Staff Report

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – Ann Marie Sorrell took her oath of office Thursday, after winning the Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District, Seat 2 by a landslide.

The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website reports that Sorrell, one of two candidates who ran for the seat 2 in the November 2020 election, won nearly 66% of the votes, totaling 398,354 of the total 607,697 cast.

Sorrell is the founder, president & CEO of The Mosaic Group (established in 2005), an award-winning advertising, public relations, marketing, and government relations firm serving clients throughout the United States. A few of its clients include the City of West Palm Beach, Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation, AECOM, Palm Tran Public Transportation, and community redevelopment agencies around South Florida.

She has served as an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College for five years, teaching Introduction to Business, Entrepreneurship, and Human Relations.

CANNABIZIAC FOUNDER

Sorrell also recently founded Cannabiziac (April 2020), South Florida’s first Cannabiz Incubator, Accelerator, and Coworking community for the cannabis industry. She founded Cannabiziac for the purpose of creating an inclusive global cannabis ecosystem that provides education and training, business and financial resources, networking opportunities, advocacy, and a community for cannabis companies (start-up and growing enterprises) across the United States and around the globe.

The Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District’s mission is to educate residents, land users, and businesses on ways to protect natural resources, promote best management practices, and conserve, improve and sustain the environment.

A not for profit 501(c) 3, the district is a division of the State of Florida, but does not levy taxes, issue bonds or have the means to enforce land-use laws. The district works with local businesses and agencies to provide conservation services throughout the county.

FRESH, DIVERSE VOICE

It is directed by a board of five supervisors, men, and women, who serve without pay and are locally elected. Ann Marie will serve as the first black woman elected to the agency’s board.

“There are so many residents who are unfamiliar or unaware of our wetlands, how our water system works, and the economic impact that farming and agriculture has in our county and our state,” said Sorrell.

“With that in mind, I will bring a fresh and diverse voice, new leadership, and the ability to communicate the importance of sustainability and conservation matters to all constituents in Palm Beach County.”