Noelle Mercer
Welcome

Annie Brett
Introduction of keynote speaker

Chris Castro, Keynote address–Stay the course: progress in energy, finance, and innovation
Chris Castro is the Founding Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Climate First Bank. With a distinguished career in sustainability and clean energy, Chris has made significant contributions to environmental and climate initiatives across Florida and the U.S. Prior to joining Climate First Bank, Chris served as a presidential appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff for State and Community Energy Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he helped manage a $16 billion portfolio of grants and technical assistance programs to catalyze climate and clean energy projects nationwide. Chris’s career also includes nearly a decade of service at the City of Orlando, Florida, where he held various roles, including Senior Advisor to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Director of Sustainability & Resilience. During this time, Chris developed comprehensive policies and programs that advanced the City’s sustainability and climate action goals through the Green Works Orlando initiative. In addition to his public service, Chris is known for his eco-entrepreneurial efforts. He co-founded IDEAS For Us, a global UN-accredited nonprofit advancing community-led sustainability projects, and started Citizen Energy, a clean-energy consulting firm specializing in commercial and multifamily buildings. Chris also co-created Fleet Farming, an urban farming social enterprise program transforming lawns, schoolyards, and underutilized land into edible landscapes throughout Central Florida.

Katherine Pearson
Welcome

Dean Merritt McAlister
Opening remarks

Steve Robitaille, Florida Defenders of the Environment
Presentation of memorial gift honoring Joe Little

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the recent vacatur of Florida’s 404 program and ever-changing definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. This panel will explore the legal and practical challenges stemming from the vacatur of Florida’s program and the United States Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision. As Florida faces unprecedented shifts in regulatory frameworks, this session will provide essential insights.

Speakers—

Katherine Hupp, Attorney – LLW

Katherine Hupp is an attorney at Lewis, Longman & Walker P.A. in West Palm Beach, specializing in environmental, natural resources, and Native American law.  Katherine draws on her knowledge of state and federal wetlands permitting and listed species issues to advise clients navigating complex regulatory frameworks. Before joining Lewis, Longman & Walker, Katherine worked as Assistant General Counsel at the St. Johns River Water Management District, where she provided legal support for the District’s Environmental Resource Permitting and Consumptive Use Permitting regulatory programs. Katherine is a member of the Executive Council for the Florida Bar’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section and co-chairs the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy and Resources’ Oceans and Coasts Committee. She has also co-authored numerous articles on the evolving Section 404 program in Florida. Katherine graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University College of Law, where she earned a certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law with high honors. 

Victoria Bruce
Victoria K. Bruce, a graduate of the University of Central Florida in 2005, serves as the CEO of The Mitigation Banking Group, Inc. With over 18 years of experience in sales and marketing within Florida’s mitigation banking credit sector, Victoria has established herself as a leading expert in the wetland mitigation and habitat conservation banking industries. Victoria is deeply committed to collaborating with mitigation bankers, environmental consultants, and landowners to facilitate the mitigation process. 

Susan Stephens
Susan L. Stephens, a Shareholder at Stearns Weaver Miller and a 1993 graduate of Florida State University College of Law with Highest Honors, has over 30 years of experience in environmental and natural resource law, as well as administrative law. Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice, she represents clients before various environmental agencies, assisting with permitting, compliance, and enforcement issues related to activities such as resource extraction, wetlands and mitigation banks, agritourism, and listed wildlife. Susan has been instrumental in developing major regulatory initiatives, including Florida’s State 404 Permit Program.  She is the lead author of the Second Edition of the American Bar Association publication, Wetlands Law and Policy: Understanding Section 404 (2024), a comprehensive guide to the Clean Water Act’s Section 404 permitting program that covers the scientific, social, and legal implications of Section 404.

Join us for an informative and interesting discussion centered around threats to coastal ecosystems and solutions to ensure preservation. Dune restoration projects have become common in Florida and other coastal states. These projects are costly and the long-term viability is uncertain, especially when considering the impact of sea-level rise and the prevalence of hurricanes. This panel will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of dune restoration projects and alternatives that promote coastal resilience, as well as legal challenges to implementing new solutions.

