DNREC has a new director for the Division of Watershed Stewardship.
Steve Williams is the division’s new director, taking over for Terry Deputy who recently retired.
Williams has been with DNREC for his entire 37-year career, including stints as administrator for the Watershed and Wetlands Assessment and Monitoring programs.
He believes his experience in the department will help him especially as he faces some challenges as he takes over.
"We still do have a good number of positions within our division that are vacant, and so I think some of the challenges will be to reclassify some positions to try to help people earn a better salary. There's no doubt about it some of the bottom lines just aren't enough and from there we have some as I mentioned before we have some challenges in terms of trying to get a little bit more organized in how we approach things," said Williams.
Williams will manage programs dealing with conservation practices, drainage, shoreline and waterway management and protection, surface water quality, dam safety and wetland assessments.
The department also oversees shellfish harvesting and fish contamination.
He also notes one area he intends to prioritize.
"There's the nonpoint source pollution that continues to, I want to say, plague not just the inland bays, but the Chesapeake Bay as well and I just think we have to really put a lot of eyes and a lot of attention on nonpoint source pollution,” said Williams. “I know it is a priority for the Chesapeake Bay program."
The division has a full-time staff of 108 people and an annual operating budget of more than $36.4 million.
