Shawn Hamilton is Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and serves as ARC Chair. Mr. Hamilton has worked at the Department since 2007. In his career with DEP, Mr. Hamilton served as Ombudsman for the DEP Northwest District Office, assistant district director, district director, and deputy secretary for Land and Recreation. Mr. Hamilton has 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, with proven ability to build trusted and constructive connections with community stakeholders, elected officials, and organizational team members. Mr. Hamilton is a graduate of Troy University with a degree in business.
--Mara Gambineri, Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation, has been designated by Secretary Hamilton to represent the Department of Environmental Protection on ARC and to serve as Chairperson.
Dr. William Palmer is President of the Tall Timbers Research Station. Tall Timbers is an organization dedicated to wildlife research and conservation activity. He has degrees in zoology and wildlife sciences and has been working to restore grassland habitats on 100,000 acres of public land in Florida. Dr. Palmer has authored many papers on bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, and the effects of prescribed burning for Southern forests. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia.
Roger Young is Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is responsible for the management of the FWC and serves a seven-member Commission. Mr. Young began his career with FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement where he promoted through the ranks over his 28-year service and led the Division as Colonel beginning in 2021. He was appointed to FWC Executive Director in May 2023. Mr. Young is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in social science with an emphasis in environmental studies. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Academy, and the FDLE Senior Leadership Program.
--George Warthen, Chief Conservation Officer, has been designated by Mr. Young to represent FWC on ARC.
Rick Dolan is Director of the Florida Forest Service. Mr. Dolan began his career with the Florida Forest Service in 1993 as a Perry District Forest Ranger. He was promoted to Senior Forest Ranger at Goethe State Forest in 1996. In 1999 he became the first Forest Area Supervisor for the newly created Wildfire Mitigation Team in Bunnell. In 2000, Mr. Dolan transferred to a traditional Forest Area Supervisor position for Alachua and Gilchrist counties. Mr. Dolan served as Waccasassa Forestry Center Manager from 2010 until 2023. Mr. Dolan has been on the Florida Red Incident Management Team for 20 years and has led the team nationally on wildfires in Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, and numerous in-state assignments including hurricane responses.
Alissa Lotane is Director of the Florida Division of Historical Resources and serves as Florida’s State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Ms. Lotane has been with the Florida Department of State since 2003. Ms. Lotane was Chief of the Bureau of Historic Preservation and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer from 2011 to 2022. As Florida's SHPO, Ms. Lotane has oversight of the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Bureau of Archaeological Research, and Bureau of Historical Museums that includes the Museum of Florida History, Mission San Luis, Knott House Museum, and The Grove Museum. Ms. Lotane holds a master's degree in Anthropology and a Museum Studies Certification from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in History from Troy University. During her time as a graduate student, she worked summers at the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of the American Indian, Appleton Museum of Art, and the Ocala Museum of Art.
Lynetta Usher Griner, Officer of the Usher Land and Timber Company in Chiefland. Ms. Griner has been an attorney for 28 years, leaving private practice to work for her family timber business. She gained valuable experience in land-management issues as a former member of the Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board. Ms. Griner is also a member of the citizen-support organization for Fanning Springs State Park, and was a member of the Florida Forever Advisory Council, which evaluated Florida Forever projects when the program was set up as a replacement for Preservation 2000.
Elva Peppers is president of Florida Environmental & Land Services Inc. Ms. Peppers assists private clients, municipalities, and agencies to develop permittable and sustainable projects. Ms. Peppers held positions with DEP and two private environmental consulting firms and has 25 years of experience in the environmental field. She is a graduate of the Florida State University with a degree in biology.
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