Administration
The daily operations of the South Indian River Water Control District are overseen by the Executive Director, Superintendent and Office Administrator who manage a crew of skilled operators that maintain the roads, canals and swales with graders, back hoes and other heavy equipment, as well as a part-time office assistant.
William Kennedy
Certified District Manager
Executive Director
William 'Chad' Kennedy was named Executive Director in late May 2024 and started with the District on June 5, 2024. His employment experience and Master's degree in Business Administration provide a sound foundation to maintain efficient and effective day-to-day operation and management of the District.
Previously, he was a Program Administrator with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Water Policy and Ecosystem Restoration, from August 2006 to May 2024. He was responsible for managing a team of engineers and biologists providing planning support and regulatory guidance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District to help ensure projects met state objectives and compliance with applicable laws. He served as agency spokesperson on the South Florida Water Management District's Water Resources Analysis Coalition, the Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council, and Science Coordination Group. He has expertise managing construction, wetland restoration, public recreation, scientific research, and various grants and contracts.
Prior to working at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, he was a Senior Environmental Scientist at South Florida Water Management District. Mr. Kennedy worked in a number of positions over his tenure there from September 1990 to August 2006, including Staff Environmental Scientist, Senior Supervising Scientific Associate, and Scientific Technician.
Mr. Kennedy has a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as a Master's of Business Administration with Environmental Emphasis degree from Florida Atlantic University. He also is licensed as a Florida Certified Contract Manager.
In addition, Mr. Kennedy completed the Florida Association of Special District Certified District Manager Program in October 2024.
Mr. Kennedy has been a resident of Jupiter Farms for over 30 years and welcomes the opportunity to help ensure the safety and well-being of District landowners through the management of stormwater, as well as protection of water quality and the environment.
Email Mr. Kennedy
Jennifer Hammond
Office Administrator
Jennifer Hammond was hired as a part-time Administrative Assistant in October 2023, and started full time in January 2024. She took over the position of Office Administrator from Holly Rigsby, in July of 2024. Ms. Hammond works closely with Mr. Kennedy, as well as the Board of Supervisors and staff, regarding all administrative office duties.
Ms. Hammond previously worked as an assistant case manager and legal assistant with the Karp Law Firm, P.A. and as a customer service manager with Lawnexa. Her work experience includes managing insurance application files, assisting attorneys and paralegals with legal documents, and customer service and payroll systems management.
In addition, she is a Certified Notary Public. Ms. Hammond earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Pensacola Christian College in 2017. She has been a resident of Jupiter Farms for over 28 years.
Dustin Fazio
Supervisor of Operations
Dustin Fazio is South Indian River Water Control District’s Supervisor of Operations. Mr. Fazio is a lifelong resident of Jupiter Farms and began working for the District in the summer of 2020 as a Laborer and a Level 1 Equipment Operator. After that summer, he went on to finish his degree in Crop Production and Agribusiness at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he studied drainage, erosion control, and water quality, which are critical in both the agricultural and stormwater industries.
Mr. Fazio began his full-time career with the District in January of 2022. He was quickly promoted to Field Supervisor and became involved with daily planning and scheduling. He has supervised large projects in the District, such as the Section 7 Water Quality Improvement Project in Jupiter Farms and multiple invasive tree removals on District canal rights-of-way.
He was promoted to Superintendent (later changed to Supervisor of Operations). Mr. Fazio’s mission statement is as follows: “Given the history and location, the District is unique and comes with its own challenges. I come to work every day ready to take these challenges head on. I was told on my first day of work, ‘Always do what is best for the District.’ I have operated this way since the beginning and am determined to continue doing my best for this District.”
E-mail Mr. Fazio
Support Staff
In addition to the Executive Director and Office Administrator, a general staff made up of the District Engineer, District Treasurer, District Attorney and District Public Information Officer report to and implement the directives of the Board of Supervisors.
Karen D. Brandon, P.E.
District Engineer
Karen D. Brandon, P.E. is the engineer for the District. She is responsible for providing design, permitting, and compliance monitoring.
Mrs. Brandon is a Principal for AECOM Technical Services, Inc. and serves as a Senior Project Manager and Client Service Manager. She is based in AECOM’s West Palm Beach office. Her professional affiliations include the Florida Engineering Society, National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Florida Stormwater Association. She brings over 35 years of experience in water resources engineering and serves as District Engineer for several Special Taxing Districts. In addition, she provides engineering services to public and private clients throughout Florida.
She earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida and is a Florida licensed Professional Engineer.
Charles F. Haas, CPA
District Treasurer
Chuck Haas has been the treasurer of the District since 1977. In that capacity he is responsible for all of the financial operations of the District including budget preparation, investment of funds, debt issuance and managing the annual audit process.
Mr. Haas was formerly the Managing Partner in charge of the West Palm Beach office for a large regional certified public accounting firm. He was also co-leader of the firm’s extensive governmental services department. Prior to that, he was the founder of and, for over twenty-five years, managing partner of Haas, Diaz & Co., a large local firm specializing in providing annual accounting and auditing services to over twenty-five local governments in South Florida.