Speakers—

Erin Deady
Erin Deady is the President of the law firm Erin L. Deady, P.A., a full service legal and consulting firm. Ms. Deady graduated from the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law in 2000. Ms. Deady is a licensed attorney in Florida, a certified land planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners (“AICP”) and a LEED AP.  Ms. Deady’s practice is primarily focused on public sector government representation but also includes numerous private sector and agricultural clients. Ms. Deady’s practice includes environmental restoration initiatives, water, energy, climate, local government, administrative law and land use issues.

Katie Bauman
Katie Bauman is the Florida Policy Manager at Surfrider Foundation. She works at the intersections of policy, law, and public engagement to protect and support our ocean, coasts, and communities. Before joining Surfrider in 2024, Katie worked as a staff attorney for the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. She focused on a range of environmental issues related to energy, agriculture, and natural resources. Katie attended law school at Florida State University College of Law and completed the Environmental Law program. She is licensed in Florida and Georgia. Prior to law school, Katie worked in policy programming at the Aspen Institute and in communications at Oceana in Washington, D.C. She received her undergraduate degree in anthropology from Princeton University.

Ansley Wren-Key
Ansley Wren-Key is the Coastal Engineering Administrator for Flagler County. Since starting with the County in 2022, she has helped to implement over 15 miles of dune and beach restoration along the County’s coastline. She has also been instrumental in the development of a sustainable Beach Management Program for restoring the County’s beaches, which have seen accelerated erosion rates over the last decade. Prior to joining the County, she worked as an Assistant Professor in the Marine Science Department at Coastal Carolina University where she taught classes on Coastal Processes and developed a research program investigating the impacts of beach nourishment on nearshore habitats. She received her Doctorate degree from North Carolina State University, and her B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of South Carolina.

In 2016, the state of Florida adopted a law requiring the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules protecting Outstanding Florida Springs. This panel will discuss the Legislatures intent in adopting this law and where the rulemaking process stands now, eight years after it began.

Speakers—

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart is the executive director of the Florida Springs Council and is the former president of 1000 Friends of Florida and director of the Florida Conservation Coalition. Smart holds a masters degree in water policy and public administration from the University of Florida.

David Simmons
David Simmons earned a degree in mathematics from Tennessee Technological University in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1977. Simmons served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2020. Simmons is a partner in DSK Law.

Jake Varn
Jake Varn earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1971. Varn has worked on water issues in Florida for more than five decades including serving as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation and in many roles with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Varn participated in drafting the Model Water Code, which is the basis for the Florida Water Resources Act of 1972.

Explore the tension between using state parks for conservation and passive recreation and more intensive uses. Last year, this dynamic played out in the state’s proposed Great Outdoors Initiative to develop active recreation uses like golf and intensive tourism uses like hotels in state parks. Environmental organizations, state legislators, and citizens opposed the initiative, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection withdrew it before holding a series of meetings throughout the state that would have enabled the initiative.

Speakers—

Jennifer Bradley
Jennifer Bradley is a Republican member of the Florida State Senate, representing the 7 counties of District 6. She serves as Chair of the Senate Regulated Industries Committee and Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education. She also serves on the following committees: Appropriations Committee on Pre-K – 12 Education; Criminal Justice; Ethics and Elections; Fiscal Policy and Rules. Senator Bradley is Alternating Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight. Senator Bradley received her B.A. in Criminology from the University of Florida, and her J.D. from Florida State University. She is an attorney and business manager for the law office of Bradley, Garrison & Komando, P.A. and former attorney for the judges of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Jennifer is the previous owner of Hibernia Property Management, Inc. a commercial rental company in Orange Park. Bradley is a Founding Board Chair for the Pace Center for Girls Clay in addition to serving as a member of the Federated Republican Women of Clay County. Jennifer is married to former Senator Rob Bradley. They have three children, Connor, Stephanie and Caroline.

Eric Draper
Eric Draper advises agencies, non-profits, and businesses on environmental policy and finance. He serves on the boards of Conservation Florida and the Florida Bicycle Association. He served as director of the Florida Park Service. During his tenure Florida State Parks increased acreage, visitor revenue, and environmental education programs and won an unprecedented fourth gold medal as America’s best state park system. Previously he was executive director of Audubon Florida, Senior Vice President for Policy with the National Audubon Society, and Florida policy director for The Nature Conservancy. During his 40-year conservation career he was a leading advocate for land preservation, water resource protection, and Everglades restoration. Eric is from Tampa and studied philosophy at the University of South Florida. 

