TALLAHASSEE, Florida — The Department of Environmental Protection’s State Lands Division, for the second time this year, is losing its leader ahead of a key meeting on land deals.
Details: Andrew S. Fleener, who was appointed interim state lands director in May, said in a resignation letter DEP provided to POLITICO on Tuesday that his decision to leave “wasn’t made lightly,” while adding that it is time to “pursue different endeavors that align with my evolving aspirations.”
Fleener’s resignation is effective Sept. 2, ahead of a scheduled Sept. 16 meeting of the governor and Cabinet. He joined the department as deputy state lands director in 2016.
The meeting agenda hasn’t been issued. But it comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 2025-26 state budget that directs DEP to prioritize the purchase of a waterfront parcel of less than five acres in Destin for possibly tens of millions of dollars and to consider a landowner’s existing appraisal in the deal.
