Florida Infrastructure Management Veteran Denise Bevan Joins Freese and Nichols in Jacksonville

Freese and Nichols expands its Florida presence with the addition of Denise Bevan to lead client development in Central and Northeast Florida from our Jacksonville office. The firm began opening locations in Florida five years ago, and in addition to Jacksonville, has offices in Tampa, Palm Coast and Orlando.

Prior to joining Freese and Nichols, Denise spent time as an environmental consultant serving as a Senior Project Manager, and 17 years with the City of Palm Coast, most recently in the role of City Manager where she managed a $300M city-budget, department personnel and resources, and multi-year projects. Bringing her first-hand experience in Florida infrastructure projects, land development regulations and policy implementation, she will help serve clients in the region.

Denise’s shift to consulting comes at an important time for Florida where local governments are contributing toward a statewide vulnerability assessment that could help unlock funding for improvements. The state is faced with several challenges, including major storms, hurricanes, natural disasters and sea level rise, as well as an increasing population.

Some of her work includes helping the City of Palm Coast earn a “Gold” Green Local Government certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition. She also helped plan, develop, and secure grant funding for Palm Coast’s Waterfront Park on the Intracoastal Waterway, which has become a premier destination and is one of three finalists for APA Florida Chapter’s “Great Places in Florida People’s Choice Award.”

Denise has also worked closely with organizations on regional initiatives like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Johns River Water Management District, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida Wildlife Federation, USACE, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In 2014, she presented at the International City and County Management Association conference regarding strategic planning and prioritization of a local government’s needs and performance.

“Denise’s deep experience in the complexities of Florida public infrastructure management helps us connect further with our communities to not only have a stronger understanding of the challenges they face, but also the types of solutions that will be successful in the region,” said Tony Pevec, Principal at Freese and Nichols.

Denise is a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and Qualified Stormwater Management Inspector. She currently serves as a Board Member for the Regional Community Institute of Northeast Florida, Inc. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus on Ecology from Jacksonville State University.