Self-preservation is the first law of nature, and it is the instinct of every living thing to protect and preserve itself. Survival depends on it. This concept applies equally to Florida counties. Through its Conservation 20/20 program, Lee County has acquired over 31,000 acres of land that has been dedicated to conservation efforts. These lands include environmentally sensitive areas that provide hydrological benefits, critical wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreational opportunities for the public. Through the Conservation 20/20 Program, Lee County is investing in its future by improving water quality, helping with floodwater management, and preserving Florida’s unique environmental and cultural resources for future generations.

In conjunction with the conference theme, “Protect Today, Preserve Tomorrow,” this session provides an overview of Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 Program, including a discussion of how properties are acquired, how those properties are mitigated and maintained, and how these efforts contribute to water quality, flood management, and habitat restoration. The format of the session will be an informational panel discussion, followed by an audience-engaged discussion.

Speakers—

Amanda L. Swindle
Amanda L. Swindle serves as Senior Assistant County Attorney for Lee County, Florida, and is Board-Certified in City, County, and Local Government Law by the Florida Bar.  She graduated magna cum laude from The Florida State University College of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief for the FSU Law Review.  Amanda earned her LL.M. in Taxation from The University of Florida Levin College of Law Graduate Tax Program, where she was a Graduate Student Editor for the Florida Tax Review.  Her practice areas include land use, public utilities, and conservation land acquisition for Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program.

Robert Clemens
Robert Clemens serves as the director of Lee County’s Department of County Lands (Lee County’s Real Estate Department) and has been with the department for more than 35 years. Prior to working for Lee County, he worked for the Florida Department of Transportation acquiring land for road right of way for the I- 75/Alligator Alley. His work experience includes acquisition of conservation lands, park lands, infrastructure right of way and its associated litigation support, commercial and residential properties.  Robert received a Bachelor of Science Business Administration degree from the University of Central Florida.  He is a licensed State of Florida Certified General Real Estate Appraiser and a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker. He has been a member of the International Right of Way Association since 1989 and has earned the designation of Senior Member of the International Right of Way Association (SR/WA).  Robert and his staff review and recommend all potential land purchases for Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program.

Lisa Kreiger
Lisa Kreiger serves as an Operations Manager for the Lee County Department of Natural Resources. She has worked on a broad range of environmental issues for the Florida Department of Transportation, the South Florida Water Management District, and Florida Power and Light. She earned a Graduate Certificate in Ecological Restoration and a M.S. in Natural Resource Policy and Administration from the University of Florida. She also holds Certified Public Manager and Project Management Professional credentials.

Emily Gear
Emily Gear serves as Natural Areas Senior Planner for the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the Environmental Restoration and Exotic Maintenance budget, reviewing conservation land nominations, and serving as an environmental liaison between the Parks department and other county departments. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida (2017) and a Master’s of the Environment with a specialization in Sustainability Planning and Management from the University of Colorado Boulder (2019). Emily is a co-author of the Resiliency Framework for Jefferson County Open Space, a project designed to help the department refine its management strategies for both current and future open space areas

An engaging panel of “boots on the ground” environmental attorneys will share outside-the-box, cost-effective legal strategies and recent wins in the state of Florida’s ever evolving legal landscape. Environmental attorneys must evolve their strategies in challenging unsustainable and incompatible development and growth policies, especially in light of chilling fee-shifting provisions that have now in Florida Statutes. Each of the presenters will share their own personal stories of challenges, losses, and wins, to educate and equip advocates and practicing environmental and land use attorneys with the knowledge and tools to continue the fight for land stewardship focusing on thoughtful development that allows for preservation and conservation of natural resources and open space.

Speakers—

Heidi Mehaffey, Esq.
Heidi Mehaffey is licensed to practice law in Florida, Colorado, and North Carolina, as well as the Southern and Middle United States Districts of Florida. During law school, Heidi was an active member of the Environmental and Land Use Law Society, as well as the Executive Justice for Academics on the Moot Court Honor Society. She competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition in New York in 2013 and 2014, where she collaborated on brief writing and oral arguments that focused on complex Clean Water Act issues and received an honorable mention for her oral advocacy skills. Heidi focuses on regulatory compliance with state and federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Clean Water Act. Heidi represents a plethora of non-profit clients and concerned citizens to advocate for the preservation of agricultural, rural, and environmentally sensitive areas.

