spring 2012 fnrli alumni newsletterfinal

7/31/2019 Spring 2012 FNRLI Alumni NewsletterFINAL

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Spring 2012

Presidents Welcome

Hello to all NRLI fellows, past, present and future!

Id like to welcome all of you to the 6th edition of the Florida Natural Re-sources Leadership Institute Alumni Association eNewsletter. First, I wantto express gratitude to the past Board members for their tireless efforts inwhat turned out to be an exciting year. We appreciate you! Second, Iwould like to congratulate and welcome my fellow incoming Board mem-

bers:

Paul Monaghan (VP)Craig Diamond (Treasurer)Chris Martinez (Secretary)Nicole Wulff (Annual Meeting Coordinator)Bryan Fluech (Outgoing President)--thanks for sticking around!

This is not the last time you will hear me say this! For those alumni thathaven't joined the Alumni Association, I encourage you to do so. Yourmembership dues won't put a huge dent in your pocket, but the funds willgo far at NRLI. Annual dues are only $25 per year. Lifetime dues are only$125. Revenue generated from the dues helps support alumni-sponsored

scholarships for potential fellows and the annual NRLI Graduation.

Also, if you get an opportunity, please attend a few of the upcoming ClassXII sessions. You can welcome the new fellows into this amazing networkof natural resource professionals. You can also support the NRLI ProjectTeam. It's also a great way to dust off the memory banks from sessionsyou attended and lessons you learned, and you can catch up on currentnatural resource issues around the state! Here is the link to the Class XIIschedule: http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/schedule12.shtmlDon't forget, this is YOUR newsletter! Please feel free to submit articles,and let us know about job openings, conferences, awards, and other

events. I look forward to your contributions.

I'm looking forward to seeing those of you that I know, and meeting those

of you I don't know. Here's to a fantastic year!

Sincerely,

J. Leslie CorcelliNRLI Alumni Association President

Class X

The Alumni Association

Mission is to:

foster effectiveleadership and pro-

fessional develop-

ment

provide networking

opportunities enhance the NRLI

program, and pro-

mote its long-term

viability.

Presidents Welcome 1

Past President Farewell 2

New Website 2

Meet Your FNRLI BOD 3

Milestones 4

FNRLI Graduation 5

Congrats Class XI 6

Award Winners 7

Annual Alumni Field Trip 8

From the Project Team 9

FNRLI Alumni News 10

Calendar and Reminders 12

Florida Natural ResourcesLeadership InstituteAlumni Newsletter

Volume 4, Issue 1
http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/schedule12.shtmlhttp://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/schedule12.shtmlhttp://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/schedule12.shtml


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Page 2 Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Past Presidents Farewell

Its hard to believe it has been two years since I took over as the NRLI Alumni Associations

president. It has been a wonderful learning opportunity, and Im thankful I was given the

chance to be the Associations president. As it is my time to step down, I am excited for thefuture of the Association as we now have a new slate of officers, who I think will do a fan-tastic job supporting the future of the Association and FNRLI. I especially want to wish Les-lie Corcelli (Class X) success as she takes over as our new president. Anyone who knowsLeslie, knows she has a dynamic, friendly, and outgoing personality, along with natural bornleadership qualities. I am very confident to say the Association is in good hands!

Did you know that with the graduation of Class XI, we now have over 200 alumni? If youwerent able to make it to the graduation this year it was an excellent ceremony. When their elected class speaker

was not able to talk because he lost voice, each and every fellow stepped up and gave a little speech on what theprogram meant to them. What amazed me the most was that not one person said the same thing. Each persontook away something unique. It made me reflect on how much FNRLI means to me , and the value of such a pro-

gram to natural resource professionals across the state. Thank you to and congratulations to Class XIBest of luck to everyone!

Bryan Fluech (Class VIII)NRLI Alumni Association Past President

Did you hear the news? The Florida NRLI Alumni Association has a new website!

Just to let you know, we had to switch to the new site, because Microsoft Office Live, who we had the previoussite with, changed their polices and prices. Therefore, we had to find a new home. We hope you will visit andenjoy the new site. We are using Wordpress,which has made it a lot easier to maintain. Wehope you will visit and utilize this resource tokeep up with whats happening with the NRLI

Alumni Association. As with the old site, youwill be able to view our newsletters, meetingminutes, dues information, job announce-ments, and other relevant information.

