As the state attempts to combat the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Christopher Holley is trying to make sure the 26 Florida counties now placed in a state of emergency are able to cope with the environmental and economic damages.
As leader of the Florida Association of Counties, Holley is responsible for assuring that the interests of all 67 Florida counties are represented at the state Capitol and elsewhere. And in a time of crisis, such as this, it's a struggle to get out the right information to counties facing an unprecedented environmental disaster.
Holley took a rare moment of free time to speak to Sunshine State News about his job and his life.
What is your job? Executive director of the Florida Association of Counties
What is your age? 57
Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Crestview, Fla. We bounced around a little bit and we settled in the Tampa Bay area when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I now live in the Tallahassee area.
Where did you go to college? Florida State University. Got a degree in government. Went to graduate school at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Got a masters in public administration. Worked for the city of Temple Terrace while in graduate school.
What did you do before starting this job? After finishing graduate school, I worked for Collier County as an assistant county administrator. Went on to the city of Naples as a director of community services for seven years. Was a county manager for Suwanee County for three years after that, and county manager in Okaloosa County for 13 years after that. I came back to Tallahassee to work here five years ago next week
What are your biggest priorities when responding to the oil spill? We like to say that all of our services fall into three words. We advocate. We educate. And we collaborate. For the oil spill, were doing all three.
Its a very emotional issue for everybody. Its a tragic event that will affect our state for years and years. And our members are struggling to get, good,accurate information. Weve collaborated with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection almost from day one of the event. Were just trying to get them the tools and the knowledge they need to be able to protect the environment, to recoup the cost that is occurring.
At the federal level we are advocating. At the state level, were advocating. Obviously in the governors office. We have two members appointed to the Gulf Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force, so were helping them educate and helping them advocate on behalf of counties.
What has been the biggest failure in responding to this crisis? Im very cautious to point fingers because I dont put blame. I put blame on BP obviously, this is their event.
The understanding of how to prepare and who to turn to for financial resources and who to turn to for guidance on how to contract for contractor services at times has been frustrating.
Were trained on a FEMA Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act hurricane model. Were good at that. We know how that model works.
This is an Oil Protection Act of 1990 case, where the guilty party is somewhat in charge, that being British Petroleum. Thats a new model for us that were not accustomed with.
What was the best advice youve ever received about how to deal with this spill, and who gave it?
I have a lot of respect for Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole, and he continues to say: This is not a sprint. This is a marathon. This is an issue weve been dealing with since the middle of April and will be dealing with for years to come.
Who do you try to model yourself after in your role as executive director, dead or alive?
I try to be a good leader. I try to set a good example. You can pick a lot of good people. Look at Ronald Reagan, hes always at the top of peoples lists. I was watching President Barack Obama in his Oval Office speech and listening to the analogies to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Oval Office speeches and the 'Only thing we have to fear is fear itself' kind of thing. And you need leadership like that to calm people and to show people that well get through this. So theres some good examples of folks.
What are your interests outside of work? The tragedy of it is, I have fished my whole life. My father was an avid outdoorsman figure and was born and raised near Boca Grande Island in the early days of the Great Depression. I remember taking a ferry boat over to Boca Grande Island to fish for tarpon with my dad. So, from that point to my life forward, I have spent a lot of my time in the Gulf of Mexico. And Im heartbroken about what the spill is going to do to the Gulf and the fishery.