Shai Ozery, Esq.
Through law school, Mr. Ozery worked as a litigation clerk at one of the largest personal injury firms in South Florida, where he developed advocacy skills and began participating in the civil litigation process. Mr. Ozery began his legal career managing a high-volume caseload and fervidly advocating for the rights of the injured from inception to trial. Additionally, Mr. Ozery’s practice focuses around civil and business litigation as well as contracts, local government, and administrative law. Having done so successfully, he has now transitioned his legal advocacy skills to include his passion for environmental protection and land use matters. Mr. Ozery’s love for the outdoors and deep experiences traveling and backpacking across North America serves as the foundation for his commitment to ensuring the welfare of our ecosystems and wild places for future generations to come.

Ralf Brookes, Esq.
Ralf Brookes specializes in local government law, land use and environmental law, representing local governments, public and private sector clients, public interest groups and not-for-profit organizations. Brookes currently serves as City Attorney to City of Naples, providing legal advice to City Council, CRA and advisory Boards, Planning Advisory Board, Design Review Board, East Naples Bay Citizens Advisory Board, Community Redevelopment Agency and Citizens Advisory Board, staff reviews for Planning and Zoning, Contracts, Code Enforcement, City Clerk, Land Use and Environmental Issues. Brookes is also a Florida Court Appointed Arbitrator, Florida Supreme Court Approved Mediator, and Special Magistrate/Master, Fla. Stat. 70.51 Land Use & Dispute Resolution Act.

While conservation may be grounded in the law, in many respects it begins with a narrative. It starts with the concept that something is worth protecting because of its value—whether that is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Since these values are dictated by the broader society, our narratives and what proves to be important shifts and changes over time. This panel seeks to understand the foundations of conservation in Florida by exploring past and present narratives surrounding conservation. We explore how different ways of viewing the natural world enacted a range of policies and how have these policies have been expanded upon or retracted in recent years. We will end by envisioning how future narratives may impact conservation efforts to come.

Speakers—

Dr. Victoria Machado
Dr. Victoria Machado is a visiting assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Rollins College where she teaches Nature Spirituality and Environmental Action & Florida’s Sacred Waters. She holds a PhD in religious studies with a dual specialization in Religion in the Americas and Religion & Nature from the University of Florida. Drawing from her connections as a former environmental organizer, Victoria’s research focuses on the environmental humanities and the spiritual dimensions of Florida’s environmentalists, especially surrounding the subject of water. Apart from the classroom, Victoria is part of the Florida Humanities Speakers Bureau and gives talks on Florida’s Sacred Waters.

Prof. Jack Davis
Jack E. Davis is a distinguished professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities specializing in environmental history and sustainability studies. He is the author or editor of ten books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea (Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2017). His latest book, The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America’s Bird (Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2022), was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, described as a “rollicking, poetic, wise new book,” and a LA Times top-five nonfiction book for 2022.  Before joining the UF faculty, he taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Eckerd College, and in 2002 he was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Jordan in Amman. Upon arriving at UF in 2003, he founded the department’s student journal, Alpata: A Journal of History. His Race Against Time: Culture and Separation in Natchez Since 1930 won the Charles S. Sydnor Prize for the best book in southern history published in 2001. His next book, An Everglades Providence: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the American Environmental Century (2009), received a gold medal from the Florida Book Awards. In 2011 and 2014, he was a fellow respectively at Escape to Create and the MacDowell Colony, where he worked on The Gulf. The New York Times Book Review called The Gulf a “beautiful homage to a neglected sea.” The Gulf was a New York Times Notable Book for 2017 and made several other “best of” lists for the year, including those of the Washington Post, NPR, Forbes, and the Tampa Bay Times. In addition to winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for History, The Gulf received the Kirkus Prize for nonfiction. In April 2019, Davis was the recipient of an Andrew Carnegie Corporation fellowship, which helped support the writing of The Bald Eagle. He is currently working on a book employing the working title, “The American Coast: History and Prophecy at Land’s End.” In 2024, he was named author of the year by the Florida House on Capitol Hill.

Prof. Anna Peterson
Anna Peterson is a professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida. She received her PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School and her AB from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research focuses on religion and social change, especially in Latin America; environmental and social ethics; and animal studies. She has published a number of articles, chapters, and book in these areas. Her current research analyzes the role of religion in movements for social change. She is also involved in several collaborative research projects exploring the ethical challenges presented by climate change.

