Community Leader Forum – Orlando – Ann Shortelle, Ph.D., Executive Director, St. Johns River Water Management District

ORLANDO, FL – August 17, 2015 – On August 13, 2015, GrayRobinson’s Orlando office hosted a Community Leader Forum featuring Ann Shortelle, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). Her topic of discussion was "Central Florida Water Initiative: Securing Our Water Future."

Dr. Shortelle’s presentation discussed several SJRWMD initiatives to preserve and manage Florida’s precious water resources. The St. Johns River Water Management District is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in all or part of 18 counties in northeast and east-central Florida. Counties entirely in the District are Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Nassau, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia. Counties partially in the District are Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Lake, Marion, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Putnam. District staff work from service centers in Palatka, Jacksonville, Maitland and Palm Bay. One of the initiatives includes a $25 million investment in cooperative funding for 50 local projects that when leveraged with local partners' funding represents more than $98 million in total project investment. These projects will conserve more than 1.7 million gallons of water a day (mgd), develop more than 56 mgd of alternative water supplies, reduce total nitrogen loading to waterways and springs by nearly 540,000 pounds per year and reduce total phosphorus loading by more than 113,000 pounds per year.

Another initiative is the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI). The CFWI is a collaborative water supply planning effort among the state’s three largest water management districts, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and water utilities, environmental groups, business organizations, agricultural communities and other stakeholders. The CFWI Planning Area covers five counties, including Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and southern Lake. The boundaries of the St. Johns River, South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts (Districts) meet in the area. The 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (Solutions Plan) and the 2015 Regional Water Supply Plan will set a path forward for meeting water supply needs in central Florida for the next 20 years.

Dr. Shortelle began serving as Executive Director of the SJRWMD on June 1, 2015. Previously she was Executive Director of the Suwannee River district for three years and prior to that she directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Water Policy. There, she worked on policies involving water supply planning, water reuse and conservation, and alternative water supplies, a label that includes using water from rivers and lakes as drinking water. Dr. Shortelle has more than 25 years of professional experience in lake, riverine and reservoir management for water quantity and quality. Her experience also includes surface water/wetlands restoration, surface water modeling, permitting and environmental assessments.

Dr. Shortelle earned her doctorate degree in limnology from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor of science degree in biology from Mercer University. She has authored/co-authored more than 40 publications and presentations on environmental topics.

Through its Community Leader Forums, GrayRobinson brings together clients, attorneys and friends of the firm to hear high-profile business and community leaders and elected officials discuss issues of importance to the state of Florida.