Meet Fitz.
Fitz-Edward Otis IV, or “Fitz”, is a Sarasota, FL native. He attended Gulf Gate Elementary, Pine View School, and Riverview High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Health and his Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of South Florida. He is a Certified Public Health Practitioner (CPH) and Certified Environmental Health Professional (CEHP).
Fitz worked as an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In this role, he regulated everything from schools and hospitals to assisted living facilities and public pools; however, his primary focus was on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS), also known as septic systems. This is where he developed his passion for protecting both the health of communities, as well as, the pristine Floridian ecosystem.
Fitz also worked in the environmental health department at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium conducting research that contributed to the development of the “HABscope” project funded by NASA and the Beach Condition Reporting System (Visitbeaches.org). These are both citizen-science initiatives utilizing volunteers throughout the state of Florida in efforts to further research and monitor Florida Red Tide blooms. This research focused not just on the effects of harmful algae blooms (HAB’s) but also on the benefit of connecting the public with scientists and regulators in order to increase the levels of trust and understanding, as well as, the efficiency of environmental research.
With experience in environmental research and environmental health regulation, Fitz is uniquely equipped to provide a high standard of service to industry professionals and homeowners for all of their OSTDS permitting needs.