Nicholas Binder – Commissioner
Commissioner Seat Group 2
Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Nicholas G. Binder to the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District Board of Commissioners in November 2023. Prior to moving to St. Augustine Beach, Nick retired after serving 33 years as a Professional Engineer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. While living in New Jersey, he served for 14 years on local and regional school boards. He also coached youth basketball for 20 years. Active in St Augustine Beach, he was a member of the City of St. Augustine Beach Code Enforcement Board for 3 years and a former member of the City of St. Augustine Beach Charter Review Committee. Nick also was a volunteer for 14 years at Fort Matanzas National Monument. Nick earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and his master’s degree in environmental engineering from Drexel University.
Matt Brown – Commissioner
Commission Seat Group 3
Matt Brown is a native Floridian and a 2000 graduate of Saint Augustine High School. A beach lifeguard in St. Johns County for nearly a decade. He was awarded the South Atlantic Lifesaving Association’s “Lifeguard of the Year” award in 2003. After earning his law degree from NYU in 2011, he became the executive director of Common Good, a non-partisan government reform group, where he focuses on issues related to regulatory quality and infrastructure permitting.
Chris Way – Commissioner
Commission Seat Group 4
I grew up in St. Augustine and owned and operated several restaurants in St. Augustine since 1981. As a restless entrepreneur, I have started several companies in addition to my restaurants. My current occupation is CEO of the company I founded in 2005. Way Marine Design is the manufacturer of the No Profile Boat Lifts located in St. Augustine Florida. We build and ship boat lifts all over the world and our products have received numerous awards throughout the marine industry. I have plied the waters of St. Augustine most of my life fishing, surfing, diving, and skiing. My wife Pam is an environmental scientist with the St. Johns River Water Management and I have one daughter, Ashley who is an emergency room nurse at Flagler Hospital and I have two granddaughters, Bennett 3, and Scout 18 months.
Tom Rivers – Commissioner
Commission Seat Group 5
Commissioner Tom Rivers is serving his 3rd term on the Port Commission. he will be seeking 4th term in the 2022 primary election. His past experience includes 2 terms on the St Johns County School Board and the St Johns County Property Adjustment Board. Rivers is a Broker Associate with Florida Homes Realty and Mortgage. He has been president of the St Johns County Multiple Listing Service. Rivers has 5 grown children and 13 grandchildren and has been hosting foreign exchange students for 18 years. His students have come from South American and European countries. He is serving currently as Music Director/Organist at St Ambrose Catholic Church in Elkton Florida. Rivers was elected county wide as the State Committeeman for St Johns County on the Republican Party of Florida. He is currently serving as Treasurer of the Greater St Augustine Republican Club.
Linda Thomson, Ed.D. – Past Commissioner
Commissioner Seat Group 1
Dr. Thomson is a native Floridian who married a U.S. Coast Guard Officer and lived on every U.S. Coast before returning to Florida in 2005 to become the principal of Nease High School and later the Director of Curriculum K-12 for St. Johns County. After a 41-year career in education, she now volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the St. Augustine Yacht Club, the Ancient City Gamefish Association, Friends of GTMNERR, Anastasia Baptist Church Quilting Ministry, and is a Guardian ad Litem for children who are wards of the state. In the past year, she served as Membership Chair for the St Johns County Republican Executive Committee and was just elected to the governing Board as Secretary. Linda was elected to the Port, Waterway & Beaches Commission in November 2022.