Environmental law and policy is shaped by the political leadership charged with implementing it. With the onset of a second Trump Administration, this panel of speakers will set the stage for a discussion about the next four years of environmental conservation work in Florida. Panelists will present a representative sample of environmental policy actions taken by the Trump Administration between 2017–2020, will present a history of President Trump’s judicial appointments and review notable decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States that have indelibly altered the environmental and administrative law landscape, and will forecast the Trump Administration’s playbook for the coming term, analyzing proposals from Project 2025, campaign promises, and administrative appointments. An open discussion will follow the panel presentations. First of two panels proposed by Florida Defenders of the Environment on environmental conservation under federal political environment.

Moderator—

Steve Robitaille
Steve Robitaille earned his PhD in English at the University of Florida and is President of the Florida Defenders of the Environment. He wrote and produced FDE’s 2024 Emmy Award winning film, Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told. Dr. Robitaille taught English and Media Studies at Santa Fe College and has won multiple Emmys during his 40 years as a documentary film producer.

Speakers—

Elise Bennett, Esq.
Elise Bennett (she/her) is the Florida & Caribbean director and a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. In this role, she uses science, law, and creative media to advocate for endangered species and the lands, water, and climate they need to survive. Born and raised in Florida, she holds a law degree and a certificate of concentration in environmental law from Stetson University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of South Florida’s Honors College. Before working at the Center, Elise clerked for circuit judges in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County and worked pro bono to help advance a UNESCO World Heritage nomination for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Jaclyn Lopez, Esq.
Professor Jaclyn Lopez established and directs the Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson’s College of Law. She also teaches courses like professional responsibility, advanced legal research and writing, environmental practice, and topics in biodiversity. She comes to Stetson Law from the Center for Biological Diversity, where she served as the environmental nonprofit’s Florida Director and senior attorney for over a decade. She holds a master of laws in environmental and land-use law from the University of Florida, a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Arizona. She writes and lectures on access to courts and decision makers, corporate interference in democracy, climate change, water and air quality, environmental injustice, and the extinction crisis.

Alisa Coe, Esq.
Alisa Coe is the Deputy Managing Attorney for the Florida regional office of Earthjustice, located in Tallahassee, FL. She received her law degree with honors from Tulane University Law School and earned a Master of Studies in Environmental Law with highest honors from Vermont Law School. She began her legal practice in New Orleans, uncovering air pollution violations at oil refineries and founding a general litigation firm. For the past 20 years she has been a litigator with Earthjustice working on everything from tort cases to clean energy. Her work, however, has had a special focus on protecting Florida’s waters and the Everglades.

Waterkeepers Florida is a regional entity composed of all 15 Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our water resources across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians. Part scientist, teacher, and legal advocate, Waterkeepers combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities and to the rule of law. Whether on the water, in a classroom, or in a courtroom, Waterkeepers speak for the waters they defend – with the backing of their local community and the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance. Join Waterkeepers from across the state for a discussion of current and future projects to protect our state’s waterways. 

Moderator—

Jen Lomberk, Esq.
Jen Lomberk is your Matanzas Riverkeeper. As a native Floridian, Lomberk has a lifelong personal connection with Florida’s natural areas and has dedicated her career to protecting them. Lomberk holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law with a certificate in Environmental & Land Use Law and Policy.  Lomberk took the helm as the Matanzas Riverkeeper in December of 2017 and currently serves as the Chair of Waterkeepers Florida.

Speakers—

Dr. John Capece
Dr. John Capece serves as the Kissimmee Waterkeeper. In the 1990s John was a UF faculty member at the IFAS Immokalee Research Station responsible for water quality programs in southwest Florida. His primary IFAS Extension program was building and supporting the Calusa Waterkeeper organization. As a UF graduate student in the 80s and 90s, he led the graduate assistants union and established the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. He also established the national graduate student honor society which he continues to manage. Its core service project is Campus Climate Corps, which works to educate and mobilize students on climate issues.

John S Quarterman
John S. Quarterman has served as the Suwannee Riverkeeper since December 2016, advocating for clean water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin, half in Georgia, half in Florida, from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gufl of Mexico. He spends a lot of time dealing with mining (phosphate and titanium dioxide), sewage (from Valdosta and Quitman, GA, into Florida), as well as BMAPs, BMPs, and levels and flows. He would like us all to do something to level the playing field so we’re not always reacting to bad bills and permits. Namely, Right to Clean Water, floridarighttocleanwater.org.

