Panelist

Raised in Key West and living on Big Pine Key since 1999, Chris is Florida Field Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. He oversees partnerships and projects focused on hands-on restoration and management efforts on and in lands and waters owned or managed by TNC’s public agency and private conservation partners. He worked on or oversaw all four of TNC’s major nature preserves in Florida and helped establish them in 2022 as the Center for Conservation Initiatives. Chris serves as a member of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council’s Connectivity Team, and a member of the Sanctuary’s Water Quality Protection Program Steering Committee.

Panelist

In his 36-year career as a litigator, appellate lawyer, advocate, and counselor in the areas of federal and Florida environmental, land use, and related laws, Richard has represented public interest clients and the state of Florida in federal and state proceedings that included protection and restoration of the Everglades and the Florida Keys. He has been extensively involved in litigation, advocacy and implementation of the Keys “carrying capacity” development limits. He frequently represents clients before local, state and federal agencies. In recent years, his work focused on climate and ecosystem sustainability, legal, and policy issues.

Panelist

As Chief Resilience Officer for Monroe County, Rhonda leads the County’s resiliency and sustainability efforts, to help prepare the County and its coastal communities for the effects of sea level rise, and serves as a member of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Steering Committee. She leads the County’s environmental canal restoration program, restoring canals in the Keys to meet state water quality standards, and leads the county’s marine debris removal efforts for canals that have been affected by hurricanes.

Panelist

Brian is a Research Professor with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. For over four decades, his research has focused on impacts of land-based nutrient pollution on the health of seagrass and coral reef ecosystems in South Florida and the Caribbean, and his long-term water quality monitoring at Looe Key led to new state regulations for nutrient removal from sewage effluents. His research has been published in 133 scientific papers and journals, and he has advised the EPA, NOAA, NASA, FDEP and numerous governments on the development of water-quality monitoring programs

Panelist

As Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NOAA's National Weather Service office in Key West, Jonathan is responsible for planning, coordinating, and raising public awareness to help mitigate loss of life and property from severe weather events. He supports Monroe County and its municipalities as a deployment-ready meteorologist during tropical cyclone emergency operation center activations, providing actionable weather support for decision-makers. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from Florida State University.

Moderator

Linda is editor of Key West Island News, a digital news company located in Key West. She uses her columns to connect residents and friends of the island, foster the One Human Family culture, and advance understanding of shared island goals. Her columns also appear in the Keys Citizen. Through KeyWestWatch Media, she builds websites for nonprofits and small businesses. She and her husband, Ed, a park ranger at Fort Zach, live in Key West with their Cat 5s.