39th Environmental Permitting Summer School

Mitigation banking, development residential and commercial

Ms. Colbert is the founder of Smart-Sciences and has 26 years of experience in managing and supervising technical projects and in leading inter-disciplinary teams consisting of engineers, geologists, ecologists and other technical experts. Ms. Colbert has extensive experience in all types of environmental permitting in the State of Florida (including Environmental Resource Permits (ERPs), Local Wetlands Permitting, Coastal Construction Permitting, Tree Permitting, Water Use Permit (WUP), industrial wastewater), as well as practical applications of wetland ecology and surface and groundwater hy... Read more

Cortney Cortez is Senior Economist of The Balmoral Group, an economic and engineering firm focused on public policy, socioeconomic impacts, and design within infrastructure, water resources, and the environment.

Jake Cremer, a Shareholder in Stearns Weaver Miller’s Tampa office, counsels clients in their interactions with local, state, and federal governments on environmental, land use, and land development issues. He has been lead counsel on a variety of complex permitting and economic development matters, including ad valorem tax exemptions and brownfield designations. Jake assists agricultural landowners on long-term strategic planning for their holdings and in defense of their greenbelt classifications. He has extensive experience protecting environmental and land use permits against challenges...

I am a cultural resource specialist with Tetra Tech Inc. Tetra Tech’s EGS cultural resources department is a full-service Section 106 compliance department: from consultation to fulfillment and reporting, utilizing SOI- qualified archaeologists and historians with decades of combined experience in the cultural sector. We offer project planning, research, GIS analysis, monitoring, mitigation, impact analysis, and environmental assessment for compliance with NHPA and NEPA, and consultation with Federal agencies, State Historic Preservation Offices, and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
I am a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), with almost 10 years of experience in cultural resource management. I have experience in terrestrial archaeology, historic preservation, archival research, and report writing. I have worked under contract for several governmental agencies and private clients and is competent in federal and state laws, regulations, guidelines, and local ordinances regarding cultural resources. My responsibilities have included conducting field investigations for archaeology and historic preservation, artifact identification and curation, consultation with SHPOs... Read more

Laura DiBella was appointed as Florida’s first female Secretary of Commerce, and her former position combined with extensive economic development experience allows her to use her business, government, capitol connections, and vast knowledge of the regulatory and procurement processes to provide clients with government relations and consulting services.

Prior to joining Adams and Reese, Laura was the former President of Business Development at FloridaCommerce; President/CEO at Enterprise Florida; President of the Florida Opportunity Fund (Florida’s Venture Capital arm), gaining knowledge of... Read more

Michelle Diffenderfer is the President and a Shareholder of Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A., a statewide environmental law firm. Mrs. Diffenderfer assists landowners, businesses and governments with local, state and federal, environmental, natural resource and land development legal requirements. Michelle helps clients navigate these laws and regulations in the permitting of their land development and infrastructure projects. Michelle received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami, School of Law, in 1994 and her Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Brown University, in 1990.

Office Manager and Lead for APTIM’s Jacksonville, FL location. Responsible for service line operations management, technical review and oversight, personnel development, business development, revenue expansion, and client relations throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. Professional Environmental Scientist and Project Manager with more than eight years of technical experience as an Environmental Consultant for federal, municipal, commercial, and private projects and clients.

Experienced proposal manager working to help Colliers Engineering & design grow in Florida. Have been working in the engineering field for over 26 years with a strong technical background.

