Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made new appointments to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board. Joshua Gamblin has been appointed as a new member, while John Mitten and Michelle Williamson have been reappointed.
Joshua Gamblin is the ranch manager at Stolen Saddle Ranch in Arcadia. He has previously worked as a land manager, wildlife biologist, and private land burn team coordinator at the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy. Gamblin holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and a master’s degree in forest resources and species conservation from the University of Florida.
John Mitten, the owner of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Spring Hill, has also been reappointed. He is a former chairman of the Hernando County Commission and serves on the Pasco-Hernando State College district board of trustees. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University.
Michelle Williamson manages G&F Farms in Hillsborough County. She is actively involved with the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, and the Florida Farm Service Agency State Committee. Williamson has an associate degree from Hillsborough Community College.
These appointments will need to be confirmed by the Florida Senate, and the terms for all three members will end on March 1, 2028.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is responsible for managing water resources in 16 counties, including most of Polk County. John Hall and Ashley Bell Barnett represent Polk County on the board.