2015 southwest florida sea level rise summit

2015 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SEA LEVEL RISE SUMMIT

Hosted by: Florida Coastal & Ocean Coalition / League of Women Voters of Lee County

FGCU Student Union Ballroom at the Cohen Center

Thursday, May 7th, 2015 - 8:00am to 5:00pm

MEDIA SPONSOR: NAPLES DAILY NEWS

The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition and the League of Women Voters of Lee County welcome you to the 2015 Southwest Florida Sea Level Rise Summit. This event was made possible by our host, Florida Gulf Coast University, tremendous support from our media sponsor, the Naples Daily News and generous funding from the corporate sponsors recognized below. The Summit planning and assistance was graciously provided by Mr. Wayne Smith of the Smith Foundation, Mr. John Scott, Clean Water Initiative of Florida and Ms. Susan Glickman, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. While the debate on climate change continues to unfold, there is no denying that our economy and environment are vulnerable to sea level rise. Responding to the impacts of sea level rise can only be achieved with a greater understanding and resolve to responsibly address the problem. To that end, a distinguished group of speakers will be offering presentations on sea level rise modeling, legal and planning challenges to adapting to sea level rise and proactive solutions to address rising tides. Thanks to extraordinary vision and leadership, Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties have already developed a southeast regional compact that incorporates resiliency action goals and objectives in county and city comprehensive land use plans in preparation for anticipated sea level rise of approximately 24 inches by 2060. Punta Gorda is also to be recognized for taking the initiative through the implementation of their Adaptation Plan. The rest of the west coast needs to catch up. Given the seriousness of sea level rise to our real estate and tourism based economy, increased liability to the insurance and banking industries and severe impact to public water supplies and coastal resources, the takeaway from this Summit should be to pro-actively educate our elected officials to implement appropriate mitigation and adaptation initiatives to preserve long term economic prosperity and a sustainable environment.

We wish you a most informative and enjoyable Summit! Thank you so much for your support!

Ray Judah Coordinator

Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition

Clara Anne Graham President

League of Women Voters of Lee County

2015 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SEA LEVEL RISE SUMMIT

2015 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SEA LEVEL RISE SUMMIT HOSTED BY: FLORIDA COASTAL & OCEAN COALITION AND

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LEE COUNTY

8:00 am - 9:00 am Networking / View Exhibits / Continental Breakfast 9:00 am - 9:30 am Opening Remarks and Welcome Ray Judah - Coordinator - Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition

Former Lee County Commissioner (1988-2012) Ray Judah co-founded the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Land Trust, led the effort to establish the Conservation 2020 program and took a leadership role in protecting the Caloosahatchee and coastal estuaries by advocating for a historic southern flow-way to the Everglades and responsible management of Lake Okeechobee. He championed the Lee County Solid Waste Management Program including the Waste-To-Energy Facility that provides electrical

power to over 40,000 homes and Recycling Program that exceeds the State minimum requirement of 30% waste volume reduction. He graduated from California State University of Humboldt with a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology. Dr. Ron Toll - Provost - Academic Affairs of Florida Gulf Coast University

Dr. Toll has had prior experience in south Florida, having received his doctoral degree in Biological Oceanography from the University of Miami. Professionally, Dr. Toll has published over 35 peer reviewed papers and monograph contributions in the area of marine invertebrates. His work has taken him from coastal studies on the barrier islands of Georgia to his participation as Associate Director of Adjunct Sciences for the S.S. Central America Project. That expedition led to the successful recovery of nearly $300 million of gold coins and bars from a depth of 8000 feet. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in

Biology from Union College in Cranford New Jersey and a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from Rutgers University. Dr. Darren Rumbold - Director - Florida Gulf Coast University Vester Marine Field Station

A Florida native, he earned his Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami in 1996. As part of his Ph.D. research he documented brevetoxin, the natural toxin from the red tide dinoflagellate, Karina brevis, concentrating at the sea surface microlayer under non-bloom conditions. He was awarded a U.S. EPA Environmental Science & Engineering Fellowship at the National Center for Environmental Assessment in Washington, D.C. in 1997. From 1998-2006, he served as Senior and Lead-Environmental Scientist with SFWMD. His current

research focus is on eco-toxicology and risk assessment. Clara Anne Graham – President – League Of Women Voters of Lee County

Climate Change Task Force member, League of Women Voters of the United States (8 member committee). Appointed Member of the Lee County Community Sustainability Advisory Committee. Former Statewide Climate Change Chair, League of Women Voters of Florida. Member, US Army Corp of Engineers’ Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Study. Member, Governor’s Commission on a Sustainable South Florida Southwest Florida Issues Group.



Presenting the Award for Vision and Leadership in Adaptation Planning to the City of Punta Gorda - Charles Dauray - Chairman/CEO - College Of Life Foundation Appointed in February 2000 as Chairman and CEO of the College of Life Foundation which is dedicated to the preservation of Southwest Florida History. Charles also served on the SFWMD governing board from 2007-2011. Founder and board member of the Southwest Florida Holocaust Museum and Education Center, six term Chair of the Collier County Historical Society and Charter Founder of the Southwest Florida Archeological Society.

