Regulation Division Director
Michelle Hopkins is a water resources engineer with more than 30 years of experience in both the private and public sector. As director of the Regulation Division, Hopkins oversees the District’s permitting and compliance sections that support the Environmental Resource Permit, Water Use Permit and Well Construction Permit programs. She is also responsible for overseeing the District’s Agricultural program and staff who provide extensive regulatory support and coordination with the agricultural community, the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for agricultural-related activities.
Hopkins began her career with the District in 1990 as an engineer in the Regulation Department at the Bartow Service Office. From there, she served the District’s Regulation Department as a staff engineer, professional engineer and surface water manager of the Tampa Regulation Department. Hopkins worked in the private sector from 2006 until rejoining the District in January 2012 to serve as the Environmental Resource Permit Bureau chief in the Regulation Division. She was appointed director of the Regulation Division in July 2019.
Hopkins is a Florida licensed professional engineer with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of South Florida.