PALATKA— The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board unanimously appointed Michael A. Register, P.E., as the district’s executive director.
Register’s appointment comes after the retirement of Dr. Ann Shortelle, who led the state agency for six years.
“We are pleased to welcome Mike into the executive director role and confident he will seamlessly carry on our successful work on behalf of Florida’s water and natural resources,” said governing board Chairman Gen. Douglas Burnett. “Mike’s proven dedication and leadership will strengthen our partnerships, further invigorate our investments and continue our focus on projects crucial to Florida’s future. I am grateful for the strong successor we have in Mike to the proven and effective leader we had in Dr. Ann Shortelle.”
Register said he was honored by the governing board’s confidence and the opportunity to lead the team of dedicated people at the district.
“I am committed to continuing the district’s legacy of excellence through cost-share investments, promotion of alternative water supplies, innovative programming to protect our natural systems and resiliency initiatives in our district’s coastal communities,” he said.
Register has been with the St. Johns River Water Management District since 1990. During his tenure with the agency, he has worked in a variety of areas, including environmental resource permitting, consumptive use permitting, water supply planning, engineering and environmental sciences.
As director of the Division of Water Supply Planning and Assessment, he was responsible for overseeing the Bureau of Watershed Management and the Bureau of Water Supply Planning. Those work groups are responsible for performing surface water and groundwater modeling, developing minimum flows and levels and prevention and recovery strategies, in addition to conducting the district’s water supply planning efforts.
He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Florida and is a registered professional engineer in Florida.