Water Supply Development, Water Conservation, Water rights, Water Quality, Sustainability, Water Use Permitting, Potable Reuse

John J. Fumero has over 30 years of experience in the areas of environmental, water, land use, administrative and governmental law. Mr. Fumero, formerly General Counsel of the South Florida Water Management District, provides strategic counsel to landowners, developers, industry, agriculture, utilities and local governments throughout Florida. He represents both private and public sector clients before local, state and federal agencies and courts. He has extensive experience in all aspects of state and federal environmental/water permitting, public/private partnerships for infrastructure, complex... Read more

36+ years of environmental consulting experience.  Serves as Environmental Division Manager and Senior Hydrogeologist.  Responsible for staffing, contract and project management, direct client communications, preparation and review of project scopes, and fee estimation, contract negotiations, project execution, and regulatory reporting. Performed pre-demolition environmental compliance surveys at port facilities, wetlands and listed species surveys of coastal basin areas, assessment and remediation of RCRA metals, chlorinated solvent and petroleum impacts, due diligence studies, pre-qualification... Read more

Michael R. Goldstein is the Managing Shareholder of The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm, P.A., president of the Goldstein Brownfields Foundation, president of the Goldstein Brownfields Group, co-CEO of Goldstein Kite Environmental Redevelopment Partners, former Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Brownfields Task Force, a founder, charter member, and the first President and Chairman of the Florida Brownfields Association, and an original member of the Steering Committee of the National Brownfields Coalition and Chair of its Public Policy, Regulatory Incentives, and Regulatory Partnership Committee... Read more

I am an environmental lawyer who has more than 50 years experience in environmental matters as an engineer, biologist, consultant and lawyer. My practice includes all aspects of environmental law including air and water permitting and enforcement defense, solid and hazardous wastes, contaminated sites and wetlands. You can view my credentials at www.floridalandlaw.com. Among other things, I have been attending the Marco Island conference for over 30 years and I been involved in the Florida Brownfields Association from the time it was conceived and was a founding member. I look forward to seeing... Read more

Bruce recently joined ICF, a national leader for executing environmental impact assessments, managing complex projects, developing and implementing Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), engaging diverse stakeholders, and navigating multiple layers of regulation. With over 24 years of environmental consulting experience in Florida and the Southeast, Bruce provides expertise in environmental assessments, planning and permitting; federal and state listed species assessments and ESA section 7 consultations; regional conservation planning; Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs); and program/project management... Read more

I am a Certified Wildlife Biologist, Certified Ecologist, and Vice President for Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc. - a small, woman-owned business providing cultural and natural resource, civil engineering, and wetland/waterway services to a variety of industries across the United States.

Personally located in The City Beautiful (Orlando)!

My practice involves all aspects of land development - environmental permitting and enforcement, land use, and real estate - with a particular emphasis on natural resources and the extraction industry. I have experience in mineral rights due diligence and litigation, wetland permitting, imperiled species compliance, and sovereign submerged lands issues, and more.

As a former newspaper journalist, I am passionate about the Public Records Act & Sunshine Law and have experience with compliance and litigation of both.

Matt advises and defends clients across industries with the strategic insights as former General Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, former General Counsel for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and a former environmental litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Laurel Lockett is a partner at Carlton Fields, in Tampa, FL where she practices in the areas of environmental law and commercial real estate. She has substantial experience with cleanup, purchase, sale and redevelopment of brownfields and other contaminated sites, including manuscripting of environmental insurance policies and other creative solutions to risk management, including risk based corrective action and alternative closure strategies. Laurel represents regulated industry as well as owners, developers and lenders relating to environmentally impacted properties.

Office: 813-229-4139

... Read more

A full-service environmental, engineering, energy, and design firm completing projects nationwide. We specialize is assisting educational facilities with industrial hygiene, facilities engineering, health and safety, and security management services.

I am CTO and cofounder of Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group.  We develop and deploy advanced innovative nutrient removal systems using highly sustainable natural technologies.

