Herschel T. Vinyard Jr.

As a former executive for a Florida-based shipyard, Herschel was responsible for strategic planning, business development, and regulatory and government affairs. This background helps him understand the pressures and challenges businesses face, as well as how to help clients overcome them. His own business experience includes successfully working with Congress for legal changes to obtaining permits for a major expansion, and working with state legislative and regulatory agencies to allow his business to become more competitive.  This experience helps him be an effective counselor and advocate for his clients’ interests. Herschel was also an executive for an electric, water, and sewer utility.

Herschel served as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from 2011–2014 after being appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. In that role, he was involved in all aspects of Florida environmental policy, including permitting, water policy, wetlands, state conservation lands, cabinet affairs and ecosystem restoration. His clients benefit from his track record of being able to build coalitions and reach consensus. He worked successfully with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental interests, agriculture interests, and businesses to adopt new water quality criteria and resolve disputes over ecosystem restoration projects that effectively ended federal litigation.

Herschel is experienced with issues falling under the scope of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund), including state environmental statutory counterparts. He is a frequent, sought-after speaker on these topics at Florida’s most prominent environmental conferences.