On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed two people and appointed one new person to the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) Governing Board.

Larry Thompson, of Bell, and Harry Smith, of Lake City, were both reappointed to the board while George Wheeler, of Madison, is a new appointment.

“We are pleased that Gov. DeSantis has reappointed Mr. Smith and Mr. Thompson to our Governing Board,” said Hugh Thomas, executive director of the District in a press release. “We are also excited to have Mr. Wheeler begin his appointment. We look forward to having his experience on the Board.” 

Smith is employed at Mayo Ag Services and served as the Vice President of Feed Operations for Central States Enterprises. He was appointed to the board in 2020 as an at-large member. Smith earned his associate degree from Santa Fe College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UF.

Thompson, also appointed to the board in 2020, is the president of Straw American, LLC and vice president of Nature’s Source. He is a member of CareerSource Florida Crown Board of Directors and the Central Florida Electric Cooperative. He also served as a member of the Suwannee County Housing Authority.

Wheeler is the owner of Wheeler Tree Farm. He is the president of Cherry Lake Water Utility Board of Directors, a member of the Florida Forestry Association and the American Tree Farmer Association and is the director of the Madison County Florida Farm Bureau. He earned his associate degree from North Florida College.

The Florida Senate will now need to confirm the three appointments.