Third time's the charm? Holley-Navarre Water System names 3rd CEO in 3 years

Jeff Crigler, the assistant utilities director for the city of Panama City Beach, has been hired as the new CEO of the Holley-Navarre Water System.

Crigler's hiring was announced Jan. 23 at the Water System Board of Director's reorganization meeting, a meeting at which members were assigned committee memberships and duties for the upcoming year. Mark Miller, who was voted in as the 2023 board president, said Crigler is scheduled to start work Feb. 2.

"We welcome Jeff to the new position and look forward to this new chapter in Holley Navarre Water System leadership," Miller said in announcing the CEO hire.

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Crigler is an environmental engineer with a master's degree in business administration, a news release issued by HNWS said. He brings more than 28 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, having worked primarily with water and wastewater utilities.

He had worked for many years with both the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and HDR Engineering in Pensacola, "so (he) knows the local area well," the news release said.

Crigler has also served as regional chairman for the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association.

Crigler will replace Dallas Peavey, who was fired last August, and inherit a board of directors that has feuded openly in recent months. The board did bring on two new members Jan. 17 when businessman David Crumbley and construction contractor Michael Matthews were elected.

James Dabney, seen by some as a disruptive force within the Water System, lost his bid for re-election to the seven-member board.

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Peavey had been hired by the board of directors in late 2020 after a 10-month search. He was subsequently fired when it was decided he had not properly explained circumstances surrounding a 2010 indictment for theft.

He was accused of stealing from the oil and energy company he worked for in Texas by falsifying travel expenses and invoices. He pleaded guilty to three felony counts but received a deferred adjudication of guilt, which kept the convictions off his record. An order to dismiss the action against him was granted in 2014 after he paid restitution and probation fees.

Joe Campbell has been serving as interim CEO since Peavey's firing.

Peavey had been hired to replace Rob Williamson, a former Santa Rosa County Commissioner who was ousted after just a year on the job due to "ongoing disagreements" between him and the board.