~Smallwood brings three decades of land management experience to DEP~
Visitors enjoy a swing overlooking the river at Suwannee River State Park.
TALLAHASSEE - The
Florida Cabinet, acting as the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Internal
Improvement Trust Fund, today confirmed the appointment of Clay Smallwood as
Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division
of State Lands. DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. announced the appointment
on Sept. 13, 2011. Florida law requires the DEP Secretary to appoint a Director
of State Lands, who must be confirmed by the BOT.
“Clay
brings a tremendous amount of land management knowledge and conservation
experience to DEP,” said Secretary Vinyard. “As the Director of the Division of
State Lands, he will play an integral role protecting Florida’s valuable
natural, cultural and recreational resources by overseeing the management of
our public lands.”
Smallwood
began his career as a forester in 1978 with the St. Joe Company, working his
way to president of St. Joe Timberland in 2000. He retired from the St. Joe
Company in 2010. During his 30 years at
the St. Joe Company, Smallwood managed more than 1.1 million acres of land and
planted more than 18 million trees. He also worked with various conservation
groups and state agencies to identify environmentally-sensitive lands for
protection.
“I
have dedicated my career to the efficient conservation and management of Florida’s
lands, and am excited to continue this work at DEP,” said Clay Smallwood. “I look
forward to working with Secretary Vinyard, the DEP staff and engaging the
public on the important issues related to Florida’s valuable land resources.”
The
DEP Division of State Lands Director is responsible for the administration,
planning, programming, budgeting and execution of the operations of the Bureaus
of Appraisal, Public Land Administration, Land Acquisition, Survey and Mapping
and the Office of Environmental Services.
About Clay
Smallwood
Clay
Smallwood comes to DEP with more than 30 years of experience in land management
in Florida. His awareness and knowledge of land enhancement, forestry
management, and conservation position him well as a leader and innovator, and
will serve him well in his new role.
Smallwood
graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Forest Management in
1978, and began his career with the St. Joe Company as an entry-level
forester. While working with St. Joe, Smallwood
took night classes at Florida State University, receiving his M.S. in business
management in 1990. Smallwood was
promoted to Vice President, and eventually President, of the St. Joe Timberland
Company. Smallwood strived to embrace
St. Joe’s belief that a real estate company could also be one of Florida’s most
important conservationists.
While
with St. Joe, Smallwood worked with various conservation groups and state
agencies such as the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, 1000
Friends of Florida, the Department of State, the Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of
Environmental Protection and the Water Management Districts. During this time,
he aided in identifying previously unknown environmentally sensitive lands for
protection and building upon the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)
database.
About the Division
of State Lands
The
Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of State Lands
is Florida’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship, serving
as staff to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund
(Governor and Cabinet). As such, the Division’s role goes far beyond just
acquiring lands for protection. It provides oversight for the management of
activities on more than 12 million acres of public lands including lakes,
rivers and islands. These public lands help ensure all Florida’s residents and
visitors have the opportunity to truly appreciate Florida’s unique landscapes. For more information visit www.dep.state.fl.us/lands.
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