Sanctuary Advisory Council Members

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council members represent boating, conservation and environment, diving, education and outreach, South Florida ecosystem restoration, fishing (commercial and recreational), elected county government, submerged cultural resources, research and monitoring, tourism and the commsunity at large.

One of the roles of the members is to serve as a liaison between the sanctuary and members of the community. If you want to voice your opinion or ask questions about the sanctuary, contact the current council members who represent your area of interest.

The advisory council is one way for members of the community to get involved with the sanctuary. The council meets six times a year and the public is invited to attend and may opt to provide comment during these meetings. Vacancies on the council are periodically available for which you can apply. 

Contact information for current Sanctuary Advisory Council members is listed below.

Officers

Chair: George Garrett
Term: 6/22 - 6/24
Seat: Citizen at Large - Middle Keys
Email: garrettg@ci.marathon.fl.us

Vice-Chair: Ben Daughtry
Term: 6/22 - 6/24
Seat: Conservation and Environment
Email: ben@dynastymarine.net

Community Seats

Boating Industry

Member: Ken Reda
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
General Manager, MarineMax
Email: Ken.Reda@marinemax.com

Alternate: Ben Murray
Term: 12/23 -6/26
Director of State Government Relations, National Marine Manufacturers Association
Email: bmurray@nmma.org

Citizen at Large

Citizen at Large - Upper Keys
Member: Kate DeLoach
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
Partner, The Southern Group
Email: deloach@thesoutherngroup.com

Alternate: Jessica Dockery
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
Reef Revitalization Project Liaison, United Way of Collier and the Keys
Email: jessica.dockery@uwcollierkeys.org

Citizen at Large - Middle Keys
Member: George Garrett
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
City Manager, City of Marathon
Email: garrettg@ci.marathon.fl.us

Alternate: Bobby Dube
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Retired Florida FWC Officer
Email: robertdubejr@gmail.com

Citizen at Large - Lower Keys
Member: Mimi Stafford
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Commercial Fisher
Email: simi01@bellsouth.net

Alternate: Stephen Patten
Term: 6/21 -6/24
Retired, FKNMS Volunteer
Email: pattensp@aol.com

Conservation and Environment

Seat 1: Ben Daughtry
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
CEO, Aquarium Encounters
Email: ben@dynastymarine.net

Alternate: Jesse Joy
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
Eco-tour Captain
Email: captainjesse@joyinmarineconsulting.com

Seat 2: Jerry Lorenz
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Director of Research, Audubon Florida
Email: jlorenz@audubon.org"

Alternate: Caitlin Lustic
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
South Florida Marine Conservation Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Email: clustic@tnc.org

Diving

Diving - Upper Keys
Member: Seanna Knight
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
Manager/Instructor, Florida Keys Dive Center and Islamorada Dive Center
Email: seannaknight@gmail.com

Alternate: Daniel Dawson
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Owner, Horizon Divers
Email: dan@horizondivers.com

Diving - Lower Keys
Member: Vacant

Alternate: Lucja Rice
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Diving Faculty, College of the Florida Keys
Email: Lucja.rice@cfk.edu

Education and Outreach

Member: Shelly Krueger
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Florida Sea Grant Agent, University of Florida IFAS Extension
Email: shellykrueger@ufl.edu

Alternate: Dora DeMaria
Term: 1/23 - 6/25
Assistant Executive Director, Reef Relief
Email: dorademaria294@gmail.com

Fishing

Fishing - Charter Fishing Flats Guide
Member: Captain Will Benson
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Flats Guide, World Angling
Guide Ambassador, Bonefish Tarpon Trust
Email: captwillbenson@mac.com

Alternate: Captain Bob Beighley
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Flats Guide, Double Haul Charters
Email: doublehaulcharters@hotmail.com

Fishing - Charter Sports Fishing
Member: Captain Greg Eklund
Term: 12/23 - 6/26
Owner/Operator, Cloud Nine Charters
President, Islamorada Charter Boats Association
Email: cloudninegreg@bellsouth.net

Alternate: Captain Brian McCadie
Term: 12/23 - 6/26
Owner/Operator, Satisfaction Charters
Owner/Operator, Glass Bottom Boats of Islamorada Inc.
Email: brian@satisfactioncharters.com

Fishing - Commercial - Marine Life/Tropical
Member: Ken Nedimyer
Term: 6/21 - 6/24
Founder, Reef Renewal
Email: reefrenewal@gmail.com

Alternate: Jeff Turner
Term: 6/21 -6/24
President, Reef Aquaria Design
Email: jeff@reefaquariadesign.com

Fishing - Commercial - Shell/Scale
Member: Daniel Padron
Term: 1/23 - 6/25
Commercial Fisher
Email: padrondv@gmail.com

Alternate: Jerome Young
Term: 12/23 - 6/26
Director, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association
Email: young_jerome@hotmail.com

Fishing - Recreational
Member: Karen L. Angle
Term: 06/23 - 06/26
Captain, Fisher, Diver, Photographer
Email: mermaid@nets.com

