Eva B. Velez, P.E.

Experience

• 

  AECOM

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2014

  Senior Engineer and Project Manager, Water Resources
• 

  South Florida Water Management District

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2019

  Executive leader responsible for coordination, development and implementation of comprehensive policy and projects to preserve, restore and protect the South Florida ecosystem while recognizing the needs of external constituents and stakeholders. Supervises interactions with the agency's restoration partners at both the federal and state levels. Executive in charge of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Restoration Strategies, Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, Dispersed Water Management Program, Tribal Affairs, Permit Acquisition and Compliance of District Projects and the Works of the District Permitting Program for the Northern Everglades and the Everglades Forever Act. Show less

  • Director of Everglades Policy and Coordination

    Jan 2017 - Jan 2019

  • Office Chief - State Policy and Agricultural Coordination

    Jan 2016 - Jan 2017

  • Section Leader of Dispersed Water Management

    Jan 2016 - Jan 2016

  • Lead Engineer, Engineering Design

    Jan 2015 - Jan 2016
• 

  US Army Corps of Engineers

  Aug 2019 - now

  Jacksonville District: Strategic program manager fully dedicated to the execution of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program.As a result of the engineering performed as early as the 1880s to make south Florida more habitable, the natural flow of water to—and through—the Everglades was severely altered. The construction of roads, canals, and levees created barriers that interrupt the natural flow of water that’s necessary for the Everglades to survive.Upon Congressional authorization of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in 2000, the federal government and the state of Florida entered into a programmatic 50/50 partnership to restore, protect, and preserve water resources in central and southern Florida, including the Everglades. The Corps is the lead federal agency and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is the lead state agency in this effort.In partnership with SFWMD, the Corps is currently planning, designing, and constructing multiple components of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) program, which includes the CERP—the largest ecosystem restoration program in the world.Progress made in each respective area supports efforts in the others to deliver essential benefits. Every incremental success complements the overall efforts to restore this national treasure. These efforts will ultimately improve 2.4 million acres of south Florida’s ecosystem (including Everglades National Park), reduce high-volume discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the estuaries, improve water deliveries to the Florida and Biscayne Bays, and enhance water supply.For additional background information on Everglades restoration efforts, visit: www.evergladesrestoration.gov/ Show less

  • Chief, Ecosystem Branch

    Oct 2021 - now

  • Strategic Program Manager

    Aug 2019 - Oct 2021