One of the masterminds at The Walt Disney Company behind the ongoing battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the Parental Rights Act is resigning.
Geoff Morrell, the company’s chief corporate affairs officer, is leaving the company, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in a memo to employees on Friday.
“I am writing to share the news that Geoff Morrell, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities,” he wrote in the memo obtained by Deadline.
Chapek said his company had no shortage of talent after Morrell resigned.
The company has also reorganized its leadership in public affairs and government relations.
Kristina Schake, a former Biden administration communications assistant who served as the White House COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign leader, has been tapped as executive vice president of global communications.
Schake will lead the company’s communications activities and report to Chapek.
Disney also placed its general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, in charge of government relations and global politics.
Morrell reportedly admitted that he wasn’t cut out for the job.
“After three months in this new role, it has become clear to me that she is not the right cast for a number of reasons,” he wrote in a separate memo provided to the Financial Times.
The Epoch Times reached out to Disney for comment.
Protesters gather outside the company’s headquarters in Burbank, California, on April 6, 2022 against the Walt Disney Company’s stance against a recently passed Florida law. (Jill McLaughlin/The Epoch Times)
The outgoing communications chief was appointed to the position less than four months ago. His departure came as no surprise to many after the company endured a messy standoff with the Florida governor.
Disney began a saga with Florida after the state passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which bans teachers from teaching children under third grade about issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. Supporters of the measure said teaching young children about such issues was inappropriate and tantamount to nurturing.
The House of Mouse criticized the law, saying it “should never have been passed and should never have been made into law”. The company also claimed it had a “goal” to strike down or repeal the law.
The disputes sparked a standoff between Disney and the DeSantis administration.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education Act flanked by elementary school students during a news conference at the Classical Preparatory School in Shady Hills, Fla. March 28, 2022. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP )
DeSantis signed into law April 22 ending Disney’s self-governing status in central Florida after the House and Senate passed the bill.
The law would eliminate the 55-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement District and several similar districts by June 2023. The measure may allow these districts to be restored.
This could have significant tax implications for Disney, which operates a number of theme parks in its 25,000-acre district.
“Incredibly, they’re saying, ‘We’re going to work to end parenting rights in Florida,'” DeSantis said of Disney’s corporate governance. “And I’m just thinking, you’re a Burbank, California-based company, and you’re going to use your economic might to attack my state’s parents. We see this as a provocation and will fight back.”
Read the staff Chapek’s memo, which you received by the deadline:
Team-
I am writing to share the news that Geoff Morrell, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, the strength and experience of our existing leadership team – including relatively recent All-Star employees – means there is no shortage of talent to lead our reputation functions. With Geoff’s departure, I am pleased to announce the following changes:
First, Kristina Schake will lead the communications activities of The Walt Disney Company, reporting directly to me as our Executive Vice President, Global Communications. In this expanded role, Kristina will oversee corporate and segment communications and continue to be our key spokesperson. Our business segment and content communications leaders will continue to report to both division leadership and corporate communications, which is now led by Kristina.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Kristina with us at this important time. Her 30+ years of experience includes roles leading President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine awareness program, communications for Instagram, and leadership roles in Obama’s political campaigns and White House. Kristina has a strategic approach and a collaborative style, as well as unrelenting optimism and a strong appreciation of our brand and its place in the world. These qualities will be invaluable as she works to protect and enhance our reputation, and I look forward to working more closely with her.
Next, Government Relations and Global Public Policy are now led by our General Counsel, Horacio Gutierrez. Since joining the company earlier this year, Horacio has seamlessly integrated into the Disney family and has quickly become a valued advisor to me and the leadership team on a variety of topics. His extensive experience leading these areas will help us advance our efforts.
In addition to his current direct reporting, Susan Fox, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, and Yvonne Pei, Senior Vice President, External Relations, Greater China, will report directly to Horacio, along with Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy.
Finally, Jenny Cohen, Executive Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, will now report exclusively to me in her role as leader of our CSR and ESG efforts. Jenny is a strong leader and has done incredible work to modernize our approach in key areas such as environmental sustainability, community investment and philanthropy.
I have incredible confidence in this team and look forward to working with them and all of our leaders to set Disney’s course for the next 100 years of exceptional entertainment and experiences.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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Allen Zhong is a longtime writer and reporter for The Epoch Times. He joined Epoch Media Group in 2012. His main focus is US politics.