NRLI News
September 2016
  
Class XVI Fellows at the inaugural session. Photo by Wendy-Lin Bartels.
Director's Corner

Welcome
Dr. Wendy-Lin Bartels
 
As we welcome this year's impressive group of Class XVI Fellows to the NRLI program, we are also excited to welcome new project team member. Dr. Wendy-Lin Bartels is an expert in natural resource collaboration and brings to NRLI a wealth of experience in training, facilitation, and evaluation. Born in South Africa and raised on the dairy her father managed, she studied corn genetics as an undergraduate and eventually came to the U.S. to pursue a Master's degree in Science Communication at the University of Florida (UF). For her thesis, she analyzed the way controversial natural resource issues are framed by the media. An alumna of NRLI class III, Wendy-lin went on to obtain her Ph.D. from UF's School of Natural Resources and Environment. Her doctoral work examined land use planning in Brazil, particularly the interactions and relationships among farmers, the government, and non-governmental organizations. Before joining NRLI, Wendy-Lin was a Faculty member in UF's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering where she led stakeholder engagement processes that brought together climate scientists and row-crop farmers to improve research and training efforts in the southeastern United States. She has also worked with communities, institutions, and planning processes in places as far-flung and distinct as India, the Brazilian Amazon, and Albany, Georgia. In addition to teaching and program and partnership development, Wendy-Lin will help us increase our focus on impact assessment. We are thrilled to have her join Jessica Ireland, Paul Monaghan, Joy Hazell, and me on the NRLI Project Team, in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, and in the IFAS Center for Leadership.

In This Issue
Quick Links
Class XVI Session 1 Newsletter
Port Everglades: The impacts of port expansion
 
In this issue...

Natural Resources Focus: Port Everglades

Curriculum Focus: Introduction to Natural Resources Leadership
 
Session 1 Fellows' Article
Erika Zambello & Phillip Stokes

Class XVI Fellow Spotlight
Jessica Stempien, Maddie Southard, & Scott Kihei

  Click here to download a PDF. 
Class XVI Fellows

Welcome to NRLI, Class XVI Fellows! 

Savanna Barry
Regional Specialized Sea Grant Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Nature Coast Biological Station
Tyler Beck
Snail Kite Conservation Coordinator, Species Conservation Planning Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Amy Castaneda
Water Quality Technician, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida
Walter Cheatham
Wildlife Biologist, Ostego Bay Environmental, Inc.
Houston Cypress
President & Artistic Director, Otter Vision, Inc.; Co-Founder, Love the Everglades Movement
Courtney Davis
Florida Vegetable Sales Representative, Speedling, Inc.
Sarah Funck
Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Teresa Gallagher
Public Affairs Specialist/Volunteer and Services Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service, National Forests in Florida
Margaret Guyette
Water Resource Data Manager, St. Johns River Water Management District
Katie Hallas
Environmental Administrator, Office of Agricultural Water Policy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Basil Iannone
Assistant Professor, University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation/Program for Resource Efficient Communities/Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology
Scott Kihei
Law Enforcement Captain, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Audrey Kuipers
Program Manager, Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District
Jason Mathis
County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) Program Coordinator, Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Meredith Moreno
Archaeologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Maddie Southard
Program Manager, Legacy Institute for Nature and Culture (DBA Florida Wildlife Corridor)
Jessica Stempien
Environmental Administrator , Office of Agricultural Water Policy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Phillip Stokes
Education Specialist, UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education
Donald Voss
Founder/Long-term Strategies, One Florida Foundation, Inc.
Patrick Walsh
Law Enforcement Academy Captain, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Matthew Wegener
Biological Scientist II, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Erika Zambello
Marine Economic and Tourism Development Resource Coordinator, Okaloosa County Tourism and Development Department

Giving Back to NRLI
 
The NRLI Project Team would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Bruce Delaney on his retirement, June 30, 2016. Bruce is an alumnus of NRLI Class II, the former Executive Director of NRLI, and has been a Project Team member for more than 11 years. Bruce is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and in his earlier career, he taught high school history, worked on the oil fields in Alaska, owned a fish camp in Cross Creek, Florida, and served terms as Mayor and Commissioner for the City of Gainesville. Bruce has also served on numerous community advisory committees, received community service awards, and chaired over 100 public meetings. A certified mediator, Bruce has mediated over 200 cases and is also the former Director of the USDA Florida Agricultural Mediation Program. He has been a mentor to all of us on the Project Team and we are incredibly thankful to have had him as a colleague and to call him a friend. We cannot express in words our immense gratitude to Bruce for all that he has done to support and nourish NRLI. He has played a central role in bringing the Institute to where it is today--an institute that has trained 276 individuals from 102 organizations and across the state of Florida. In honor of Bruce's many contributions to NRLI, we are extremely pleased to announce the establishment of the NRLI Scholarship Fund. Thanks to early donations, the initial fund amount is $10,000 with the goal of reaching $30,000 in order to establish it as a permanent endowment at the University of Florida. Once the fund reaches endowment status, it will be used to provide scholarship funds to individuals from disadvantaged communities or organizations that would not otherwise be able to financially support their participation in NRLI. Please click here if you would like to contribute to the NRLI Scholarship Fund in Honor of Bruce Delaney.

Recently, Dr. Joe Joyce retired after more than 20 years as the UF/IFAS Senior Associate Vice President. Dr. Joyce is continuing his leadership by creating an endowment to support the NRLI. This endowment will provide partial scholarship support to NRLI participants as well as offer general support to the program. Please click here if you would like to contribute to the General Joe Joyce Family Endowment for Natural Resources Leadership.

  Farm Credit of Florida Agricultural and Natural Resources Leadership Endowment
The Farm Credit of Florida Agricultural and Natural Resources Leadership Endowment was made possible through a generous donation by Farm Credit of Florida and will be used to support scholarships for young farmers (35 years old or younger) participating in the UF/IFAS Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute. Those working in Florida agricultural are an important constituency for the NRLI program and NRLI is proud to have a role in training future leaders of the Agricultural community. The average age for a full-time farmer in the United States is almost 60 years old and young farmers pursuing full- and part-time farming are crucial to the future of the agricultural sector in the State of Florida. Our heartfelt thanks to Farm Credit of Florida as we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership. Please click here If you would like to contribute to the Farm Credit of Florida Agricultural and Natural Resources Leadership Endowment.