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Pinellas County convenes Sustainability and Resiliency Advisory Committee

Pinellas County is convening an expansive and diverse advisory committee that will help finalize the County’s first Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan over the next several months.

The 23-member Sustainability and Resiliency Advisory Committee, filled through appointments by County Administrator Barry A. Burton, includes representatives from a cross section of Pinellas County. Each member brings unique experiences, perspectives and interests to the challenges at hand.

Scheduled for completion this summer, the Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan will set the foundation for how the County Commission will establish sustainability and resiliency policies and initiatives. The plan will also prioritize the economic and social case for environmental stewardship, community resiliency, hazard mitigation, and climate change adaptation, including cost savings and economic opportunity.

In addition to the advisory committee, the County conducted a public input survey on sustainability and resiliency issues last fall, resulting in nearly 1,300 survey responses. The results of the survey will also help shape the action plan. 

“It’s critical that we hear from our community as we develop the Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan,” said Hank Hodde, Pinellas County’s Sustainability and Resiliency Program Coordinator. “We’re grateful for the support of this committee to help ensure that the plan is not only guided by expertise, but also addresses the perspectives and priorities of all corners of our community.”

To learn more about Pinellas County’s sustainability and resiliency initiatives, residents can visit sustainability.pinellas.gov.

The committee members are:

  • Tirusew Asefa -Tampa Bay Water 
  • Maya Burke – Tampa Bay Estuary Program 
  • Rodney Chapman – Forward Pinellas 
  • Neil Coffman – Florida Engineering Society, Tampa Chapter 
  • Juniper Duffin – Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Tampa Bay 
  • Nicole Dufva – Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
  • Michelle Dusseau Diller – Enterprise Community Partners 
  • Joe Farrell – Pinellas Realtor Organization 
  • Yaridis Garcia – Juvenile Welfare Board Neighborhood Family Centers 
  • Erica Hall – Suncoast Sierra Club 
  • Rev. Watson Haynes – Pinellas County Urban League 
  • Jeremy Heath – Lealman Community Redevelopment Area 
  • Alan Holderith – Pinellas County Contractors Licensing Board 
  • Dick Jacobs – Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns 
  • Gary Mitchum, PhD – USF College of Marine Science 
  • CJ Reynolds – Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council 
  • Julie Rocco – Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg 
  • Brian Smith – Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation (FGTF) 
  • Dave Sobush – Tampa Bay Partnership 
  • Barbara St. Clair – Creative Pinellas 
  • Whitney Stevens – American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida 
  • Jeff Waite – Renewable Energy Consultant 
  • Tamara Waldmann – Duke Energy Florida