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 community 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: Ben Daughtry
Term: 6/24 - 6/26
Seat: Fishing - Commercial - Marine Life/Tropical
Email: ben@dynastymarine.net
Vice-Chair: Dr. Erinn Muller
Term: 6/24 - 6/26
Seat: Research and Monitoring
Email: emuller@mote.org
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: Kelly McKinnon
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Email: pigeonkey@aol.com
Alternate: Bobby Dube
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Retired Florida FWC Officer
Email: robertdubejr@gmail.com
Citizen at Large - Lower Keys
Member: Stephen Patten
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Retired, FKNMS Volunteer
Email: pattensp@aol.com
Alternate: Allison Delashmit
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Executive Director, Lower Keys Guides Assn
Email: allisondelashmit@gmail.com
Conservation and Environment
Seat 1: Ken Nedimyer
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Founder, Reef Renewal
Email: reefrenewal@gmail.com
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 (retired)
Email: jlorenz@fiu.edu
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: Rachel Bowman
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Commercial Lionfish Diver
Email: spearlionfish@gmail.com
Diving - Lower Keys
Member: Lucja Rice
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Diving Faculty, College of the Florida Keys
Email: Lucja.rice@cfk.edu
Alternate: Kim Roney
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Owner, Captain Hooks Dive Center
Email: kim@captainhooks.com
Education and Outreach
Member: Shelly Krueger
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
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 Richard Black
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
Flats Guide, Blackfly Charters
Email: blackflycharters@gmail.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: Ben Daughtry
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
CEO, Aquarium Encounters
Email: ben@dynastymarine.net
Alternate: Jeff Turner
Term: 6/24 - 6/27
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: director@divingmuseum.org
Alternate: Captain Ginny Oshaben
Term: 6/22 - 6/25
Captain, Red Hospitality
Email: ginnyosh@icloud.com
Governmental Members
Local/County Government
Member: Craig Cates
County Commissioner, District 1, Monroe County
Email: boccdis1@monroecounty-fl.gov
Municipal Representatives
Islamorada, Village of Islands (non-voting)
Member: Steve Friedman, Council Member
Email: steve.friedman@islamorada.fl.us
Designee: Vacant
City of Key Colony Beach (non-voting)
Member: Vacant
City of Key West (non-voting)
Member: Hon. Danise Henriquez, Mayor
Email: mayor@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: George Garrett, City Manager
Email: garrettg@ci.marathon.fl.us
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 Cordo
Email: mollie.cordo@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: Dr. Meagan Schrandt
Marine Ecologist, Everglades National Park
Email: meagan_schrandt@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 Officer Justin Powell
Email: Justin.Powell@noaa.gov
U.S. Coast Guard
Member: CAPT Jason Ingram
USCG, Sector Key West
Email: Jason.D.Ingram@uscg.mil
Alternate: ENS Jack Agar
USCG, Sector Key West
Email: Jack.S.Agar@uscg.mil
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Member: Elizabeth Smith
EPA South Florida Program
Email: smith.elizabeth@epa.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Member: Heather Stewart
Biologist, Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge
Email: heather_stewart@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)
David Burke
Acting Sanctuary Superintendent
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
33 East Quay Rd.
Key West, FL 33040
305-809-4700
Email: David.Burke@noaa.gov