Lisa Rinaman
Lisa Rinaman is the chief advocate for the St. Johns River. She utilizes 20 years of policy experience to hold those harming the river accountable and to champion solutions to protect and restore the river, its tributaries, and its springs. She works with government entities, businesses, community leaders and citizens to resolve problems that impact the river’s health; and communicating with the media and the public to educate and raise awareness about important river-related issues. She enjoys Florida’s waters and natural wonders with her husband, Mark, and their boys, Mark Jr. and August.

Samantha Wassmer
Samantha Wassmer (she/her) is Suncoast Waterkeeper’s Marketing and Communications Specialist. Sam is a proud second-generation Filipino-American and Florida native. She grew up in St. Petersburg, FL and is thrilled to be working to protect the Suncoast waters she grew up in. Sam has a BA from Stanford University in California and an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She believes policies and culture should work hand and hand to create change. Design influences us and we learn a lot from culture and art. With Suncoast Waterkeeper, Sam applies her skills as a designer and communicator to foster community engagement and advocate for our precious ecosystem.

Considering possible adverse environmental policies from the new Trump administration, this panel will consider possible alternative strategies to continue to protect environmental and natural resources: common law remedies, land conservation efforts at the state and local level, and environmental rights amendments. Second of two panels proposed by Florida Defenders of the Environment on environmental conservation under federal political environment.

Moderator—

Steve Robitaille
Steve Robitaille earned his PhD in English at the University of Florida and is President of the Florida Defenders of the Environment. He wrote and produced FDE’s 2024 Emmy Award winning film, Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told. Dr. Robitaille taught English and Media Studies at Santa Fe College and has won multiple Emmys during his 40 years as a documentary film producer.

Speakers—

James Parker-Flynn, Esq.
James Parker-Flynn is the Director of the Center for  Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law at the Florida State University College of Law, where he teaches Land Use, Energy Law, Environmental Justice, and Oil &  Gas Law. Before joining the FSU Law faculty, Parker-Flynn was an attorney at  Carlton Fields, where he specialized in appellate practice, land use litigation, and  environmental law, assisting clients with various regulatory and litigation issues.  He has published several articles on climate law and policy and frequently speaks  about climate-related issues at seminars and other CLE events. 

Melissa Martin
Melissa (“Mel”) Martin is a Florida native, graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and a Florida attorney. Since retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Staff Judge Advocate in 2014, Mel has dedicated her time and experience volunteering for (and often leading) various causes aimed at good governance, clean water, and environmental conservation. She has been an adjunct law professor at her alma mater, Barry University School of Law, teaching Water Pollution Law and Environmental Ethics and served on various advisory committees and other government and nonprofit boards. Mel provides outside counsel work pro bono and is currently volunteering as lead drafter and campaign coordinator for two statewide ballot initiatives in Florida and Oregon—for the right to clean and healthy waters and the right to a healthy environment, respectively.

Judith Koons
Judith Koons, an attorney and retired law professor, is a graduate of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (Class of 1975) and Harvard Divinity School. During her tenure at Barry University, she coordinated the Honors Certificate Program in Environmental and Earth Law and served as a faculty advisor for the Center for Earth Jurisprudence, promoting an earth-centered approach to law and governance. Professor Koons has published extensively and spoken nationally and internationally on Feminist Jurisprudence and Earth Jurisprudence, exploring innovative perspectives in law and governance.

Bastions of biodiversity and globally critically imperiled, Miami’s remaining fragments of pine rockland forests are home to dozens of endangered and endemic species, from the tiny, iridescent Miami tiger beetle to the high-flying Florida bonneted bat. They also hold great community value, mitigating urban heat, buffering storm-force winds, absorbing heavy rains, and offering places for rest, recreation, and education. Yet these immensely valuable landscapes are under imminent threat from urban development, invasive species, climate change, and more. So a coalition of residents, scientists, advocates, and regulators are working overtime to defend these little green jewels of Miami—and to protect them forever.

Speakers—

Theresa Pinto, Esq., MS
Theresa is a faculty lecturer in the Ecosystem Science and Policy program and the Director of Civic Engagement for the Abess Center. She is a trained evolutionary geneticist and a practicing attorney. Her current research focuses on socio-ecology and resilience at the intersection of the built and natural environments. Her legal practice and scholarship are in the areas of environmental justice, administrative law, and community lawyering. 

