Renzo Downey
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three people Friday to serve on the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board.
Doug Bournique, Jon “Chris” Peterson Jr. and Cole Oliver compose the latest appointments to the district that spans much of Florida’s Atlantic coast watersheds.
Bournique is the executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League and previously served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Fruits and Vegetables. He also served on the Federal Reserve Bank’s Agriculture Advisory Council.
The Vero Beach resident received his bachelor’s degree in geology from Whittier College and his master’s degree in environmental protection from Florida Atlantic University.
Peterson serves on the advisory board for the University of Florida’s Biological Field Station at Cedar Key. The Winter Park resident earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida.
He is also president of Hell’s Bay Marine Inc., a shallow-water skiff boat manufacturer that received the Conservation Award for Industry by the International Game Fish Association in 2010. Previously, he was president of Heath-Peterson Construction Corporation.
Oliver, of Merritt Island, is an attorney and partner with Rossway Swan. He is the East Coast Zoological Society’s immediate past chair. There, he helped lead the Brevard Zoo’s mission to continue improving the Indian River Lagoon’s health and restoration.
Previously, he was an Attorney and Partner with McClelland Jones, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Washington and Lee University, his master of business administration in finance from Louisiana State University and his law degree from the University of Florida.
Oliver is also a member of the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The three appointments follow two DeSantis issued in the district a month ago, including Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican and lawyer who will leave the Florida Senate in November.
The district is an environmental regulatory agency tasked with ensuring a long-term supply of drinking water and protecting and restoring the health of water bodies within its 18 counties in northeast and east-central Florida.
Today, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Doug Bournique (Vero Beach), Jon “Chris” Peterson Jr. (Winter Park), and Cole Oliver (Merritt Island) to our Governing Board. Congrats and welcome! pic.twitter.com/VMo708SE23
— SJRWMD (@SJRWMD) October 9, 2020
