Governor Jeb Bush recently appointed several members to seven of the eight Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Some of the Basin Board members are reappointments and some of them are newly appointed.
Alafia River Basin Board:
*Cheryl Johnson of Brandon was reappointed. She is a real estate associate with Tampa Electric Company. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Jean C. Tort of Ruskin was reappointed to the Alafia River Basin Board. He owns Sun City Tree Farm. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
The Alafia River Basin Board area includes the southern half of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County.
Coastal Rivers Basin Board:
*Elaine Perry of Brooksville was reappointed. She is retired. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*George Miskimen of Beverly Hills was reappointed. He is retired. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
The Coastal Rivers Basin Board area includes the coastal regions of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.
Hillsborough River Basin Board:
*Hugh Gramling of Plant City was appointed to succeed Fred Johnson. He is the executive director of Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Renee Benton of Tampa was appointed to succeed Janet Jackson. She is the president and CEO of Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, Inc. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
The Hillsborough River Basin Board area includes portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.
Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board:
*Joseph Robinson of Tampa was reappointed. He is the president and CEO of RHC and Associates, Inc. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Susan Welsh of Odessa was appointed to succeed Andreas Paloumpis. She is a chiropractor at Welsh Clinic. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2007.
*Devon Higginbotham of Plant City was appointed to succeed Maritza Rovira-Forino. She is the owner and president of Archive Properties, Inc. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2008.
The Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board area includes the northwest portion of Hillsborough County.
Peace River Basin Board:
*Rufus Lazzell of Punta Gorda was reappointed. He is retired. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*James Hageman of Port Charlotte was reappointed. He is the executive director of the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Fred Trippensee of Avon Park was appointed to succeed Kathleen Edgemon. He is the president of Trippensee & Co. Inc. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
The Peace River Basin Board area includes DeSoto and Hardee counties as well as portions of Charlotte, Highlands, and Polk counties.
Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board:
*Rodney Fischer of Palm Harbor was reappointed. He is the executive director of the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Terry England of Indian Rocks Beach, was reappointed. He is the president of England Brothers Construction Co. Inc. His term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
*Janet Hoppe of Indian Shores was appointed to succeed Kenneth Waters. She is retired. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2008.
The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board area includes Pinellas County and a portion of Pasco County.
Withlacoochee River Basin Board:
*Patricia Nathe of Dade City was appointed to succeed Robert “Ben” Huss. She is an office manager for R.J. Nathe and Sons and Tall Timber Cattle and Grove. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.
The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area includes portions of Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter counties.
The District has eight regional Basin Boards that provide guidance for local programs that are specific to the basins they protect. The District’s ninth basin, the Green Swamp, is administered by the Governing Board. Basin Boards work with local governments and other entities on water resource projects that have an impact in local communities. Basin Boards often provide partial funding for these projects in partnership with a local government or local cooperator.
Basin Board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. They serve three-year staggered terms. Each of the Basin Boards includes a minimum of one person from each county within the basin, and there must be at least three members on each board. Each Basin Board has at least one of the 11 members of the District’s Governing Board that serves as the Board’s chair ex officio.