9:30 am - 10:00 am "The Coming Reality of Sea Level Rise: Too Fast Too Soon" Dr. Harold Wanless – Professor and Chair - Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Miami

Studied sea level rise for over 30 years. An expert on the impact of sea level rise on coastal environments, including hurricane effects, he was one of Florida’s five top scientists to brief Governor Scott last summer on the impact of climate change. He was recently quoted in National Geographic’s article “Treading Water” which examines Florida’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change. He has advised local and federal policy makers and chairs the Science Committee of the Miami-Dade Co. Climate Change Advisory Task Force. He holds a

Bachelor of Arts in Geology from Princeton University, a Master of Science in Marine Geology/Geophysics from University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Earth/Planetary Sciences from John Hopkins University. 10:00 am - 10:30 am "Regional Collaboration on Climate Resilience" Dr. Jennifer Jurado - Director - Broward Co. Env. Planning/Community Resilience Division

Her responsibilities include county-wide water resource policy and planning, advancement of the County’s regional climate resiliency initiatives, administration of beach, marine, and lands enhancement programs and environmental monitoring. Since joining Broward County in 2002, a primary area of focus has been the coordination of multi-jurisdictional initiatives focused on water conservation, alternative water supply planning, and climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. She is an original member of the Staff Steering Committee to the

SEFL Regional Climate Change Compact and a major contributor to its Regional Climate Action Plan. She was recognized by the White House in 2013 for leadership in climate resilience. Most recently, she served as staff to the Presidential Task Force on Climate Resilience and Preparedness, Built Systems Work Group, and was invited by the U.S. Embassy in France to speak on Climate Adaptation and Coastal Protection. 10:30 am -11:00 am "Legal Issues Related to Sea Level Rise" Erin L. Deady - Attorney at Law - Corbett and White PA

Specializes in sustainability, climate, environmental, water, securing grants for clients, development and regulatory issues, Gulf of Mexico & Everglades Restoration, water resources, code development and all types of land use issues as well as Federal and state litigation on energy, water resource management and environmental regulatory matters. Clients include local governments, Special Districts, private sector, agricultural and Tribal entities. Previously served as Environmental Counsel to Audubon of Florida and worked for

Village of Wellington, Broward County Department of Planning and Environmental Protection and SFWMD.



11:00 am - 11:30 am "From Public Policy to Measurable Practical Application in Sea Level Rise Planning in SWFL" James (Jim) William Beever III - Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Expert in Natural Resources/Climate Change in southwest Florida, Planner IV for SWFL Regional Planning Council (SWFRPC). Work in climate change planning includes: Comprehensive SWFL/Charlotte Harbor Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment,City of Punta Gorda Adaptation Plan Adopted November 18, 2009,Lee Co. Climate Change Resiliency Strategy, Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Opportunities for Salt Marsh Types in SWFL and Estimating/Forecasting Ecosystem Services

within Pine Island Sound including Sea Level Rise Effects. He’s been employed protecting SWFL’s natural resources for over 30 years. 11:30 am - 12:00 pm "Sea Level Rise in the Florida Keys" Rhonda Haag - Sustainability and Projects Director - Monroe County in the Florida Keys

Ms. Haag has more than 20 years in contract and grants management and has been involved in close to $1 Billion in contracts. She leads sustainability, energy, climate change and environmental issues for the Keys and is a senior member of the SE FL Regional Climate Change Compact. Her experience includes service with the FDEP and the SFWMD, where she served as Service Center Director, Everglades Outreach Manager, Ombudsman, and Contracts Manager. She holds an MBA in Management and BBA in Finance and

Marketing from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – LUNCH SPEAKER “Community Solar” Dagney Johnson - Chairman of the Board - Photogenesis Energy, LLC

Founder / President of Taggart Solar and Managing Partner at Johnson and Johnson Attorneys at Law. Dagney has practiced law for the last 12 years in the areas of Environmental Law, Mass Tort, Criminal Defense and Domestic Law. In 2010 she started work in the renewable energy market, opening Taggart Solar then forming Photogenesis Energy which specializes in developing projects in the renewable space especially distributed generation, co-gen and solar. Taggart is the EPC arm of Photogenesis. Dagney

owns and operates her own 2 MW site in Kentucky and has worked on or installed over 300 MW of power. 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm “Why Landfills Are A Waste” Thomas Mueller - Facility Administrator - Covanta Energy Company

Mr. Mueller represents Covanta at many venues on energy and sustainability and has worked there for 18 years. As the largest provider of “base load” renewable energy in SW Florida, the Lee County Waste to Energy facility (designed, built and operated by Covanta Energy) turns all Lee County trash into clean renewable energy. Covanta Energy is the world’s largest Waste to Energy (WTE) company employing over 2,500 people at 46 locations. Mr. Mueller earned his B.S. degree in Business Finance from The University of

Florida and did graduate work at Georgia State College.



