and has since expanded its practice to become a public affairs company offering a range of services...
, a public and government affairs firm with close ties to the Republican Party.
In December 2006, Fordham launched his own public affairs and government relations firm, called Rock Creek Strategies.
In January 2008, Fordham was hired as the new CEO of the Everglades Foundation
Everglades Foundation
-History:The Everglades Foundation was formed by a group of outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists and residents of Florida who were concerned over the decline of the Everglades and the resulting damage in the nearby natural and protected areas such as Florida Bay...
, based in Miami, Florida.
Fordham's Orchestration of Mark Foley's Resignation
Fordham, with a decade-plus working relationship with Foley, and close personal friends of Foley and his sister, emerged as a central player in the events leading up to the Congressman's resignation.When ABC news was about to break the story on Foley's instant messages, Fordham offered ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
a deal, asking that they delay publishing explicit messages from Foley to pages, in exchange for an exclusive story on Foley's resignation. After it became public, Fordham was then instrumental in working with his boss, Rep. Tom Reynolds, in arranging Foley's resignation. Fordham noted that he had raised the issue with the staff of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
more than three years prior—before Fordham left his post as Foley's aide in January 2004—but that little had been done. Hastert's Chief of Staff Scott Palmer
Scott Palmer
Scott B. Palmer was the chief of staff to United States Representative Dennis Hastert , the former Speaker of the House in the U.S. House of Representatives....
denied this assertion.
In December 2006, The House Ethics Committee released their report on the Foley scandal and found Fordham's testimony to be credible http://www.washingtonian.com/print/articles/6/174/20225.html. The report suggested Fordham had been truthful when he testified he had informed Palmer of Foley's inappropriate behavior toward young male staffers and pages. At the same time, the ethics report indicates that Hastert and Palmer may not have been truthful about their handling of the Foley matter, although the committee did not formally reprimand them.