By Kyle LoJacono
Ronald E. Oakley has been on the Southwest Florida Water Management District governing board since 2007 and he was named the organization’s chair May 25.
“It’s a very humbling position,” Oakley said of being elected chair. “It’s a great organization with great people and you get to work with the public to make things better for everyone. It’s very rewarding to be able to protect our natural resources.”
Oakley was elected unanimously by his peers on the 13-person board and will serve as chair until March 1, 2011, according to district spokesperson Robyn Felix.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Oakley to the board in 2007 to serve a four-year term. He has previously served as the board’s treasurer and vice chair. Oakley is also co-chair of the Withlacoochee River Basic Board, which is part of the district, according to Felix.
“Our biggest concern now is protecting our natural resources in the district,” Oakley said. “We want to protect our waterways and we oversee Tampa Bay Water, which provides water to most of Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“We also set water restrictions during droughts,” Oakley continued,” We’ve been in a drought for the last 48 months. The water shortage is getting better with the wet winter we had, but it’s still a concern for the board.”
Oakley owns several citrus groves across east Pasco under the name Oakley Groves Inc., raises cattle in the county and owns a trucking company that transports liquid food. His experience growing food allows him see both the farmer’s and the public’s needs for water.
“One of the big issues we’ve been working with is pumping water to crops during freezes like we had this winter,” Oakley said. “There was the big concern in Plant City to protect the strawberries this year and all the pumping created a sink hole problem and people didn’t have water.
“It was 11 days of frost-freeze conditions, which is very strange and we are looking at how to deal with that problem if it happens again,” Oakley added.
The district covers all or parts of 16 counties from Levy and Marion counties in the north to Charlotte County in the south. It includes all of Hillsborough and Pasco and Oakley is the representative for his home county.
The Florida Legislature originally created the organization in 1961. Some of its duties include flood control, regulation of water use and wetland protection.
Oakley grew up in east Pasco and graduated from Pasco High. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.
Members of the governing board are unpaid and “come from all walks of life,” according to Oakley. He said some of the members are in the real estate industry, others are city council members and some, like himself, are involved with agriculture.
“They are very representative of the public and are great people to work with,” Oakley said.
Oakley is also the director of Florida Traditions Bank in Dade City and is a licensed real estate broker.
“I’m excited to continue to work to protect our natural resources and water supply for all of Pasco County and the entire district,” Oakley said. “It’s not a position I take lightly and I will do my best at it.”
