The governing board over one of Florida’s more modest ports has a new member thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Lynda Kirker was appointed by DeSantis this month as the latest member of the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District Board of Commissioners. The board has five members serving the nautical interests of St. Johns County along coastal areas.
The District is primarily charged with promoting the development of St. Johns County maritime interests among commercial and recreational activity in the area. Its original intent was to promote and protect nautical interests near the St. Augustine Inlet when it was founded in the 1930s. But it’s grown to involve marine projects, dune crossover development and other maritime projects.
“I’m excited and I’m flattered that the governor has that much faith and trust in me,” Kirker said in an interview with Jax Today. “and I hope that I can do a good job.”
In addition to maritime promotion, the District levies property taxes in coastal areas to support coastal projects and the board’s jurisdiction runs south to the Matanzas Inlet.
One of the more higher profile projects the board is connected to is the beach renourishment undertakings. That was a huge and expensive issue in St. Johns County in the past couple of years.
While the northern shoreline of St. Johns County was restored, another beach renourishment project was conducted south near St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach. About $30 million in federal, state and local funding paid for the beach renourishment running from about Anastasia State Park into St. Augustine Beach near A Street.
Kirker has plenty of public service and management experience. She is the former Chief Financial Officer for Flagler Hospital and is the treasure of the Flagler College Women of Vision Advisory Board and the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association.
Kirker got a bachelor’s degree from Stetson University in business and accounting.
Post Views: 0
