FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2017
DEP Announces Key Land and Recreation Leadership
~New leadership appointments will aid in the protection and preservation of Florida's natural resources ~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein today
announced three key appointments to DEP’s leadership team, as part of its
continued focus on the protection of Florida’s prized properties through the
management of Florida’s world-renowned state park system and land acquisition
and conservation. Eric Draper will join the DEP team as the Director of Florida State Parks, effective Nov. 28, and Callie DeHaven will
serve as Interim Director of the Division of State Lands effective Nov. 27,
subject to Governor and Cabinet confirmation. David Clark, who has previously
served as Director of State Lands and has been acting Deputy Secretary of Land
and Recreation, has officially been appointed Deputy Secretary.
As Florida State Parks Director, Draper will join more than
1,000 park rangers, managers, biologists, planners and other staff to oversee the management of Florida's award-winning state park system.
As State Lands Director, DeHaven will oversee the division
that serves as staff to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust
Fund (Governor and Cabinet) and provides oversight for the management of
activities on more than 12 million acres of public lands.
Secretary Valenstein said, “DEP employs an incredibly
knowledgeable and talented workforce, who have dedicated their lives to public
service. Our qualified staff are experts in their fields and show their passion
and commitment for protecting our state’s beautiful natural resources each and
every day. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this hard-working team, and am
excited to welcome Eric, Callie and David to their new roles. I know they will
play a vital part in helping us continue to acquire, preserve and protect
Florida’s prized properties.
“Eric Draper has dedicated his career to the protection of
Florida’s environment and his passion for our state’s natural resources make
him an ideal fit to join our world-caliber parks team.
“Callie DeHaven brings more than two decades of
conservation planning and land acquisition and protection experience in the
public, private and non-profit sectors to DEP. Her expertise and commitment to
strong partnerships will serve Floridians and DEP well.
“David Clark has been an integral member of the DEP team,
working closely with Florida’s Cabinet agencies and stakeholders to make
strategic acquisitions and enhance the management of Florida’s land and water
resources, and I’m thrilled to welcome him to his new role.”
A Florida native, Draper most recently served as Executive
Director at Audubon Florida. He is a career conservationist and is recognized
as a longtime and leading advocate for Everglades restoration, water resource
protection and land conservation. Previously, he was National Audubon’s Senior
Vice President for Policy and led The Nature Conservancy’s Florida government
relations program.
DeHaven, a fifth generation Floridian, brings expertise in
negotiation and contracting land sale transactions and land and property
management activities in private, nonprofit and government sectors to the
position. She most recently implemented a conservation land sales program and
led conservation activities at Rayonier Inc. Prior to that, she worked for The
Nature Conservancy as Florida Public Lands Protection Manager and for DEP’s
Division of State Lands as a Planning Manager.
Clark first began his tenure with DEP in 2004, where he
worked in the Division of State Lands and then the Office of Cabinet Affairs
until 2010. After serving four years in the U.S. Army as an officer with the
82nd Airborne Division, America’s Guard of Honor, David returned to DEP in
2014, serving as both Director of Cabinet Affairs and Deputy Director of State
Lands. David has served DEP as the Director of State Lands since March 2016. In
his time at DEP, David has worked closely with Florida’s cabinet agencies and
numerous stakeholders, including the military and environmental groups, to
accomplish many strategic acquisitions that will help ensure the protection of
our land and water resources while balancing recreational opportunities.
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