Governing Board Chairman Don Quincey and members Virginia Johns and Kevin Brown met today in Live Oak to pick Noah Valenstein as the new director for the Suwannee River Water Management District. The remaining board members, Alphonas Alexander, Gary Jones, Virginia Sanchez, Richard Schwab and Bradley Williams all unanimously approved the new pick.
Valenstein is no stranger to Tallahassee nor Governor Rick Scott, as he is currently Environmental Policy Coordinator in the Office of the Governor, State of Florida. He was also environmental consultant to Scott during his political campaign.
Other work experience of Valenstein includes President of Voter Opinions, LLC, a p0lling service; Director of Legislative Affairs for the Everglades Foundation; President of Brightwater Strategies, LLC; President of Campaign Facts, LLC; Attorney at Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell; Deputy Policy Chief- Environment and Natural Resources Council, Florida House of Representatives; and Legislative Analyst -Office of Procedure and Policy of the Florida House of Representatives.
Valenstein is a University of Florida graduate with a degree in Environmental Policy and also received a law degree from Florida State University, where he received the Steven M. Goldstein Scholarship for environmental law.
OSFR is pleased to note that the new director has an extensive background in environmental work. Notably, he has been Environmental Policy Director for the Office of the Governor since 2012 until now, and Deputy Policy Chief on the Environmental and Natural Resources Council in the House of Representatives for one year and two months in 2006-2007.
Equally important, perhaps, is that fact that he advised and assisted non-profit organizations while serving as President of Brightwater Strategies, and in 1999 was appointed to the Florida Greenways and Trails Council, a statewide land aquisition board.
OSFR welcomes Director Valenstein to SRWMD and is looking forward to working with him.
Keep up the good work!
The water CZAR fox position finally settles into the SRWMD henhouse.
WHOA!…..from the Gainesville Sun: In his resume, Valenstein wrote that he now “oversees the budgets and significant policy decisions for all of the water management districts and five state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.” http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150908/ARTICLES/150909723