DeSantis Taps New Environmental Secretary; Century Hopes His Local Connection Is A Plus

September 5, 2021

A man with deep Northwest Florida ties has been appointed secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Century officials hope that’s a plus for the small town.

Shawn Hamilton served as director of the Northwest District of FDEP from January 2011 until February 2020 before serving as interim secretary and deputy secretary of Lands and Recreation.

In September 2019, Hamilton was among a group of state and local officials that met at Century’s sewage plant to brainstorm how to fix a facility suffering from neglect in its old age.

In some small way, Century’s interim town manager, Vernon Prather, hopes Century will be remembered with Hamilton at the head of FDEP.

“I think it’s a fortunate that someone who as actually been to Century and seen Century is at the cabinet level,” Prather said. “They know that Century is not just a dot on a map.”

“I am pleased to appoint Shawn Hamilton as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection,” DeSantis said. “Secretary Hamilton brings a strong, proven record of environmental stewardship and management of award-winning state parks and conservation lands. I am confident in his ability to continue leading DEP and building on the foundations laid before him in our mission to protect and restore Florida’s environment and natural resources.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be asked to serve as Secretary under Governor DeSantis, who has made the environment a top priority,” Hamilton said. “Having served at DEP for 13 years, I have seen firsthand the historic advancements that have been made, and the unprecedented resources that have been secured for the protection of the environment, especially under Governor DeSantis’ leadership. I look forward to furthering the agency’s mission and advancing the Governor’s environmental priorities.”
While Northwest District director, Hamilton worked to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of permitting, compliance, and enforcement responsibilities for the regulatory program areas under district authority.

Comments

One Response to “DeSantis Taps New Environmental Secretary; Century Hopes His Local Connection Is A Plus”

  1. cdpjr on September 5th, 2021 6:05 am

    Congratulations Mr. Hamilton On your promotion.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News