Who are these people running for Hillsborough’s Soil & Water Conservation districts?

Water in the Indian River rose higher than normal during a fall high tide event in 2016, topping its banks in some locations and flooding this dock on Riverside Drive in New Smyrna Beach. Similar flooding was reported along Florida's Atlantic Coast. Scientists say it was a combination of long-term sea level rise, gravitational pull and a seasonal slowing of the Gulf Stream. Photo courtesy of Clay Henderson.

Admit it. When you get to the part about the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation districts on your election ballot, you haven’t the foggiest clue who the candidates are and why you should vote for any of them.

Here at Florida Politics, though, we’re all about information. And although the candidates may seem anonymous to many people, those elected perform an important job. There are 58 districts in the state, each with the purpose of “promoting and encouraging the wise use, management and general conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources.”

We canvassed the candidates running for Board seats in the greater Tampa Bay area. We asked them to respond by email to three main questions, and we present their responses here.

Not all of the candidates replied immediately, but it’s cool.

We’ll update this as we receive more information.

Here we go!

DISTRICT 2

Why are you running for this position?

Erik S. Challenger: I am running for Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor District-2 because I am a set of fresh eyes with a new perspective: changing the status quo with the focus on education and funding for local agriculture. I am the candidate who does not have a hidden agenda and I am not afraid of working outside the office and getting dirty with those I represent. My passion is to serve without recognition, to protect and represent the best interests of the people and not in organizations/companies.

Doug Rivero: I am running for this position because I want to give back to the community. I believe that my background and experience align very well with the requirements of this position. Promoting economic development, rebuilding our public education system, ensuring a healthy Hillsborough, and promoting liberty and justice, which are all important values for effective public policy, all align perfectly with my own candidacy’s platform of promoting environmental conservation, planting trees, promoting environmental justice and involving K-12 schools in conservation efforts.

​Strong and sustainable conservation practices help provide a variety of positive economic benefits to our community. Tourism, fishing, and many other sectors in our community are dependent on a healthy ecosystem. There are also many health benefits to promoting environmental conservation, such as reduced respiratory issues and cancer rates. In terms of liberty and justice, my campaign’s value of environmental justice speaks to a desire to ensure that past injustices related to environmental racism are reversed.

Finally, with my education and teaching background, I also want to involve the K-12 students in the county’s environmental conservation efforts. Experiential learning connected to environmental preservation are some of the best investments we can make in the education of our children.

Karen Jaroch: I believe we are ordained by our Creator to be good stewards of our natural environment. In this role on the Soil and Water Conservation board, I will always strive to promote good stewardship and preservation of nature’s bounty while simultaneously making decisions that respect property rights and provide for the common good.

Part of the role of this board will be influencing agriculture investments, which I believe should be prioritized to increase productivity and sustain our local farm community that is a significant economic driver in this county. The Soil and Water Conservation board also works closely with partner agencies to promote conservation and farming to our youth through involvement.

Growing a cherry tomato or beautiful blossom is an inherent reward, but the deeper life lesson that hard work and persistence lead to a plentiful harvest is a lesson that will reap rewards over and over in one’s lifetime. I would like to expand this youth involvement into our urban and suburban communities. These worthy objectives match my interests and are why I am running for this position.

What qualifications and experience do you possess that you believe makes you the right choice?

Erik S. Challenger: The experience I have is being a blue collar worker for 20+ years, as a firefighter, international longshoreman, and business owner. I understand and have firsthand working knowledge of environmental health and safety as well as leadership experience involving people and materials. I have degrees and certifications in health service management, fire science, EMT, Hazmat, and finance/management. More importantly, I’m a people person and live life through unselfish living.

Doug Rivero: One of the reasons why I am the best candidate for this position is because I have the education and experience necessary to promote strong conservation efforts. I have a BA in Environmental Science from FIU and a MA and Ph.D. in Political Science from FIU.

I served for two years with AmeriCorps Florida State Parks. AmeriCorps is like the domestic Peace Corps and my civilian national service consisted of various environmental conservation projects. Finally, I have continuously volunteered with Tampa Bay Watch and the Florida Dream Center on a variety of environmental conservation projects.

Additionally, given my education credentials and my academic position at St. Petersburg College, I have the political, psychological, and research skills necessary to ensure that Hillsborough County’s Soil and Water Commission places science at the forefront of public policy decision-making. With more than 10 years of experience teaching at institutions of higher education, I bring the background and energy to promote strong conservation efforts in Hillsborough County. For more info: www.dougrivero.com.

Karen Jaroch: I have a technical background and executive board experience that makes me uniquely qualified to serve on this board. I am licensed by the State of Florida as a Professional Engineer and certified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a Stormwater, Erosion, and Sediment Control Inspector. I previously owned an engineering consulting firm that specialized in reviewing the operation and maintenance of stormwater systems for compliance with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Environmental Resource Permits. This technical competence will allow me to work with professionals in the field.

