Ron Bergeron said Friday he wouldn’t tarnish his reputation by doing anything unethical as a member of the powerful board that supervises South Florida water supplies and restoration of the Everglades.
“The most important thing I’ve got is my reputation,” Bergeron said in an interview. “It took me 55 years to have the reputation, and that’s more important than all my success. I just look forward to making a difference in something I know about.”
The something is the Everglades, and he wants to make a difference as a member of the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District. Gov. Ron DeSantis wants him there, announcing on Jan. 29 he intended to appoint Bergeron.
The actual appointment was delayed so Bergeron’s business interests could be examined for potential conflicts.
He is CEO of the Bergeron Family of Companies, a group of businesses including highway construction, rock pits and quarries, agriculture, real estate development, solid waste management and disaster recovery services.
“It was my recommendation to the governor that I go through the Ethics Commission because I’m a businessman. My companies are all over America and I wanted to make sure that everything was transparent, and what I would have to abstain from,” he said.
Bergeron said Friday the staff of the Florida Commission on Ethics has completed its review, and he is awaiting action by the commission. The panel has a meeting scheduled for April 12; no agenda has yet been posted.