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New Executive Director "Heralds A New Era" At South Florida Water Management District

Scenic drive, Everglades National Park, 2015. Courtesy of U.S. National Park Service
Scenic drive, Everglades National Park, 2015. Courtesy of U.S. National Park Service

The South Florida Water Management District has a new executive director.

Drew Bartlett’s appointment is part of sweeping change at the state agency overseeing water resources in Central and South Florida.

Bartlett had been deputy secretary at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, overseeing all five water districts in Florida.

He steps in as Gov. Ron DeSantis has replaced most of the South Florida Water Management District’s governing board. Charles Lee of Audubon Florida says the change diminishes special interest influence.

“We are now moving away from that, and I think all of the appointments the governor has made to the board and then the board selection of Drew Bartlett as the new executive director heralds a new era of opportunity for restoration of the Everglades.”

Bartlett previously worked at the federal Environmental Protection Agency. He starts at the South Florida Water Management District on April 1.

 

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.