2024 FGWA Board of Director Candidates

FGWA 2024 Slate of Board Candidates
Noah Ringdahl, Board Director, Nominating Committee Chair 

The FGWA Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following slate of officers for your consideration. These individuals completed their application prior to the deadline of January 5th.  All applications were reviewed to ensure they were completed in its entirety.  Applications were then sent to the FGWA Board of Directors for review and approval.  As of the January 5th deadline, 6 applications were received.  All 6 applications have been approved to be presented to the membership. 

Candidates were asked to submit a 30-second pre-recorded video, headshot, and bio.  If the candidate submitted these files, they are shared below for your review.

Election will take place at the Annual Business Meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Convention and Trade Show on Thursday, May 30, 2024 from 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM. 

For the 2024 term, there are 5 vacant board seats.  Delegates will vote and any candidate who receives majority vote, no more than 5 total candidates, will be elected to the 2024 Board of Directors. Candidates will be elected by verified voting delegates present at the Annual Business Meeting. 

If you are a voting delegate, it is your responsibility to view the files below and be prepared to vote at the meeting.

Andrew Hausinger - Hausinger & Associates, Inc. 

  • At this time, no files are available for this candidate. 

Steve Hilfiker - Environmental Risk Management, Inc. 

Steve Hilfiker, founder of ERMI in Ft. Myers, has been on the Board of FGWA since 2018, serving as Environmental Committee Chair/Past Chair/Board Liaison.  He has 33 years’ experience in environmental consulting and has served in environmental industry leadership positions since 1991.  Steve graduated from the University of Florida with a master’s degree in Geography in 1990. He is committed to advancing the mission of FGWA for another term. With great relationships in the Florida legislature, Steve has played a key role in the development of effective and equitable environmental policy and legislation. The breadth of his experience equips Steve to bring a truly valuable perspective to the FGWA Board of Directors.

Doug Keller - Baroid Industrial Drilling Products 

Doug has been working for Baroid IDP for over 15 years.  Doug worked in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada designing fluids for wire line coring, spot coring, dual tube reverse air, conventional water well, air/foam, and flooded reverse water wells.  Doug has been in Florida for 11 years doing much of the same, with less mining applications and more focus on designing fluids for boring and tunneling projects. Doug’s goal is to help drillers with their projects by sharing the benefits of polymers.  Doug has been a member of the FGWA since 2012 and on the FGWA Board of Directors since 2022.

Matt McConnell - Environmental & Geotechnical Specialists, Inc. 

Matt McConnell is the current Vice President and Field Operations Manager with Environmental & Geotechnical Specialists, Inc. (EGS). Matt has over 35 years of geotechnical field investigation experience, including Pavement Coring and Condition Surveys, SPT drilling, rock core drilling, well installations, well abandonments, geophysical investigations, Construction Materials Testing (CMT) services, Verification Testing (VT) Services, Quality Control (QC) Services, Quality Assurance (QA) Services, and other investigations.  He also has over 20 years of management experience and managing field operations for EGS.  Matt has extensive experience performing geotechnical field services and is regarded as one of the most experienced geotechnical drillers in the State of Florida.  Matt is a licensed water well contractor in Florida.   Matt has been a member of the FGWA for approximately 28 years and has served on the FGWA Board of Directors for 14 years.  Matt is a Past President of the FGWA and currently chairs the Political Action Committee. 

Lance Partridge - Partridge Well Drilling Company 

Lance Partridge is the Vice President for Partridge Well Drilling Company and oversees the Environmental Drilling Department.  He is the sixth generation of Partridge Well Drilling. Over the past 20 years, Lance has been involved in projects that cover just about every aspect of groundwater and drilling. He continues to expand his knowledge every day by doing research and development to find new and exciting technology and techniques to make the process of drawing water from the ground more efficient. Lance has a degree in geology from the University of South Florida and is a licensed water well contractor in Florida. Lance has been a member of the FGWA for over 10 years and has served on the FGWA Board of Directors since 2016.  Lance is currently the Secretary/Treasurer for the FGWA and chairs the FGWA Media and Finance Committees.  He is also a member of the National Ground Water Association.   Lance prides himself in his near perfect attendance at the DEP Workgroup Meetings to be a voice of reason representing fellow water well contractors. 

Tabatha Westberry - Moore's Well Drilling, Inc. 

Tabatha Moore Westberry has a diverse background that combines business administration with hands-on experience in the well drilling industry. Tabatha was raised next door to her grandfather's well drilling business, which played a significant role in shaping her career path. Tabatha pursued a career in Business Administration, eventually earning her bachelor's degree in organizational management from St. Johns River State College. Tabatha is the current Office Manager for Moore’s Well Drilling, Inc., and a licensed water well contractor in Florida. Tabatha has been a member of the FGWA since 2018.  Tabatha is eager to contribute to the industry at large and aims to become involved with the Florida Ground Water Association, viewing it as a platform to advocate for the interests of those involved in well drilling.