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The Past, Present, and Future
of Water in Florida

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Water For Fighting
Water For Fighting
Andrew Ketchel
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Recent Episodes

Andrew Ketchel

Andrew Ketchel

For this episode, Brett sat down with his friend, colleague, and fellow DEP alum Andrew Ketchel as Hurricane Helene barreled toward its collision with the Southeast United States.  Andrew is a former Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; college football player for the University of South Florida; and an Eagle Scout.

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Mark Merkelbach

Mark Merkelbach

In this episode, Brett has a conversation with Mark Merkelbach, the CEO of Green Earth Operations and COO of Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG). Mark has dedicated his career to water quality improvement all over the world including India, Mexico, Haiti, and China.

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David Rathke

David Rathke

The Season 4 kickoff features Brett sitting down with his friend and former boss, David Rathke. David is currently the Executive Director of Resiliency Florida and Executive Director of Florida Association of Mitigation Bankers, but he has decades of experience working in many facets of state government.

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Contact Us
Send a message to Brett Cyphers at Water For Fighting

About Host Brett Cyphers

Brett is a partner at Anfield Consulting, representing clients that range from environmental restoration companies to local governments. Before joining Anfield, he served as Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District, where he focused on developing broad partnerships to achieve springs restoration, overall water supply and quality improvements, and significant permitting efficiencies and service upgrades.

Brett’s work in Florida government began as a member of the Senate’s reapportionment staff in 2001, followed by two years as a legislative assistant to then-Sen. Victor Crist. In 2004, Brett joined Gov. Jeb Bush’s administration as a policy and budget analyst in the area of water resources, before he moved to a community and legislative affairs role with the Southwest Florida Water Management District in 2005. 

Brett moved back to Tallahassee in 2007 to serve as environmental policy chief for Gov. Charlie Crist. He then spent two years with the Florida House of Representatives, first in the Majority Office, and then as staff director for the Federal Affairs Subcommittee. In 2011, Brett joined the Department of Environmental Protection overseeing water management district budgets, process improvements, and accountability measures, before moving to the Northwest Florida Water Management District in 2012.

 Prior to his work in Florida government, Brett served with the U.S. Army and the Florida National Guard which included combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, as well as relief efforts following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. He also holds a B.S. in Social Science from Florida State University.

 Brett has a passion for problem solving and building partnerships, but most of all he enjoys spending time with his wife, Karen, his three daughters, and two dogs.

About the show

Mark Twain is said to have quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting. And in Florida, the subject of water can bring out the strongest of opinions. The Water for Fighting podcast will discuss the past, present, and future of water in Florida with the people who make it happen.  

The host, Brett Cyphers spent over 20 years working throughout Florida government getting to know the people who’ve made water their life’s work and created this podcast to allow you, the listener, to get to know them as well.

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