John Raymond, Section Lead (retired), South Florida Water Management District
John brings over 45 years of diverse expertise in water resource management, water policy, irrigation systems, hydraulic structure design, decision support systems, hydrologic data quality assurance and control, project management, and leadership. He embarked on his academic journey by earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Faculty of Sciences in Haiti in 1979. His pursuit of knowledge led him to Spain, where he studied hydrogeology at the University of Madrid in 1980. Continuing as a Fulbright scholar, he pursued Agricultural Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in the United States, graduating in 1985. Subsequently, from 1994 to 1996, he undertook Ph.D. coursework at CSU in Bioresources Engineering and Water Resources Management. John has significantly contributed to international organizations as a freelance consultant, collaborating with the Food and Agricultural Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Notably, during his consultancy for the IDB in 1997, he led a multidisciplinary team of international and national consultants to formulate an action plan and a water law for integrated water resources management in Haiti. For the past 24 years, John has dedicated his expertise to the South Florida Water Management District, a prominent agency overseeing water resources in Florida. Currently serving as a section leader in QA and Hydro Data Management, he has played pivotal roles in over 50 projects, including three engineering initiatives. John’s contributions extend beyond project management, as he has authored, co-authored, and reviewed numerous technical papers and publications, establishing himself as a subject matter expert in the field.
