My Story

My name is Eric Draper and I am a third-generation Floridian. I've spent my entire career working to protect Florida's land and water, ensuring it is as special as when my great-grandfather farmed near Tampa. My vision for Florida and my 30 year career as a conservation leader make me uniquely qualified to be our next Commissioner of Agriculture.

Currently I am the Deputy Director of the Florida office of the National Audubon Society and previously I worked with The Nature Conservancy. I led campaigns to fund Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever - the premiere state land protection programs that have secured more than a million acres of public land for use for future generations. I am active on statewide commissions and boards including the Council for Sustainable Florida.

I have been a tireless leader for Florida's unique water resources. I led the fight to stop attempts to undermine the laws that protect local water supplies and helped craft policy changes promoting conservation and alternative water supply. I also helped pass the 1986 amendments to the federal Superfund and the Clean Water Act leading to safer water supplies and less pollution.

In my career I have been a relentless advocate for the Everglades. I helped drive the passage of legislation that allows the use of Everglades Restoration Bonds, and I worked to organize thousands of grassroots advocates to support the federal Everglades Restoration Plan. I fought for the laws that require Lake Okeechobee to be cleaned up to federal water quality standards.

Working to protect Florida's environment has led me to understand the challenges faced by Florida's farmers. That is why I drafted the bill that became the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act. It is also why I serve on the Florida Soil and Water Conservation Council, which provides policy guidance to the Commissioner of Agriculture.

In the past I worked on Democratic campaigns nationally and locally. I was honored to serve on the Clinton-Gore transition team. Years ago I even managed Senator Kent Conrad's Campaign to Restore North Dakota's Farm Economy, which helped put the US Senate back in Democratic control in 1986. I am an elected member of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee.

I was raised in a military family that settled back in Tampa, where I met my wife, Sheila Meehan, while attending the University of South Florida. Sheila and I live in Tallahassee where we raised our three children -- Brendan, Meghan and Caitlin.