James Holton among Gov. DeSantis’ water board picks

A developer and attorney from St. Petersburg is one of three new appointments to the Southwest Florida Water Board.

James W. Holton, the President and Owner of JWH Properties, Inc, MHH Enterprises, Inc, and James W. Holton, P.A., will bring a deep resume of experience to the panel.

His most recent stint was as a Gov. Rick Scott appointee to the board of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, a tenure that lasted until 2020, well into DeSantis’ first term in office.

Holton has also chaired the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA), to which DeSantis reappointed him in 2020.

Holton’s experience in high-profile roles precedes those, however.

Notably, he was appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush to the Florida Transportation Commission, where he served as chairman from 2005 to 2007. Former House Speaker Allan Bense also appointed Holton as a Director of Enterprise Florida, a capacity in which he served from 2005 to 2009.

In addition to Holton, two other notable leaders in Southwest Florida merited selection.

Tampa’s Robert Stern, a partner at Trenam Law, had previous service on  the University of Florida Board of Trustees. The Double Gator, who has both bachelor’s degree and a law degree from U.F, is the former President of the University of Florida National Alumni Association.

Dade City’s Dustin Rowland is the President and Owner of Rowland Truck Lines. He also currently serves as a member of the Pasco County Fair Board as well as on the National and Florida’s Cattlemen’s Association.

All three appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.