Nicole counsels clients on a wide-range of complex land use, permitting and entitlement issues. She has considerable experience representing developers and property owners before local, regional, and state agencies, courts and elected bodies on a wide range of complex land use permitting and entitlement issues, including comprehensive plans and amendments, rezonings, variances, development agreements, Development of Regional Impact (DRI) review and rescission, and other related aspects of securing development authorizations. Nicole also represents clients in circuit court and appellate litigation... Read more

As a Senior Business Development & Marketing Manager, I work closely with practice leadership to manage Greenberg Traurig's (an AM Law Top 20 firm) Global Environmental practice consisting of more than 100 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 locations in six countries around the world, including the United States, Latin America, and Europe, as well as Greenberg Traurig’s Tampa office with Labor & Employment, White Collar Defense & Special Investigations, Restructuring & Bankruptcy, Tax & Tax Credits, Corporate, Public Finance, Real Estate, Construction, and Litigation practices.

Land use and development challenges for heavy manufacturing facilities - especially those located in or near floodplains
NPDES Permitting issues
Title V Permitting and issues to anticipate as green house gas emissions controls become tighter
FDEP's incorporation of environmental justice analyses into permitting decisions

Jena Mier is a Project Manager with Black & Veatch. She has more than 35 years of experience in environmental resource permitting and licensing, with over 15 years of energy project experience, providing environmental project management for large scale energy projects including natural gas pipelines, solar energy centers, transmission lines, and power plants. At Black & Veatch Jena manages clients and environmental projects for facilities such as power generation and transmission, oil & gas pipelines and ocean terminals, water and wastewater treatment facilities, and all forms of renewable and... Read more

34 years in the Analytical Testing Business- all while located in Florida.  Consider myself not just a "sales person" but a partner, as I 
have worked in every aspect of the commercial environmental laboratory in those 34 years and hope to bring that experience to all my customers, whom I really appreciate!
call me @305 407 4159 :)

We are a boutique land use firm specializing is zoning and environmental land use. We handle land use matters from application, through public hearing and through appeals if necessary. I am Board Certified in City, County and Local Government Law and spent 30 years as an Assistant County Attorney for Miami-Dade.

EarthBalance provides trained, managed, and safe semi-skilled labor crews to restore, create, and maintain natural ecosystems. This is what you need to manage preservation areas, to build mitigation banks, and to stay in compliance. We are client focused and deliver quality work on time and in budget. Let's talk about your needs.

Susan Stephens is a shareholder in the Tallahassee office of Stearns Weaver Miller and has been practicing environmental & natural resources and administrative law for 30 years. Susan is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State & Federal Government & Administrative Practice.  She represents clients before various federal, state, regional, and local environmental agencies in connection with the obtainment, interpretation, compliance and enforcement of environmental permits for regulated industrial, commercial, and development activities. Susan has extensive experience assisting in the development... Read more

Technology Fellow at Jacobs specializing in Natural Treatment Systems. With over 18 years of experience in wastewater treatment, ecological planning, permitting and design of natural treatment systems for nutrient reduction, Rafael is a globally recognized expert in treatment wetlands. He has led large technical teams in innovative and award-winning projects, including the 4G Ranch Wetlands in Pasco County, Florida and the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park in Ocala, Florida.

I have practiced administrative and environmental law for over 20 years, and hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and a law degree from Florida State University. My practice at SWFWMD focuses on regulatory matters, with a special emphasis on mitigation banking, and the setting of minimum flows and levels for water bodies. I currently serve on the Executive Council for both the Administrative Law and the Environmental Law and Land Use Sections of the Florida Bar.

I am a Senior Environmental Scientist specializing in natural resource assessments and permitting, as well as certified arborist services. I provides numerous ecological services to clients, including the following: wetland delineation, function evaluation, mitigation design, monitoring, and permitting; upland habitat assessments; coastal habitat assessments and permitting; marine and estuarine habitat assessments and permitting; protected wildlife assessments and permitting; GPS data collection/mapping and GIS database development; NEPA document preparation and oversight; sediment and erosion... Read more

I am a wildlife biologist with extensive experience working with terrestrial T&E species across the southeast.
Come talk to me about: all things bats (especially Florida bonneted bats), sea- and shorebirds, cave surveys, threatened and endangered species surveys, habitat assessments, and mountain biking in Florida