South Florida Drowning? DeSantis Appoints Industry Insiders to Water Board

Governor Ron DeSantis dropped a bombshell on April 9, 2025, unveiling his latest picks for the South Florida Water Management District. Thomas Hurley, Robert Spottswood Jr., and Charlette Roman now hold the keys to a region where water isn’t just a resource, it’s survival. On the surface, it’s business as usual, appointments dressed up with resumes touting corporate success and military service. But peel back the layers, and what emerges is a stark reality: these choices signal a troubling consolidation of power, one that prioritizes profit over people and leaves Florida’s fragile ecosystems dangling by a thread.

This isn’t about qualifications alone. Hurley runs Becker Holding Corporation, a heavyweight in agriculture and energy, while Spottswood juggles leadership roles across real estate and construction firms. Roman, a retired Army veteran, brings a public service record but little direct experience in environmental stewardship. Together, they’re tasked with overseeing a district facing rising seas, dwindling freshwater, and a $3.5 billion Everglades restoration effort that’s already strapped for cash. The question isn’t whether they’re capable, it’s whose interests they’ll serve when the inevitable trade-offs come.

For Floridians watching their backyards flood and their tap water turn murky, this feels less like governance and more like a stacked deck. DeSantis’ move reflects a broader pattern, one where centralized authority trumps accountability. With the Florida Senate’s confirmation looming, the stakes couldn’t be higher. South Florida’s future hinges on whether these appointees will fight for its people or bow to the governor’s agenda.

Let’s talk about Hurley and Spottswood. A CEO and a real estate magnate don’t exactly scream environmental crusaders. Becker Holding’s footprint in agriculture ties Hurley to an industry notorious for guzzling water and dumping runoff into already strained watersheds. Spottswood’s construction and real estate ventures, meanwhile, thrive on the very ‘fill and build’ tactics that have turned South Florida into a flooding tinderbox. Miami-Dade County alone needs $7 billion to fix its drowning drainage system, a crisis fueled by unchecked development. Yet here we are, handing them the reins to water policy.

Supporters might argue that corporate know-how brings efficiency, that these leaders understand the economic engines driving Florida. But that’s a flimsy excuse when history tells a different story. The Everglades lost 1.5 million acres of wetlands to early 20th-century land grabs, a legacy of prioritizing profit over nature. Today, as sea levels climb and urban sprawl chokes groundwater recharge, we can’t afford to repeat those mistakes. Companies like PepsiCo are at least trying, aiming for net water positivity by 2030 through watershed investments. Why not appoint leaders who emulate that vision instead of entrenching the old guard?

The counterpoint, that business expertise ensures practical solutions, falls flat when you consider the South Florida Water Management District’s mission: flood control, water supply, ecosystem restoration. These aren’t corporate boardroom puzzles; they’re public trust imperatives. Hurley’s and Spottswood’s resumes suggest they’re more likely to greenlight projects that pad their networks than to champion the unglamorous work of wetland recovery or pollution caps. Floridians deserve appointees who see water as a right, not a commodity.

Charlette Roman’s appointment adds another layer. A U.S. Army veteran with a master’s in business and a stint as a Marco Island councilor, she’s a poster child for Florida’s push to elevate veterans in public service. The state’s Veterans’ Preference Act has long opened doors for folks like her, and with 1.5 million veterans calling Florida home, that’s a legacy worth celebrating. But her record raises doubts about where her priorities lie when it comes to the environment.

Roman’s time on Marco Island’s council focused on local governance, not the sprawling ecological challenges now staring her down. Veterans bring discipline and leadership, no question, but the leap from military strategy to water management isn’t automatic. Florida’s water districts need expertise honed on climate resilience and conservation, not just civic duty. The Veterans Recruitment Appointment program proves veterans can excel in public roles, yet without targeted environmental chops, Roman risks being a figurehead in a fight that demands more.

Some might cheer her appointment as a nod to service and diversity. Fair enough, but that applause fades when you realize South Florida’s water woes, from toxic discharges to shrinking aquifers, need more than symbolic wins. Roman could surprise us, leveraging her experience to bridge community needs and policy. But without a clear track record, her seat feels like a gamble at a time when certainty is non-negotiable.

South Florida stands at a crossroads. DeSantis’ picks could steer the region toward a future where clean water flows freely, where ecosystems thrive alongside human needs. Or they could lock us into a cycle of corporate handouts and environmental decay. The 1972 Water Resources Act set a bold precedent, treating water as a public good, not a political pawn. Decades later, with climate change bearing down and real estate profits soaring, that principle feels dangerously fragile.

Floridians aren’t asking for miracles. They want leaders who’ll tackle the $7 billion drainage overhaul, push Everglades restoration past its funding hurdles, and hold developers accountable. Hurley, Spottswood, and Roman might claim they’re up to the task, but their ties and track records suggest otherwise. The Florida Senate has a chance to demand better, to insist on appointees who’ll fight for every drop of water as if their own homes were flooding. Anything less is a betrayal of the people who live, work, and dream here.