Our new website is up an running thanks to

the great work undertaken by DeborahBurr, NRLI Alumni from Class IV and formerNRLI Alumni Association President. Deb tookthe time to set up the new site, and we could-nt have done it without her. Thank you Deb!To connect to the new site visit:http://fnrlialumni.wordpress.com/or click onthe screen shot.

The FNRLI Alumni Association Has a New Website!
http://fnrlialumni.wordpress.com/http://fnrlialumni.wordpress.com/http://fnrlialumni.wordpress.com/http://fnrlialumni.wordpress.com/


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Meet Your FNRLI Alumni Association

Board of Directors!

Leslie CorcelliPresidentClass X

Craig DiamondTreasurerClass X

Dr. Paul MonaghanVice President.

Class IX

Ed WrightClass VI

Tom OstertagClass IX

Camille SoveretClass XI

Kat DiersenClass X

Eric BushClass X

Nicole WulfAnnual MeetingCoordinatorClass X

Dr. Chris MartinezSecretaryClass XI

Dr. Laila Racevskis, FNRLI Alumni Advisor

Bryan FluechPast PresidentClass VIII

Stan BronsonClass II


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Milestones

In Memoriam: Dr. Burl Long

NRLI cofounder Dr. Burl Long passed away in February 2012. His lifeand contributions were remembered at the Celebration of Life Febru-ary 11th at the Unitarian Fellowship on North 34th Street in Gainesville.Dr. Long retired in 2007 but he served the NRLI program in Emeritusstatus. His knowledge and experience provided a core asset of the NRLIprogram. A native of Tennessee, he received his BS degree from Uni-versity of Tennessee, his MS from Oklahoma State University and hisPhD from The Pennsylvania State University. During his career Dr. Longhas been employed by The US Department of Agriculture, Penn StateUniversity, Virginia Tech University, Radford University and the Univer-sity of Florida. He has served as a consultant to the Tennessee ValleyAuthority, The Federal Power Commission and various universities.Throughout his career his research and outreach programs have fo-cused on natural resource economics and policy, including environ-mental economics, land use issues, and coastal zone management. He

has taught in Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, Public Policy Analysis and Public Financeat both the graduate and undergraduate level. He has been a Professor in the Food and Resource Eco-

nomics Department at the University of Florida since 1985, where he served as Coordinator of Under-graduate Programs, and Assistant Department Chair. He was the Faculty Program Advisor to the Wedg-worth Leadership Institute (formerly Florida Leadership Program for Agriculture and Natural Resources)

since its inception in 1992.

Farewell Candy We Wish You the Best of Luck!

The FNRLI Alumni Association Board of Directors would like to express oursincerest thank you and gratitude to Candace Kaswinkel who recently stepped down

as the FNRLI Administrative Assistant. It will be hard to imagine a FNRLI sessionwithout Candys smiling face. We all know how important she has been to the FNRLIprogram, and will be greatly missed. We wish her the best of luck in her new

position at the University of Florida. Thank you Candy!


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Scenes from NRLI Class XI Graduation

Image credits: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS. To see more images from class XI graduation, visit:

http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/NRLIBanquet041312/Gallery/
http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/NRLIBanquet041312/Gallery/http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/NRLIBanquet041312/Gallery/http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/NRLIBanquet041312/Gallery/


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Page 6Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Congratulations to NRLI Class XI!Congratulations to the Fellows of NRLI Class XI. The graduation session, on April 15th adhered to the NRLI

tradition of two days of Practicum presentations and wrap-up activities followed by a festive ceremony at thenew Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center. This years ceremony was graced by thepresence of UF Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jack Payne; Interim Dean andDirector for Extension, Millie Ferrer-Chancy; Associate Dean for Extension, Environmental and Natural Re-sources Programs and Associate Director, Florida Sea Grant Program, Mike Spranger, Associate Chair of theUF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department, Rod Clouser, and the South Central District ExtensionDirector Dr. Charles Vavrina.

