Edward “Eddy” C. Bouza II has been named Florida’s new chief resilience officer, a position responsible for leading statewide efforts to coordinate strategies against hurricanes and flooding.
Bouza will continue his work on the Resilient Florida Program, which aims to strengthen the state’s infrastructure and protect communities from severe weather events. The program focuses on improving infrastructure, transportation corridors, emergency services, and natural resources across Florida. It also emphasizes coastal management solutions such as hardened shorelines, wetland restoration, and vegetative barriers to help defend against storm surge and flooding.
Several environmental leaders have commented on Bouza’s appointment:
“Eddy Bouza has been a driving force in advancing Florida’s resilience strategy, helping communities better prepare for flooding and hurricanes. Through the Resilient Florida Program, he has positioned Florida as a national leader in resilience, and his appointment as chief resilience officer will further strengthen efforts to protect our environment, economy and communities.” – Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert.
“Eddy Bouza’s vision and technical expertise have been central to landmark efforts like Florida’s Comprehensive Statewide Flood Vulnerability and Sea Level Rise Assessment, providing state and local leaders with the data they need to identify risks and make informed decisions that strengthen infrastructure and protect communities. I look forward to continuing this important work with him to build a more resilient Florida.” – Florida’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Mark Rains.
“As the director of the Resilient Florida Program and a certified Floodplain Manager, Eddy Bouza brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position of chief resilience officer. The Florida Flood Hub has had a productive relationship with Eddy, and we look forward to further collaboration that increases Florida’s resilience and protects its people and their assets.” – Dr. Tom Frazer, Dean of the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida and former Chief Science Officer.
“Congratulations to Eddy Bouza on his appointment as Florida’s chief resilience officer. Eddy has been a champion for Florida’s environmental resilience for years, and so many of us have worked with him to protect our state’s natural resources. He is a top-notch addition to Governor DeSantis’s team, and all Floridians will benefit from Eddy’s knowledge, passion and experience. The Nature Conservancy is eager to see what we can accomplish together.” – Greg Knecht, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in Florida.
“With the appointment of Eddy Bouza as Florida’s new chief resilience officer, Governor DeSantis continues to demonstrate strong leadership in addressing the growing risks of flooding. The chief resilience officer serves a crucial role in protecting Florida’s economy and communities, and I’m thrilled to see Eddy Bouza, who has dedicated his career to supporting communities through the Resilient Florida Program, take on this role. This leadership role, paired with significant investments through the Resilient Florida Grant Program, positions the state to continue to lead on resilience and ensure communities are better prepared for the future. We congratulate the Governor on this important appointment and applaud the state’s continued investment in protecting Florida’s communities.” – Kate Wesner, Florida Director, American Flood Coalition.
“Bonefish and Tarpon Trust applauds the ongoing efforts of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to ensure that Florida is resilient for our people, communities, natural resources and fisheries. The Governor’s appointment of Eddy Bouzato be the next chief resilience officer builds upon that commitment and secures Florida’s position as a leader in impactful resiliency response.” – Jim McDuffie, President and CEO,Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
“The Environmental Defense Fund applauds Governor DeSantis’ appointment of Eddy Bouza as Florida’s chief resilience officer.As Florida’s Resilient Grant Trust enters its fifth year,Bouza’s leadership and experience will be essential to operationalize nature-based resilience solutions and scale critical efforts to protect Florida’s families and businesses from the risks of flooding and hurricanes.”– Dawn Shirreffs,F lorida Director ,Environmental Defense Fund .
“On behalf of the city of St.Augustine,we are very excited to welcome Eddy Bouza as the state of Florida ’ s next chief resilience officer .The cityof St.Augustinehas workedwithEddyandhisteamthroughtheResilienceFloridaProgramoverthepastfouryearsinadvancingtheneedsandadvocatingtheurgencyforresilienceeffortsforthestateofFlorida.WelookforwardtocontinuedcollaborationwithEddyandhisteaminhisnewrole.Havingastate-appointedchiefresilienceofficerisat estamenttothestate ’ scontinuedcommitmenttoresilience,supportforourcommunitiesandleadershipinthiscriticalarea–weareproudtopartnerwiththestatechiefresilienceofficertoadvanceresilienceplanning ,programsandprojectsthatprotectourstate .”–JessicaBeach ,ChiefResilienceOfficer ,CityofSt.Augustine .
“TheFloridaShore&BeachPreservationAssociationisthrilledattheappointmentofEddyBouzaasFlorida ’ snextchiefresilienceofficer.HavingworkedcloselywithEddyintheResilientFloridaProgram,weknowhebringsaproventrackrecordofcollaborativeleadershipandadeepunderstandingofthechallengesfacingFlorida ’ scoasts.As thenextchiefresilienceofficer,hiscommitmenttolong-termresilienceplanningwillbeinstrumentaltoprotectingourshores ,communitiesandnaturalresourcesforgenerations.WelookforwardtoourcontinuedcollaborationtoadvanceFloridabeachandcoastalresiliencest rategies .”–PepperUchino ,President ,FloridaShore&BeachPreservationAssociation .
The Resilient Florida Program offers comprehensive support across multiple sectors by integrating nature-based approaches along with physical infrastructure improvements.