The Buzz is that incoming Gov. Rick Scott will announce Herschel Vinyard as his new Department of Environmental Protection secretary. The announcement could come today.
Vinyard is director of business operations at Jacksonville's BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards. The company has shipyards in Jacksonville, Mayport and Mobile, Ala.
Vinyard was a member of Scott's transition team for economic development issues and has a connection to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, who appointed Vinyard to the Jacksonville Port Authority in 2008. Peyton's chief of staff and campaign manager have worked for Scott's campaign and transition.
Vinyard is a former chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America, the trade association of the U.S. shipyard industry that represents 44 companies that own and operate more than 100 shipyards in along all three coasts and the Great Lakes.
He was vice president of Atlantic Marine Holding Company, before it was bought by BAE. Before joining Atlantic Marine, he a shareholder at Smith, Husley & Busley from 1990-1999. He was also a tri-chair of the First Coast Manufacturers Association.
I guess the jobs Scott will create will mostly be those piping water in from out of state to Florida. In four years, with appointments like this one at DEP, the water in Florida won't be fit to drink and the air unfit to breathe. Open sores caused by industrial waste will be the most common medical ailment on all the state's children who will by then be enrolled at "JEB! Academy" private schools learning to be unquestioning worker drones. On the bright side, corporate profits will be sky high.
Posted by: edukatednfla | January 03, 2011 at 02:51 PM
This looks to eb a great selection!
Posted by: MH | January 03, 2011 at 03:01 PM
What kind of environmental protection service governance can we expect from a ship yard executive? Other than trying to figure out creative ways to avoid paying fines for polluting our waterways with industrial chemicals what does this guy know about environmental protection? This is a job for a scientist not a business man However this is great news for business people whose businesses tend to pollute. It’s what you would call a free pass to dump as much crap as possible into the environment
Posted by: Kevin | January 03, 2011 at 04:47 PM
Anyone who believes that there is any science involved in the current DEP restrictions has not seen these people as I have. There is nothing but politics in Florida environmental regulations currently and it is driven by anti-capitalist and anti-development mentality by people acting under their own personal agendas. Hopefully, Gov. Scott will put a stop to all that.
Posted by: tengauge | January 05, 2011 at 11:27 AM
I say hooray and a big secone to "tengauge".
Posted by: ASRS Janurary 7, 2011 at 6:30PM
Posted by: Wayne Howlett | January 08, 2011 at 06:30 PM