Back Row (L to R)

Eddie Ellis, University of Veracruz

Hugh Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture

and Consumer Services

Thomas Ruppert, Florida Sea Grant

Brad Ethridge, Thomas Cattle Buying Service

Greg Eason, Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission

Chris Martinez, University of Florida/IFAS

Curt Williams, Florida Farm Bureau Federation

Front Row (L to R)

Citlalli Lopez Binquestk University of Veracruz

Patricia Negreros Castillo, University of Veracruz

Carolyn Cox, UF Florida Climate Change Institute

Kelly Keefe, US Army Corp of Engineers

Holly Abeels, UF/IFAS-Brevard County

Lindsay Cross, Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Shannon McGee. UF/IFAS-Polk County

Becky Raulerson

Camile Soveret, Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission

The fellows of NRLI Class XI are:


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2012 FNRLI Award Winners

This years Robert Tietz Award for NaturalResources Leadership was awarded to Estus

Whitfield. Estus was given this award for his tirelessdedication to protecting Floridas natural lands duringthe past several decades. Among other feats, he hasplayed a vital role in developing and managing many ofFloridas land acquisition programs such as Save Our

Coasts, Save Our Rivers, and Preservation 2000Programs.

This years NRLI Alumni Award was presented toJoy Hazell an alumnus of NRLI Class IX. Joy wasrecognized for her leadership and dedication toapplying her NRLI-learned skills in her Extensionoutreach programs, and her role as a member of the

NRLI project team. Well done Joy!

The Burl Long Award was established to honor oneof the founding directors of the Florida Natural

Resources Leadership Institute. Each year, fellowsnominate a fellow classmate that they consider learnedand developed the most as a result of participating inNRLI. This year NRLI Class XI nominated ShannonMcgee, a natural resources extension agent in Polk

County. Congratulations Shannon!


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Thanks to Tom Ostertag, Class IX and outgoing FNRLI Alumni

Annual Meeting Coordinator for organizing this years FNRLIAlumni Association field trip the day after the Class XI gradua-tion ceremony. The theme of this years trip was Conservation

on Private Lands and Landowner Incentives. It was led by KrisCathey, Regional Landowner Assistance Manager and Tom whowork for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis-sion. We visited the Thomas Cattle Company, which is the fam-ily farm of Brad Ethridge, a fellow of Class XI. Brad was kindenough to provide the group with a tour of his property, anddiscussed the importance of incorporating conservation prac-tices on his property and the cattle business in Florida. Following the tour, the group held the annual

meeting where new FNRLI Alumni Association Board members were elected. Brad was also kind enoughto provide lunch for the entire group on his property. Many thanks go out to Brad Etheridge!

FNRLI Alumni Association Field Trip


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Greeting FNRLI Alumni!

FNRLI is accepting applications for Class XII, which begins inAugust 2012 and will conclude in April 2013. The focus of theclass will be "Climate Change in Florida: Advancing theStatewide Discussion."

Over the course of Class XII, we plan to meet with stake-holders from a number of communities around Florida thatare in different stages of engaging citizens in conversationsabout Climate Change. From them, we can learn about thefactors that may promote or hinder productive dialog and col-

laborative planning on the subject of Climate Change. The dis-cussion about Climate change, its causes and effects, will be different in each community. It is our hope,as a result of this process, the graduates of NRLI Class XII will be able to be constructive participants inthe discussion of climate change in theircommunities.

The first session of NRLI Class XII takesplace in Cedar Key, August 9-11, 2012.The topic, Climate Change: the Impacton Agriculture and Coastal Communi-ties, sets the stage for a an in-depth look

at factors of climate change and growthin Florida's future. We hope you will beable to make it to one of the followingsessions.

If you have any colleagues that wouldbenefit from participating in FNRLI,please let us know. We appreciate yourhelp in supporting the program. Formore information about Class XII visitthe FNRLI website at:

http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/

Sincerely,

The FNRLI Project Team

From the NRLI Project Team

2012-2013 FNRLI Class XII Schedule
http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/schedule12.shtmlhttp://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu/


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FNRLI Alumni News

Dear FNRL Fellows:

The Charlotte Harbor NationalEstuary Program (CHNEP) ispleased to assist Babcock Ranch,Inc. in its efforts to develop a busi-ness management plan for thenearly 73,239-acre Babcock RanchPreserve. The CHNEP will develop the public workshop with the advice of BRI board members and others. We willexplore the possibility of holding a one-day guided tour of the property on the first day with the workshop heldthe following day.

When: It was generally agreed that the workshop will be held in January 2013. Would you please provide me with

your availability for a two-day workshop (one-day field trip followed by a one-day workshop) during the days listedbelow? Monday-Friday, January 7-11 Monday-Friday, January 14-18 Monday-Friday, January 28-February 1

Where:We are looking into the possibility of holding the workshop at the Charlotte County Event & ConferenceCenter. The center is available on the days listed above.

