By STAFF REPORTS
In November, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s leadership experienced a shake-up, with Secretary Shawn Hamilton resigning and Gov. Ron DeSantis appointing Alexis A. Lambert to the post.
Since the announcement, Hamilton has taken a position with Dewberry, a professional services firm that has practice areas in water and energy and which has its largest office footprint in Florida. Lambert started in the role in early December. The move was announced on LinkedIn by the company. He will focus on business development efforts in the Tampa-Sarasota area.
Lambert most recently served as Chief of Staff at the Division of Bond Finance, where she has supported the Governor’s debt reduction strategy, resulting in the state reducing more than a quarter of its outstanding debt accumulated since statehood, according to a Governor’s Office news release. The proceeds of bonds finance many of the state’s environmental priorities, including conservation and land acquisitions, pollution control facilities, and water management projects, according to her official DEP biography page.
While DEP boasts more than 4,000 employees, Lambert previously was Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Health, which employs approximately 15,000 staff. There, she helped direct day-to-day operations and strategic planning.
The Governor’s Office praised Hamilton for his leadership.
“As DEP secretary, Shawn Hamilton led efforts to implement the governor’s priorities of restoring the Florida Everglades, improving water quality statewide, strengthening our beaches and waterways, and expanding our state wildlife corridor,” said Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ Press Secretary, in a statement. “We appreciate his more than 30 years of dedication to the state of Florida and the country, and we wish him all the best in his retirement from public service. Florida is better for Shawn’s service.”
In an email to staff on his last day, Hamilton praised the work the agency did to protect Florida’s natural resources.
“Serving as Secretary for the past three and a half years has truly been one of the greatest honors of my career,” he said. “Together, we have made significant strides in protecting our natural resources and promoting sustainable practices across our beautiful state. From securing record funding for water quality and Everglades restoration projects to acquiring conservation lands at a historic pace and implementing meaningful policy reforms to improve our regulatory framework, we have elevated Florida’s standing as an environmental leader at the state, national and even international levels. I am proud of what we have accomplished and will carry these memories and experiences with me as I move on to new endeavors. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your hard work, commitment and dedication. You are the driving force behind this agency’s success, and it has been a privilege to lead and work alongside you.”
Hamilton had been with the Department since 2007, rising through the agency’s northwest office to the headquarters in 2020 before being named Secretary in 2021. He served as ombudsman and public affairs manager in DEP’s Northwest District Office at the beginning of his career and was promoted to assistant district director in 2010. He was appointed director in 2011. In that office, he was responsible for regulatory matters within the district’s 16-county jurisdiction.
In 2020, Hamilton was promoted to interim deputy secretary of Land and Recreation, moving into leadership at DEP’s headquarters in Tallahassee. He was formally appointed as deputy secretary in 2021. In that role, he oversaw operations of the state’s award-winning Florida State Parks system as well as the state’s Florida Forever land buying program and other programs.
DeSantis named him Secretary in August 2021, after he held the role as interim beginning that summer. He has since been subsequently confirmed by the Florida Senate as Secretary.
As Secretary, Hamilton has overseen billions in funding to work on Everglades restoration, springs protection, land buying, parks operations, water quality and quantity projects, environmental research programs, and other priorities as the head of the state’s environmental protection agency.