For six years I represented residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County on the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) Board. During my six-year tenure, I chaired the Finance & Governance Committee and was elected vice chair of the 14-member Board. I worked with HART’s management team to ensure HART was financially sustainable and balanced the mobility needs of all residents in the community. I will bring the oversight skills I acquired during this service to the Soil and Water Conservation board.

What is the biggest threat(s) to Florida’s fragile environment?

Erik S. Challenger: The biggest threat facing Florida’s environment is pollution. Not only the pollution of our waterways, the pollution of our air, the pollution of our soil, but the pollution of our minds. The earth needs us to make a conscious effort to recycle, replant, and steward the land, and to think 10 years ahead instead of 10 days.

Doug Rivero: The biggest threat is climate change. It is real and we must take action. Sea levels are rising, which is placing Florida’s wetlands and other critical habitats at risk. The Everglades, one of the most unique and important places in the entire US, is also in danger. Therefore, state and federal government must take action, promote renewable energy projects, and pass the Green New Deal or similar initiatives. In addition, I believe that Hillsborough County and the cities within it can play a strong role in collaborating with the federal government/state to advance environmental sustainability and public mass transit. As the federal government would bring in the resources, it is up to local governments to ensure that their projects and funding align with the Green New Deal. Eventually, I believe that a Green New Deal Task Force should be implemented. Their charge would be to ensure that all agencies are working in unison to re-direct all programs into a path of sustainability and economic justice.

Karen Jaroch: I believe water issues are the most pressing issues to Florida’s environment — both water quantity and water quality. Lack of adequate stormwater and wastewater infrastructure (ie, storage capacity) through years of abandonment and neglect has led to street flooding and city officials in the region pumping harmful sewage into our Aquifer or dumping it into Tampa Bay, which exacerbates algae blooms and harms fish and birds. As residents from other states are flocking to our county, there are also concerns that our potable water supply won’t keep up with demand.

Drawing too much water from the Aquifer near the coast can cause salt-water intrusion which is hard to mitigate. These issues are caused primarily by overdevelopment without the necessary infrastructure in place to match growth and increased density. Too often our elected officials choose to allocate funds to costly “wants” rather than our vital “needs.”

These issues are bigger than the scope of the Soil and Water Conservation board authority I would possess if I am elected, but hopefully, these answers give you a glimpse into my thinking and demonstrate how I would guide the decision-making I am in control of.

DISTRICT 4

Why are you running for this position?

 Sonja Brookins: I am running for this position because we need to change the narrative by putting people over politics while helping small businesses and farmers thrive. Marginalized communities have been ignored, leading to systemic environmental justice issues, which result in disparate health issues. Voters should support me because of my transparency and driven approach in getting the job done. I will get my hands in the dirt to effectuate change and create a more resourceful environment for all communities using best management practices. As a member of the health profession, as well as a retired educator, it was apparent to me that we needed to implement better programs now in order to ensure the health of all of the residents in Hillsborough County.

 Mark Proctor: I was born in Florida and have always had a sense of pride and concern about our natural resources. As the current chairman of the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation, I would like to continue enhancing the mission and focus of our educational and interactive programs such as The Hillsborough 100 Conservation Challenge, Lipman Garden Challenge, Envirothon, AG Venture, as well as our poster and speech competitions.

What qualifications and experience do you possess that you believe makes you the right choice?

Sonja Brookins: My public service runs deep within my family, my father was an Air Force veteran and I later married a veteran and I wrote military blogs for spouses. I am currently an appointed board member on Hillsborough Health Advisory, a Board of Director for the implementation of a new Palm Beach Environmental Caucus, a committee member to reestablish HR 2066, and participated in a Fellowship with the Florida Dems Coordinated Campaign. My background as a science teacher and adjunct professor while working with students and adult education, stressing the importance of sustainability as well as the impact of environmental injustices on health. I have utilized scientific advisory skills, research, writing, and technology-related skills in the medical field. Working as a prior executive director has afforded me the opportunity to implement and execute various programs utilizing grants and other resources.

Mark Proctor: I was first elected to serve as a member of HSWCD in 2014, and since then we have worked hard as a board to develop and improve the focus and image of our district conservation agency. My background as an elected board member gives me a unique perspective in working with our partners and stakeholders at the local, state, and federal level. I would be interested in continuing to work for positive goals to protect our natural resources.

What is the biggest threat(s) to Florida’s fragile environment?

Sonja Brookins: The biggest threat to Hillsborough County would be environmental injustices and pollution. The environment is not a race issue, it is a class issue. Marginalized communities’ green space is desperately needed to ensure good water and air quality. We must reduce pollution to promote human welfare and protect natural resources. Communities should have waterways and natural resources that are accessible without pollution. Nitrogen dioxide is the pollutant most dangerous to water quality in Tampa Bay, according to a science policy coordinator at the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. Florida has greater than 1,200 sites where pollutants threaten public health and prevent economic development.

Mark Proctor: The biggest threat to Florida’s future is the management of our water supply. It will take extraordinary measures to educate the public on the importance of protection and preservation of this vital natural resource and how everyone in their own way can do their part to ensure that water is an important part of our future.