Kelly Hayes
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Ed Armstrong, III, and John Mitten to the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.
The appointments, which are still subject to Senate confirmation, will serve under one of five regional agencies directed to protect and preserve water resources. The Southwest district manages the Tampa Bay area and Florida’s west coast.
Armstrong is a land-use attorney from Dunedin, and previously served as a Trustee at Pasco-Hernando State College. The attorney is a member of the American, Florida, Hillsborough and Clearwater Bar Associations, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and his Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
Mitten was also a Trustee at Pasco-Hernando State College, and is currently a Hernando County Commissioner. Mitten is a member of the Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Hernando County, YMCA of Hernando County, Hope Children’s Home and Jericho Road Ministries. Mitten earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University.
The agency was established in 1961, and maintains large properties and flood protection projects.
The Southwest district is comprised of 16 counties on the state’s west coast. The district has a 13-member Governing Board that establishes policies for the entire 16-county district. According to the district’s site, the Governing Board “represents a wide cross section of interests, including agricultural, recreational, business, industrial, urban, rural and the public.”
Board members serve four-year terms and are responsible for appointing the District’s executive director, who directs all District activities. The Florida Senate also confirms this candidate.
In September, the Governor also made several appointments to the North Florida water management district governing boards. Those appointments included Sen. Rob Bradley and Nick Patronis, who were among five people the Governor appointed at the time to three North Florida water management district governing boards.