Sponsors: We will ask Charlotte County to donate the use of the event center. Are there others you think mayhave an interest in sponsoring the workshop? Please send me any contact information you can. Are there othersyou specifically don't want as sponsors?

Agenda/Purpose: The workshop is specifically to help BRI develop a business management plan. Please send meany contact information you have of others: who have entered a similar public-private partnership who we may wish to invite. within the State of Florida's agencies who may have knowledge or experience to share. who have studied this possibility.Are there other issues you would like included?

Background: What business management information can be made available?Is there other information you would like participants to read prior to the workshop? The promotional materialwill include a website address that will have links to the management plan approved in July 2008 and the recreationplan approved in October 2009. (NOTE: The second 5-year agreement with Babcock Ranch Management LLC tomanage the property through 2016 is underway. )Please provide me with any other guidance you would like to make this the most productive workshop possible.

Thank you.Maran Brainard Hilgendorf, (FNRLI Class III)Communications ManagerCharlotte Harbor National Estuary [email protected] Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901-3414


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FNRLI Alumni News

Dear NRLI Fellows:

Since the fall of 2009, Producer Elam Stoltzfus and I,along with many dear and talented folks, have beenworking on a documentary telling the story of the Kis-simmee River Basin. We are proud to announce thatThe Kissimmee Basin: the Northern Everglades willbe aired on your local PBS station on June 22 or 23,2012, depending on local schedules. We invite you totake a trip up the Kissimmee Valley back through timeto discover the well reasoned, yet unforeseen consequences of a flood control project that turned the103 mile-long meandering river full of life, into a 52-mile long, multi-million dollar over-engineered channel

that over drained the surrounding wetlands, caused the disappearance of large flocks of wading birds andcaused a significant decline of an abundant freshwater fishery.

You will meet the cattle ranchers whose families havecared for the Kissimmee River Basin for generations.You will discover the high stakes surrounding Kissim-mees future and how changes made to its waterway

are directly affecting the well-being of millions of peo-ple and many species of fish and wildlife. And, you willwitness innovative and collaborative solutions activelyat work among interests traditionally in competition

with one another. Lush and ethereal cinematographyand rare historic photos bring the Kissimmees storyinto sharp focus. In-depth interviews bring you face-to

-face with the engineers, activists, ranchers, military personnel and politicians who populate the pages ofthis rivers history.

The Kissimmee Basin: the Northern Everglades takes an in-depth and fascinating look at how changingthe Kissimmee Rivers shape has, in turn, changed lives and ultimately the history of this beautiful land-scape. For additional information go to www.northerneverglades.com .We will be working on educationaltools to accompany the film, so stay tuned.

Best regards,

Kimball Love (FNRLI Class IV)Associate ProducerThe Kissimmee Basin: the Northern Everglades19225 NW 80th DriveOkeechobee, FL 34972

863.697.1872

Image credit: Elam Stoltzfus

Image credit: Elam Stoltzfus
https://mail.ufl.edu/OWA/redir.aspx?C=ca6f08167a034bfeb91e154fe424a218&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.northerneverglades.comhttps://mail.ufl.edu/OWA/redir.aspx?C=ca6f08167a034bfeb91e154fe424a218&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.northerneverglades.comhttps://mail.ufl.edu/OWA/redir.aspx?C=ca6f08167a034bfeb91e154fe424a218&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.northerneverglades.com


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Have YOU Paid your FNRLI Alumni AssociationMembership Dues?

FNRLI Alumni AssociationMembership Dues

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Your dues help support the Associations efforts to promote alumni interaction with FNRLI such as

the annual graduation ceremony and the AlumniAssociation website. The dues structure are:

$25 a year

$125 for a life-time membership.

Please send checks to:FNRLI Alumni Association

c/o Craig Diamond405 Inglewood Dr

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Are YOU a FNRLI Friend?

Become a Friend!The NRLI Facebook Page

provides you with program updates,NRLI session schedules and photos, and

allows you to catch up with otherNRLI alumni!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Natural-Resources-Leadership-Institute/105293026174791https://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Natural-Resources-Leadership-Institute/105293026174791https://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Natural-Resources-Leadership-Institute/105293026174791https://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Natural-Resources-Leadership-Institute/105293026174791

spring 2012 fnrli alumni newsletterfinal

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