Drew Bartlett

In this episode, Brett closes out Season 3 with former Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and current Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District – Drew Bartlett.

While Drew was born and raised in Georgia, he has made a real name for himself in the water management and environmental restoration world here in the far superior state of Florida.  He was pivotal in the creation of Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs), and a new path to success, in some of Florida’s most impaired waters. He’s also been a catalyst in the continuing effort to restore iconic places like the Florida Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Indian River Lagoon.

They discuss his pedigree for public service passed down from his parents; how his career brought him to Florida; his need to be challenged and overcome challenges; the challenges he’s tackling with his incredible staff, board, and wide array of communities and stakeholders; what South Florida looks like with a rising ocean and aging flood control system; and how he leans on science, experience, confidence, and boundless optimism to face the future.

Drew is one of the absolute best at what he does, and we’re happy that he agreed to share his experience and insights with us.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

To learn more about what the South Florida Water Management District is doing to serve its communities and make the world a better place, go here:  https://www.sfwmd.gov

To learn more about Drew’s work at DEP, especially as it relaltes to Basin Management Action Plan, head here:https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-restoration/content/basin-management-action-plans-bmaps

This episode of Water for Fighting is brought to you by my friends at Sea and Shoreline.  

Sea and Shoreline is the Southeast’s leading innovator in protecting coastal communities from devastating storms and restoring ecosystems that once faced ecological collapse. Visit their website at www.Seaandshoreline.com.  

This Episode is also thanks to my friends at Resource Environmental Solutions.

RES is the nation’s leader in ecological restoration, helping to restore Florida’s natural resources with water quality and stormwater solutions that offer communities guaranteed performance and outcomes. Check them out at www.res.us 

Please be sure to check out the Florida Specifier Podcast hosted by Ryan Matthews and myself as part of a new venture where we’re striving to become Florida’s first source for environmental news, educational tools, and unique perspectives on our state’s natural environment and the events that shape it.  To learn more about its flagship print publication and more, visit The Florida Specifier.

You can follow the show on LinkedIn and Instagram @flwaterpod, and you can reach me directly at [e-mail] with your comments and suggestions for who and/or what you’d like to know more about.

Production of this podcast is by Lonely Fox Studios. Thanks to Karl Sorne for making the best of what he had to work with. And to David Barfield for the amazing graphics and technical assistance.

And finally, a very special thank you goes out to Bo Spring from the Bo Spring Band  for giving permission to use his music for this podcast.  The song is called Doing Work for Free, (Apple Music | Spot