Gov. DeSantis reappoints 3 to South Florida Water Management District

FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Heritage Foundation 50th Anniversary Celebration leadership summit, Friday, April 21, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. A new sense of urgency is growing among DeSantis’ allies as emboldened critics within his own party, especially President Donald Trump, work to undermine his presidential campaign before it begins. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Three board members of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) whose terms ended in March will stay on for another four years after Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed them.

They include Chair Chauncey Goss, Vice Chair Scott Wagner and Jay Steinle, all DeSantis appointees in 2019.

They will all serve now through 2027.

A former deputy staff director of the United States House Committee on Budget and program examiner for the Executive Office of the President, Goss works now as managing partner of Goss Practical Solutions, which provides businesses with federal fiscal policy analysis and budget forecasting.

Prior to entering government work, he was a strategic planner under contract with the Air Force, Navy and intelligence community. He is a longtime resident of Sanibel Island, has served as both an elected and appointed member of the Sanibel City Council.

His other community involvements include board service with Captains for Clean Water, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, CREW Trust, Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership Policy Committee and the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.

He has also been a board member of the Canterbury School of Fort Myers, Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, Ding Darling Wildlife Association, Sanibel Community Association, Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation and Lee County Coastal Advisory Council.

A trial lawyer in private life residing in Miami Beach, Wagner’s practice specializes in maritime law, among other areas, and he has “dedicated a significant amount of his practice to issues involving the water,” his SFWMD bio says.

He is the founder of Wagner Legal in Miami and has received accolades from Super Lawyers magazines, the Daily Business Review and Dade County Bar Association, among others.

His community involvements include service with Leadership Miami, the Allapattah Music & Literacy Center, Greater Miami Jewish Federation and support of Miami Children’s Hospital.

He joined the Orange Bowl Committee in 2017 and remains an active member today.

Steinle is longtime West Palm Beach resident and partner at Atlantic Street Capital, a private equity firm.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and attributes his interest in water quality and Everglades restoration to his love of outdoor sports.

“As an avid fisherman in the Everglades region, and elsewhere, he understands the importance of water quality improvement and ecosystem restoration — both key missions of the District,” his SFWMD bio says.

“With an extensive background in finance and investment, he is also keenly aware of how quality, supply and control of water plays an integral role in Florida’s economy and believes all decisions must be made using science to benefit the diverse array of interested parties and constituents of the District’s 16 counties.”

The SFWMD is responsible for managing and protecting the water sources of Broward, Collier, Dade, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Monroe, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties, and portions of Charlotte, Highlands, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties.

It is the oldest and largest of five water management districts in the state, with nearly 1,500 staff members working on operations that impact 9 million people in the region. The district encompasses two major watershed basins: the Okeechobee Basin and Big Cypress Basin.

The SFWMD Governing Board is composed of nine members who set policy for the agency and must reside within the district’s bounds. There are currently eight sitting members, according to the district’s website.