Elise Bennett, Esq.
Elise Bennett (she/her) is the Florida & Caribbean director and a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. In this role, she uses science, law, and creative media to advocate for endangered species and the lands, water, and climate they need to survive. Born and raised in Florida, she holds a law degree and a certificate of concentration in environmental law from Stetson University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of South Florida’s Honors College. Before working at the Center, Elise clerked for circuit judges in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County and worked pro bono to help advance a UNESCO World Heritage nomination for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Lauren Jonaitis
Lauren Jonaitis joined Tropical Audubon Society in 2022 as Senior Conservation Director, and has been called on to focus her environmental expertise on expanding and amplifying the organization’s role and reach across South Florida. Her background includes science communication, environmental permitting/policy, land use planning and coastal ecology. Previously, Lauren worked to reduce artificial light pollution impacts to sea turtles and their nesting habitat while employed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in the Imperiled Species Management Section. She then moved to the private sector where she was an Environmental/Coastal Scientist, focusing on environmental permitting and dune restoration/maintenance efforts. Lauren currently serves as the Vice President of Policy of the Society of Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA), where she leverages the research and scientific expertise of the Society’s members to ensure that critical knowledge relating to the conservation of biological diversity is used by decision makers when shaping policies that affect the planet’s biodiversity. She also serves as the Communications Chair of SCBNA, where she focuses on broadening outreach to underrepresented groups in conservation, and actively works to engage groups that have been historically marginalized. She also serves as a Board Member for the Everglades Coalition, an alliance of nearly sixty local, state, and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Furthermore, she is a Steering Committee Member of the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition, a coalition of volunteers working collaboratively with government agencies, academic institutions, businesses, nonprofits and individuals dedicated to advocating solutions for a healthy and resilient Biscayne Bay watershed. Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the State University of New York at Oswego and an M.S. in Biology with a focus in Conservation Biology and Population Ecology from Bowling Green State University.

Zachariah Cosner
Zachariah Cosner is an environmental activist from Miami, Florida. Zac received a triple major in biology, environmental science and policy, and history from the University of Miami and has worked in the environmental policy advocacy and administration field for 7 years. He is currently attending law school at the University of Florida Levin School of Law. 

The 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor Act is one of the most exciting land acquisition and preservation projects undertaken in the state of Florida, designed to preserve and protect the biodiversity and landscape connectivity necessary to sustain key plant and animal species and associated key ecosystem services that benefit both people and wildlife. Primarily a land acquisition law, enabling legislative appropriations to acquire land and interests in land as guided a wealth of existing information about key habitats and movement corridors, the Act provides an unprecedented focus on protecting the interrelated habitats and connections necessary to ensure the capability of wildlife populations to sustain themselves as well as myriad ecosystem services to Florida residents and visitors. This panel of experts will describe the science underlying the targeted lands, how the 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor law works, the details of the implementation of the land acquisition focus of the law, and how the Act and its underlying science can complement and be supportive of existing land use and environmental policies and laws.

Speakers—

Jason Totoiu
Jason works in the Center’s Florida and Caribbean region protecting endangered species, public lands, and water quality. He grew up along Florida’s Treasure Coast; he earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory and his law degree from Tulane. Before joining the Center he was executive director of the Everglades Law Center, where he worked to advance the restoration of America’s Everglades. He is a past co-chair of the Everglades Coalition.

David Smolker
Mr. Smolker graduated from New College of Florida (B.A. Environmental Studies/Photography) (1977) and the University of Florida College of Law (J.D.) (1982). Mr. Smolker is a land use, environmental and property rights lawyer. His practice encompasses local, state and federal administrative, civil trial and appellate practice in the areas of land use and zoning, comprehensive planning, environmental permitting, administrative law, including rulemaking and rule challenges, water, wetlands and wildlife law, coastal and sovereignty submerged land rights, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, regulatory takings, Bert Harris and Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution claims, exactions and other property rights issues. He is also experienced in real estate and land development law. Mr. Smolker’s clients include private landowners, local and national developers and government agencies.

Sarah Gledhill
Sarah Gledhill, a 2003 graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning, is the President and CEO of the Florida Wildlife Federation. She has over 20 years of experience leading advocacy campaigns at local, state, and national levels and is also an American Planning Association-certified land use planner. In her role, Sarah is dedicated to conserving Florida’s wildlife, habitats, and natural resources through education, advocacy, and science-based stewardship.