1:30 pm - 2:00 pm “Florida's Coastal Policies and Sea Turtles in an era of Rising Seas” Gary Appelson – Policy Coordinator - Sea Turtle Conservancy

Mr. Appelson is involved in many aspects of sea turtle conservation and policy in Florida. He currently serves on the Steering Committee to develop a statewide Florida Beaches Habitat Conservation Plan being developed by the FDEP in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Plan will allow the state to take a proactive approach to addressing cumulative impacts to beach-dependent species from all activities regulated under Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line Program. His

educational background is in Environmental Policy and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. 2:00 pm - 2:15 pm BREAK

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm

"Energy Policy: How we Reduce Vulnerability"

Susan Glickman – Florida Director - Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE)

SACE is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization working to promote responsible energy

choices that help stop global climate change and ensure clean, safe and healthy

communities throughout the Southeast. Susan developed and directed The Florida

Business Network for a Clean Energy Economy, a coalition of business leaders working

together to advance the clean energy economy. Over the last decade, she has worked with

numerous organizations such as Clean Energy Group, Ceres, Union of Concerned Scientists, Physicians for

Social Responsibility, Vote Solar, Environmental Defense Fund, the Clean Air Task Force and is a longtime

consultant to The Natural Resources Defense Council. A Florida native, Susan grew up in Tampa and holds a

Bachelor of Science in Speech from the University of Texas at Austin and an A.A. from FSU.

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm “The Solar and Energy Loan Fund: A Community Lending Program for Sustainability” Doug Coward - Executive Director - Solar Energy Loan Fund (SELF)

In addition to public service as St. Lucie County Commissioner (1998-2010), Doug has worked as Senior Environmental Planner with St. Lucie County, Clean Energy Executive in the private sector and Community Planner with 1000 Friends of Florida. He is currently Executive Director of Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), a non-profit clean energy bank that finances 24 different types of energy efficiency and renewable energy products for residential property owners. The organization focuses on low/moderate income

communities and individuals and also administers St. Lucie County's new Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. He owns a clean energy consulting business that helps schools and large energy consumers shift to more cost-effective clean energy solutions. He has received numerous awards, including “Most Outstanding Green Elected Official”, from the South Florida Chapter of the USGBC and has been described by Florida media as “an unusual combination of environmentalist, smart growth proponent, and business advocate.” He received a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University.



3:15 pm to 3:45 pm “Innovative Micro-Finance Strategies for Sustainability” Duanne Andrade - Senior Financial and Strategic Advisor - Solar Energy Loan Fund (SELF)

For the past 15 years Duanne Andrade has provided consulting services for the private and non-profit sector with a focus on strategic planning, micro finance, and new market development. In 2009 she founded Evolution Business Development Inc., a consulting firm based in Florida, USA, focused on strategic planning; sustainability strategies for non-profits; micro finance and triple bottom line impact and evaluation methods. Following this initiative, in 2010 she formed Evolution Green Solutions based in Mexico City, to

provide energy efficiency and clean energy solutions to the industrial sector in Mexico and Latin America. Since returning to Florida in January 2013, she is responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight of the financial and operational aspects of the non-profit Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) as Chief Financial Officer. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from New York University (NYU) and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Harvard International Institute for Development (HIID) program of the Catholic University in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. 3:45 pm - 4:15 pm "Southwest Florida¹s Intense Hurricane History: What the past can tell us about the future." Dr. Joanne Muller - Assistant Professor – FGCU Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences

Completed her Bachelor¹s degree in Earth Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia and received her Ph.D. in Paleoclimatology from the James Cook University, Australia. Prior to being recruited to FGCU in 2011, Dr. Muller was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Dr. Muller’s current research interest centers on past climate change in tropical latitudes with special focus on the Southwest Florida region.

4:15 pm to 4:45 pm "Sea Level Rise Effects on Southwest Florida’s Past and Future Coastal Environmental History” Dr. Mike Savarese - Professor of Marine Science and Environmental Studies – FGCU

A faculty member at FGCU since the University's opening in the fall of 1997, Dr. Savarese

has served along the way as founding Director of University Graduate Studies, the Director

of the Whitaker Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education, and

Department Chair. Prior to arriving at FGCU, he was a faculty member within the

Department of Geological Sciences at Indiana University, Bloomington. He holds a Ph.D. in

Geology from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Science in Geology and Bachelor of Science in

Biology and Geology both from the University of Rochester. His research interests concern the history of

environmental change in coastal settings, particularly in response to human development, climate change,

and sea-level rise. His research has helped foster environmental management and restoration efforts in

Southwest Florida. He recently extended his research/educational activities to the Commonwealth of the

Bahamas, where he is aiding the Bahamian government in their long-range planning.

4:45 pm to 5:00 pm CLOSING REMARKS AND WRAP-UP



THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!

Thanks to the volunteers and organizers of this event, your efforts and support are very much appreciated!

This event program is printed on recycled paper.

2015 southwest florida sea level rise summit

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