02. Jim Seidl Letter of Recommendation1
April 7, 2026
Mayor Steve Kronmiller
City Council Member Jerry Cusick
City Council Member Jim Gribble
City Council Member Kirsten Libby
City Council Member Michael Lubke
Scandia City Council
14727 209th St. Scandia, MN, 55073
Re: Sam DiVita and Eric Boyles Letter of Recommendation
Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:
I am honored to recommend Sam DiVita and Eric Boyles for appointment to the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix
Watershed District, as Watershed District Board Managers.
Thanks to the stellar leadership of Mike Isensee and the Board of Managers, the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix
Watershed District (Watershed District) plays a crucial role in managing over 81 square miles of land, 31
lakes, three trout streams, and significant shoreline along the St. Croix River. By using a combination of
regulatory measures, structural practices, incentive programs, and education, the Watershed District ensures
that natural habitats, recreational waters, and personal properties are safeguarded from degradation. Such
comprehensive management is essential to meet the statutory goals of protecting surface and groundwater
resources, minimizing flooding, promoting groundwater recharge, and enhancing fish and wildlife habitats.
The Watershed District is vital to the health, sustainability, and resilience of our local environment and
communities. Throughout their impressive careers, Eric Boyles (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-boyles/), and
Sam DiVita (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-divita-9b920042/) have demonstrated the dedication, expertise,
empathy, professionalism, integrity, work ethic, and collaborative spirit necessary to measurably advance the
Watershed District’s mission to protect, preserve, and continuously improve our shared water, watershed,
woodland, and wildlife resources.
As demonstrated by Mayor Kronmiller, successful management requires strong and dedicated leadership and
collaboration. Mr. DiVita and Mr. Boyles’ ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, strategic
planning, collaborative decision-making, and meaningful and proactive interaction with local communities,
position both candidates as highly qualified prospective assets to the Watershed District. Their leadership,
expertise, and experience will help to strengthen collaboration between local and state municipalities, advance
public engagement, and support initiatives that promote the long-term health of our shared water and land
resources:
• Eric Boyles. Among his many notable professional strengths and sensibilities, Eric is a member of
the Big Marine Lake Association, is highly experienced with lake and watershed concerns, fluent in
educational outreach, and empathetic with neighbor perspectives. He is familiar with the practical
realities of stewardship and shared accountability, recently exemplified in the successful completion
of a three-year shoreline management project in 2025. Mr. Boyles has over 20 years of digital
communications experience, which will help to enhance CMSCWD’s outreach across web, email,
social, and stakeholder platforms, boosting engagement and support for its programs. Eric’s proven
track record shows that he is ready to advance the goal of protecting and improving watershed
resources.
• Sam DiVita. Mr. DiVita is also a resident of Scandia, who deeply cares about the water quality in our
community, and is an experienced steward of the unique natural resources that exist within our
watershed. Sam’s successful career as a public-school educator, professional organization leader,
and community volunteer, provides an invaluable set of communication, educational, conciliatory, and
community bridge-building skills that will help to further empower and ensure CMSCWD’s continuing
success. Sam has direct experience operating within regulatory boundaries while communicating with
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a variety of partners and stakeholders to achieve targeted strategic goals. During his 20+ years of
teaching, along with serving on non-profit boards, and a variety of additional volunteer positions, Mr.
DiVita has developed strong listening, empathy, and communication skills, to build consensus while
considering multiple perspectives. For example, Sam has served for nearly a decade on the YMCA
Camps Board of Directors, which speaks directly to Sam’s stewardship of natural resources, his
community access and outreach, and his organization management acumen.
Additionally, Eric and Sam have demonstrated unwavering support of, and ongoing commitment to:
1) AIS Protection. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) protection of Watershed District waters – in
strategic collaboration with organizations like Washington Conservation District, Minnesota Lakes
& Rivers Advocates, Big Marine Lake Association (https://www.bigmarinelakeassociation.org/),
and Square Lake Association (https://www.squarelake.org/).
2) Rule of Law. Proactive monitoring and enforcement of state, township, and district, watershed
rules, regulations, and guiding principles.
3) Conservation Planning and Education. Conservation-centric community collaboration, strategic
planning, education, and thought-leadership – relating to water quality monitoring, natural
resource protection, water access improvements, recreational water resource management, and
infrastructure improvements, as exemplified in community-based conservation activities like:
a) Education & Advocacy: Square Lake Conservancy Published Case Study (11/1/23).
b) Strategic Planning: https://www.washingtoncountymn.gov/3235/Square-Lake-Park-Master-
Plan.
c) Community Bridge-Building: https://www.squarelake.org/blog/protect-amp-preserve-mission-
2025-update.
I wholeheartedly support Sam DiVita’s and Eric Boyles’ candidacies for the open Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix
Watershed District Board Manager positions – and encourage Scandia’s esteemed City Council to appoint Sam
and Eric to ensure the Watershed District’s strategic mission, statutory objectives, and guiding principles are
diligently advocated and advanced during their term of service, to protect and preserve the waters,
watersheds, woodlands, and wildlife of our shared community.
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For these reasons - and more - I’m thrilled to recommend Sam and Eric as our next Carnelian-Marine-St
Croix Watershed Board Managers - and thank you in advance for supporting these two candidates with
your vote.
Finally, on behalf of my many conservation friends and advocates in May Township and Washington
County, my heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing commitment to water resource management,
conservation, and natural resource preservation in our Square Lake watershed and St. Croix River Valley
community. You are making our world a better, more beautiful place, and for that I’m grateful,
encouraged, and inspired.
Respectfully,
cc: Mike Isensee, Administrator, Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District
cc: Brenda Eklund, City Clerk, City of Scandia
cc: Eric Boyles
cc: Sam DiVita
My recommendation above is personal and does not officially or unofficially represent any organization for which I serve as a
volunteer, Board Member, or Officer.
Jim Seidl
President
Legal Research Center
LegalResearch.com
Jim.Seidl@LegalResearch.com
Cell: 612.325.8995
Former May Township Planning Commissioner, and former May Township Supervisor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimseidl/