Director: Mary Yeargan
Southwest District
13051 N. Telecom Parkway
Temple Terrace, Fl. 33637
Phone: (813) 632-7600
Fax (813) 632-7665
Map

Jurisdiction: Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk.

The Southwest District is home to Tampa Bay, Florida's largest open-water estuary which encompasses nearly 400 square miles.  We also enjoy a variety of scenic waterways including the Myakka River, Homosassa Springs, Hillsborough River, Manatee River, and portions of the Peace River.  The best of our coastal landscapes have been set aside for protection as aquatic preserves. Cockroach Bay, Terra Ceia, Boca Ciega Bay and Pinellas County Aquatic Preserves are all situated in the Southwest District.

Southwest District Director Mary Yeargan

Mary returned to DEP’s Southwest District after spending the past 12 years working at the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) of Hillsborough County. Mary is a Professional Geologist and during her tenure at Hillsborough County, she negotiated the Brownfields Program delegation from DEP to EPC and established the county’s very successful Brownfields Program. One of her many completed brownfield projects is the new IKEA store in Ybor City. The site entered into a brownfield agreement and achieved complete environmental site closure in 18 months, allowing IKEA to open ahead of schedule. The rehabilitation and cleanup of contamination at this site created 800 jobs and serves as an example of sustainable reuse of properties within designated brownfield areas. Mary has also served on the Board of the Florida Brownfields Association for several years, promoting the cleanup of contaminated sites throughout the state. Prior to her work with the EPC, Mary spent nine years in the Southwest District, most of which were spent managing the Waste Cleanup Section. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University and a Masters of Science degree in Geology from the University of Mississippi.

Southwest District Assistant Director Brian Armstrong

Brian came to DEP from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, where he excelled and quickly advanced in various positions for the past 14 years. He was instrumental in establishing the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Program (FARMS) that, to date, has conserved more than 20 million gallons per day in withdrawals from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. As a Water Supply Manager since 2007, Brian managed a multidisciplinary team of engineers, professional geologists, hydrologists and environmental scientists to achieve the District’s goals and priorities. In this role he oversaw more than $250 million in expenditures for alternative water supply, conservation and reclaimed water projects. These projects play an important part in aiding environmental recovery in the Tampa Bay region. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Brian received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and a Masters degree in Hydrogeology.

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