This session highlights a collaborative approach between the University, County, and State agencies to ensure that landscaping practices in residential developments (HOAs) are protective of Florida’s water resources and associated conservation lands. Implementation of Alachua County’s Homeowner Association Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ code, which mirrors Florida Statute section 373.185, will be discussed. We use a special magistrate hearing as an example to illustrate how HOAs can impact enforcement of the statute.

Speakers—

Cynthia Nazario-Leary, Ph.D., Environmental Horticulture Agent
Dr. Cynthia Nazario-Leary is the UF/IFAS, Environmental Horticulture Extension Agent for Alachua County. She received her B.S. in Landscape Contracting from The Pennsylvania State University; an M.S. in Horticulture and Ph.D. in Natural Resources & Environmental Management from the University of Hawaiʻi. Dr. Nazario-Leary began working in Extension as an urban horticulture agent for the University of Hawaiʻi in Maui County. After 20 years in Hawaiʻi, she moved with her family to Gainesville, FL in 2019. In her current UF/IFAS extension position, she coordinates the Master Gardener Volunteer program, implements Florida Friendly Landscaping™ programs, and supports community and school gardening initiatives. Dr. Nazario-Leary aims to combine her extension experience with her passion for communicating science-based information to engage the community and affect positive change.

Eliana Bardi, Senior Planner, Environmental Protection Department Alachua County
Eliana Bardi is a Senior Planner with over 20 years’ experience researching and implementing programs to protect natural resources. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from UF. Eliana implements regulatory and outreach water conservation programs for Alachua County.

Hollie Greer, Senior Environmental Specialist, Environmental Protection Department Alachua County
Hollie Greer is a Senior Environmental Specialist with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology, specializing in human dimensions of conservation, and a B.S. in Psychology, both from the University of Florida. Currently she is pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Central Florida. Hollie has worked in the environmental field in Alachua County for nearly 20 years. In her current role, Hollie implements the HOA Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and Irrigation Design Standards codes and promotes water conservation through education initiatives and grant funded rebate programs. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to educating the public and industry professionals about the importance of water conservation and pollution prevention, and the benefits of native and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in achieving these goals.

Claire Lewis, Program Director of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™
Claire Lewis serves as the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ State Specialized Extension Agent and the Director of the FFL program and has been with the program since 2011. Before joining the FFL team, Claire earned a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Florida and spent 12 years working for private landscape architecture firms in Gainesville. Her design projects included large-scale commercial, institutional, and residential home sites. In her current role, Claire is responsible for leading the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Program. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program, a partnership between UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, teaches science-based management practices to homeowners and landscaping professionals. These practices save water, reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, and save money by preventing surface and groundwater contamination. A native Floridian, Claire, enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two children.

Join an interactive audience engagement presentation that gamifies the Transfer of Development Rights process. The Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is a novel process utilized by local governments to encourage development away from sensitive environmental lands and towards less sensitive and better suited lands. Landowners in ecologically sensitive sending lands sever their land’s development rights to produce TDR credits that are sold to developers who redeem them for higher density in less sensitive and better suited receiving lands.

Speakers—

Derek D. Perry, Esq.
Derek D. Perry, Esq. is an Assistant County Attorney with Collier County, Florida.  He recently published Vacations for Sale: The Case for Policy Change in Vacating Rights of Way and Other Public Easements in Florida in Issue 4, Volume 53, of the Stetson Law Review. 

Zachary W. Lombardo, Esq.
Zachary W. Lombardo, Esq. is a local government, land use, and business attorney at Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A. in Naples, Florida. He is a Board Certified Specialist in City, County & Local Government Law by The Florida Bar and is the City Attorney for Everglades City.

Bob Mulhere
Robert J. “Bob” Mulhere is the Director of Planning for Hole Montes, Inc. a full services consulting firm with offices located in both Naples and Fort Myers and providing services to public and private sector clients throughout the State of Florida. Mr. Mulhere has more than 25 years of professional planning experience. Prior to working at Hole Montes, Mr. Mulhere operated his own consulting firm. Between 1989 and 2001, Bob was employed by Collier County Government and was the Director of Planning from 2007 through 2001. Mr. Mulhere holds a B.A. in Political Science from St. Michael’s College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2010 Bob was named a “Fellow” of the American Institute of Certified Planners, an honor bestowed on fewer than one percent of certified planners.