Jim Gorton
Martin County
Public Works Director
(SFWMD)

Does your local government/special district have an established stormwater utility or similar financing mechanism?
Yes

How long have you been a member of FSA (years)?
I've been a member of FSA for 15 years.

Have you served FSA in the past?
No

What abilities and attributes can you bring to the Board?
My ability to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders is one of my best assets.  As a senior level director I have experience coordinating with elected officials (local, state, and federal), and have provided feedback and planning for numerous local and national environmental and stormwater initiatives.  Conversely,  I also have over a decade of experience working directly with stormwater field crews, and know how to effectively communicate with critical front-line stormwater operators.  Similarly, I have long-standing relationships with our regulatory agencies and the consulting field.

What background and experience do you have in the stormwater industry?
I have over 29 years of experience in the stormwater industry.  I worked in the private sector for the first 5 years of my career in civil site design/permitting, stormwater and floodplain modeling, and site remediation design and implementation.  The balance of my career has been in the Florida public sector designing, permitting, constructing, and maintaining stormwater systems, water quality projects, and retrofits.  I managed the Martin County LOSOM team, and have held various roles in relation to CRS, NPDES, TMDL, BMAP, land acquisition, CERP implementation, and floodplain management.  I was the Stormwater Manager for Martin County for 10 years before I was promoted into Administration.

Why do you want this Board position?
Recent and impending changes at the State and federal level have made representation and advocacy critical in this field.   This pertains both to the environmental needs as well as funding of programs to ensure that we continue to trend in the right direction.   FSA has always been a strong advocate, and I want to participate on the Board to plug in where I can.