FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   
Contact:            Donald D. Stilwell, County Administration
(941) 335-2221
 
                               
DIAZ HIRED AS NEW COUNTY UTILTIES DIRECTOR
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 5, 2000) – Lee County Manager Don Stilwell announced today that he has hired Rick Diaz as the county’s new Utilities Director.
 
Diaz comes to Lee County from the City of Lake Mary, where he has been Public Works Director since 1997.  From 1992 to 1997 Diaz was Deputy Director of Public Works/Environmental Services for Seminole County.  During the 1980s, he held several registered professional engineering positions with public and private wastewater, solid waste and public works entities in Puerto Rico.
 
Diaz holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and is a registered environmental manager.  He is a member of the Water Environment Federation, American Water Works Association and American Public Works Association.
 
Diaz will be transitioning into his new position over the next two months, working half time for both Lake Mary and Lee County.
 
The county’s Utilities Division serves 48,500 water and 33,600 sewer customers in portions of North, East and South Lee County.  It has an annual operating budget of $25.3 million.