He formerly was an assistant professor in Accounting, Finance and Statistics at Binghamton University. He has lectured and given presentations for Florida Atlantic University, Barry University, Florida Association of Special Districts and Florida Governmental Finance Officers Association and has served on numerous task forces for the Florida Auditor General’s Office. He also served on the Palm Beach County Audit Committee, the Palm Beach County Road Oversight and Advisory Council and the Palm Beach Gardens Blue Ribbon Committee. He was a member of the AICPA Information Technology Division, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. Currently, he is a consultant to local governments on matters related to audit, financial management and debt administration.
Mr. Haas is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Florida and holds a BA in Accounting from Harpur College and an MA in Management Science from Binghamton University.
William G. Capko
District Attorney
William G. Capko is the legal counsel for the District. He is a senior attorney in the law firm of Lewis, Longman & Walker. The firm has offices in West Palm Beach, Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Terry E. Lewis, senior shareholder of the firm, serves as co-counsel. The attorney provides legal support to the Board of Supervisors and the District general manager, engineer, and treasurer.
Mr. Capko concentrates his practice in the areas of municipal finance and governmental law. He has served as issuer’s counsel, underwriter’s counsel and bond counsel for a wide variety of public financing since 1989. He has served as bond counsel to Palm Beach County, the City of Lake Worth, Town of Jupiter, and Okeechobee Utility Authority, among others.
Mr. Capko represents public and private clients before the Florida Legislature, the governor, cabinet and local government entities in matters involving state and local government approvals and regulatory issues, and the structuring of financial transactions. Mr. Capko also assists corporations in the structuring of financing, acquisitions, and other transactions.
Mr. Capko has extensive experience in state government in Florida, where he served as chief assistant county attorney for Palm Beach County, assistant general counsel to the Florida Department of Banking and Finance, cabinet aide to the Comptroller of Florida, counsel to Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation, and as staff in both houses of the Florida Legislature.
He is a member of the Florida Bar, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the Florida Government Finance Officers Association, and the Florida Association of Special Districts, as well as the City County and Local Government Law Section and the Environmental and Land Use Section of the Florida Bar. He is a frequent lecturer on public finance issues at conferences and seminars throughout Florida. Mr. Capko’s community involvement includes serving as chairman of the Town of Jupiter Planning and Zoning Commission, Steering Committee member of the Northern Palm Beach County/Southern Martin County Planning Forum, member of the Town of Jupiter Charter review Commission and director of Palm Beach County Seminoles, Inc.
Mr. Capko received his B.S. degree from Florida State University in 1976 and his J.D. degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 1979.
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Seth C. Behn
District Attorney
Mr. Behn’s practice focuses on land use, environmental law and governmental affairs. He assists clients with complex land development matters and helps them navigate through the government approval processes. With a background in Urban Planning, his work often focuses on zoning entitlements, riparian rights, and representation of Special Districts.
He is Vice Chair of the firm’s Governmental Law Practice Group. Prior to passing the bar, Seth worked as a Senior Land Use Planner at Lewis, Longman & Walker and the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. He has also worked as a planner at the local planning firm Land Design South, and was a Planning Intern for the City of Miami Beach.
Mr. Behn is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, and is member of Leadership Palm Beach County’s 2016 class. He is a Board Member of the Palm Beach County Planning Congress, a local professional planning education and advocacy group for which he has previously served as President and Professional Development Officer.
Donna J. DeNinno
District Public Information Officer
In 2002, Donna DeNinno took over the Public Information Officer's (PIO) position from Richard M. Gruenwald, who had been with District since 1991. Ms. DeNinno had worked with Mr. Gruenwald since 1982, and became a co-owner of Dick Gruenwald Associates, LLC, in 2002. As PIO, she gathers, writes, and disseminates material about the District to local and area media, as well as community publications. Ms. DeNinno produces the District's newsletters, videos, website and news releases to keep the landowners informed as to the District's operations.
Ms. DeNinno has worked in public relations, advertising, and marketing for more than 38 years. She has extensive experience in the engineering, construction, and building materials industries, including pavement design and materials, stormwater, and environmental issues and has produced websites, technical design manuals and associated marketing materials in these fields.
Over the last 35 years, Ms. DeNinno has focused on environmental and stormwater issues as they relate to development. She has expertise in the Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and best management practices for managing runoff, "Smart Growth" initiatives, low impact and sustainable development, and green building and infrastructure design practices. Ms. DeNinno has completed 13 professional contact hours of instruction in porous pavements at the University of Georgia's School of Environmental Design, has completed a full-day training course by the EPA in Post-Construction, LID, and Smart Growth as Stormwater BMPs, and has 6 hours of American Institute of Architecture accreditation.
She is a cum laude graduate of Rhode Island College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Fine Arts. Ms. DeNinno worked in the printing and design industry in Massachusetts prior to moving to Florida in 1982, where she joined Dick Gruenwald Associates as Art Director and Account Executive.