Alternate: Gary Jennings
Term: 06/23 - 6/26
Director, Keep Florida Fishing, American Sportfishing Assn
Email: gjennings@asafishing.org

Research and Monitoring

Member: Dr. Erinn Muller
Term: 6/23 - 06/26
Associate Vice President of Research, Mote Marine Laboratory
Email: emuller@mote.org

Alternate: Dr. Karen Neely
Term: 6/23 - 6/26
Research Scientist, Nova Southeastern University
Email: karenlynnneely@gmail.com

South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

Member: Kelly Cox, Esq.
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Director of Everglades Policy, Audubon Florida
Email: kelly.cox@audubon.org

Alternate: Marisa Carrozzo
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Senior Coastal & Wildlife Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association
Email: mcarrozzo@npca.org

Submerged Cultural Resources

Member: Dr. Diane Silvia, RPA
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Director, Historic Florida Keys Foundation
Email: hfkf@bellsouth.net

Alternate: Sara Ayers-Rigsby, RPA
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Director, Florida Public Archaeology Network Southeast/Southwest Regions
Email: sayersrigsby@fau.edu

Tourism

Tourism - Lower Keys
Member: Andy Newman
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
President, Newman PR
Email: andy@newmanpr.com

Alternate: Eddie Kertis
Term 1/23 - 6/25
Owner/Operator, Aloha Sailing Key West
Email: eddie@alohasailingkeywest.com

Tourism - Upper Keys
Member: Lisa Mongelia
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Executive Director, History of Diving Museum
Email:

Alternate: Captain Ginny Oshaben
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Captain, Red Hospitality
Email: ginnyosh@icloud.com

Governmental Members

Local/County Government

Member: Jim Scholl
County Commissioner, District 3, Monroe County
Email: Scholl-Jim@monroecounty-fl.gov

Municipal Representatives

Islamorada, Village of Islands (non-voting)
Member: Hon. Buddy Pinder, Mayor
Email: Buddy.Pinder@islamorada.fl.us

Designee: Vacant

City of Key Colony Beach (non-voting)
Member: Vacant

Designee: Vacant

City of Key West (non-voting)
Member: Hon. Teri Johnston, Mayor
Email: Tjohnston@cityofkeywest-fl.gov

Designee: Allison Higgins, Sustainability Coordinator
Email: Ahiggins@cityofkeywest-fl.gov

City of Layton (non-voting)
Member: Hon. Bruce Halle, Mayor
Email: Cityhall@cityoflayton.com

Designee: Councilwoman Dr. Cynthia Lewis
Email: cynthialewis@usf.edu

City of Marathon (non-voting)
Member: TBD

Designee: TBD

State Government

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Member: Dr. Nicolas Parr
Environmental Manager, FKNMS & Southeast Aquatic Preserves
Email: nicholas.parr@floridadep.gov

Alternate: Mollie Sinnot
Email: mollie.sinnott@floridadep.gov

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine
Fisheries Management/Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Member: Dr. CJ Sweetman
Federal Fisheries Section Leader
Email: Christopher.Sweetman@myfwc.com

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement

Member: Captain David Dipre
Captain, Monroe County
Email: david.dipre@myfwc.com

Federal Government

National Park Service

Member: Tylan Dean
Biological Sciences Branch Chief, Everglades & Dry Tortugas National Parks
Email: tylan_dean@nps.gov

NOAA Fisheries Service

Member: Lauren Waters
Natural Resource Management Specialist, Southeast Regional Office
Email: Lauren.Waters@noaa.gov

NOAA Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Section (Southeast)

Member: Loren Remsberg
Enforcement Attorney
Email: Loren.Remsberg@noaa.gov

NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

Member: Matthew Walia
Compliance Liaison, Southeast Division
Email: matthew.walia@noaa.gov

Alternate: Enforcement Officers Justin Powell or Russell Kiefer
Email: Justin.Powell@noaa.gov or Russell.Kiefer@noaa.gov

U.S. Coast Guard

Member: LT Cameron Box
USCG, District 7
Email: Cameron.C.Box@uscg.mil

Alternate: ENS Stephen Jordan Haas
USCG, Sector Key West
Email: Stephen.J.Haas@uscg.mil

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Member: Steven Blackburn
EPA South Florida Geographic Program
Email: Blackburn.Steven@epa.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Member: Chris Eggleston
Project Leader (Refuge Complex Manager)
Email: christian_eggleston@fws.gov

Alternate: Greg Boling
Deputy Project Leader (Deputy Refuge Complex Manager)
Email: reg_boling@fws.gov

U.S. Navy

Member: Wendy Wheatley-Techmer
Natural Resource Manager, NAS Key West
Email: wendy.wheatley-techmer.civ@us.navy.mil

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Ex-Officio Staff (non-voting)

Sarah Fangman
Sanctuary Superintendent
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
33 East Quay Rd.
Key West, FL 33040
305-809-4700
Email: Sarah.Fangman@noaa.gov