FAMB Board
Kae Hovater
President and Board Member
EcoCredit Marketing
352-874-7370
kae@ecocreditmarketing.com
A Florida native with over 15 years in the natural resource trading industry, Kae Hovater is founder and President of EcoCredit Marketing (ECM). ECM specializes in the marketing and sales of wetland, stream, nutrient, and species compensatory mitigation bank credits throughout the United States. Kae has been actively involved in FAMB since 2017, serving three terms as President as well as its initial Executive Director.
Ryan Deibler
Vice President and Board Member
Missing Link Mitigation Bank
GreenSource Environmental Professionals, Inc.
14499 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Ste. 179S
Tampa, FL 33618
rdeibler@greensourceep.com
Ryan is Vice President of GreenSource Environmental Professionals, Inc. and a partner in Big Bullfrog Creek Mitigation Bank and Missing Link Mitigation Bank. Ryan has been in the environmental consulting business for 16 years in the Tampa Bay area. GreenSource currently provides services to 16 wetland mitigation banks and endangered species conservation banks throughout Florida, as well as project development and consulting services for other clients. Ryan holds and Bachelors of Science and a Master of Arts in Biology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
Joe Williams
Secretary and Board Member
Boran Ranch Mitigation Bank
Peace River Mitigation Bank
Old Florida Mitigation Bank
Upper Coastal Mitigation Bank
Ecosystem Investment Partners
5550 Newberry Street, Suite B
Baltimore, MD 21209
joe@ecosystempartners.com
Joe has over 10 years of experience in the environmental sector including mitigation banking, environmental consulting, and forestry. Joe was the Director of Operations for a nationwide mitigation banking company, Meritract, before joining Ecosystem Investment Partners. Joe served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, focusing on agroforestry, environmental, business and education initiatives. Joe earned a BS from James Madison University, and a Master of Environmental Management and a Master of Forestry from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke.
Helen Hutchens
Treasurer and Board Member
Miami Corporation Management, LLC
Managing Member Miami Alternatives, LLC
410 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 590
Chicago, IL 60611
hhutchens@miami-corp.com
Helen is the Manager for Farmton and Legal Services for Miami Corporation Management, LLC, the managing member of Miami Alternatives, LLC. Miami Alternatives, LLC owns and operates the Farmton Mitigation Bank. Helen is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Chris Tanner
Director
Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn, PA
109 N. Brush Street, Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33602
ctanner@mansonbolves.com
Chris is an attorney focusing his practice on wetland regulation and mitigation banking. He has served in positions in state and federal government, including the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Prior to working at the District, Chris served as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Financial Services and Senior Cabinet Aide to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, advising on matters pertaining to acquisition, management, and disposition of state lands, including sovereignty submerged lands. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and J.D. from FSU.
Kelly Sands
Director
Westervelt Ecological Services
825 Thomasville Rd., Suite 9
Tallahassee, FL 32303
ksands@westervelt.com
Kelly serves as Business Development Manager, Southeast Region, for Westervelt Ecological Services. Westervelt owns and operates the St. Marks Mitigation Bank and the Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank in Florida. Part of their national portfolio of 23 mitigation and conservation banks. Kelly holds a Master’s of Science in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology.
Sarah Nelson
Director
Barge Design Solutions, Inc.
4703 NW 53rd Ave. Suite B-2
Gainesville, FL 32606
sarah.nelson@bargedesign.com
Sarah is a Gainesville, Florida native with over 10 years of experience in the environmental sector and eight years in mitigation banking. She is a double alumna from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation and an M.S. in Natural Resource Policy and Administration. Sarah’s former company, EC&D was recently acquired by the national firm Barge Design Solutions headquartered in Nashville, TN. Sarah and her Gainesville staff continue oversee the management of over 15 mitigation banks throughout the state of Florida and serves on the FAMB board as an owner of Lake Istokpoga Mitigation Bank. She also sits on the Advisory Committee for the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences and is a frequent guest lecturer on topics related to mitigation banking and restoration ecology.
Amber Halstead
Director
Myakka Mitigation Bank
2570 Commerce Parkway
North Port, FL 34289
ahalstead@earthbalance.com
As an Ecologist with EarthBalance, Amber has been working on environmental permitting and mitigation banking projects for the past four years. Over this time, Amber has been involved in many aspects of mitigation banking; she has assisted in the initial site selection process for potential banks across the country, developed prospectuses and Mitigation Banking Instruments for banks in Florida and Puerto Rico, and performed both implementation and long-term monitoring for banks in Florida. Amber holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Florida State University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.
Aaron Landry
Director
JMB Companies, Inc.
Southern States Land and Timber, LLC
205 Sage Glenn Lane
Lafayette, Louisiana 70508
aaron@jbmcompanies.com
Aaron Landry has over 20 years’ experience in environmental permitting and mitigation banking with the past eight years working for JMB Companies, Inc. which owns and operates Southern States Land & Timber LLC in Florida. Currently he is the Director of Environmental Services of which, along with an experienced team, operates over 17 ecological offset banks across the gulf coast region. Prior to his position at JMB, Aaron was Manager of the Environmental and Regulatory Services group at John Chance Land Surveys, where he was responsible for operations in regulatory and ecological services related to land developments. Aaron Landry holds a BS in Environmental and Sustainable Resources from the University of Louisiana.
Kasey Carrere
Director
Big Cypress Mitigation Bank
Highlands Ranch Mitigation Bank
Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC.
Kasey has over 10 years of experience managing and implementing large restoration and ecological projects. Kasey and her team currently manage multiple mitigation banks and species banks in Florida and Kasey individually has managed over 15 stream and wetland mitigation banks in North Carolina and Florida combined. As a Mitigation Bank Program Manager for Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), she is charged with creating restoration solutions and overseeing RES owned Florida mitigation banks and program. Kasey’s professional experience includes, regulatory correspondence and negotiations, project management, operations management, credit sales, land negotiations and closings, permit compliance, and restoration permitting, construction and implementation. Additionally, Kasey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from University of Central Florida, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Rollins College and a Project Management Professionals (PMP) certificate from the Project Management Institute.
John Lesman
Director
Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc.
3025 E South St.
Orlando, FL 33803
jlesman@bio-techconsulting.com
John Lesman has 31 years of experience in the environmental permitting and is one of the principals (Partner/Director/Co-Owner) at Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc. His professional career includes ten years in natural resource regulation at the South Florida Water Management District and 21 years in private consulting. John’s professional experience includes Mitigation Banks and associated permitting, UMAM assessments, wetland delineation, and other regulatory and permitting issues. His efforts include coordination with local, state, and federal agencies to address and resolve various regulatory issues, including post-permit compliance and regulatory violations.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Auburn University and a Master of Science in Biological Science from the University of Central Florida.
John is a Gubernatorial Appointee currently serving as a member of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC) and has previously served as Chairman. John also represents the ECFRPC as a member of the Florida Regional Planning Councils Association (FRCA) and was recently elected as president with his term beginning in October.
Lori Killinger
Lobbyist
Lewis Longman and Walker
315 South Calhoun Street, Suite 830
Tallahassee, FL 32301
lkillinger@llw-law.com
Since 2011, Lori has been engaged as FAMB’s Legislative Counsel. With over 30 years of experience, Lori’s practice focuses on Legislative, Administrative and Governmental representation. She represents clients before legislative and executive branches of government, regulatory agencies at the state and local levels, the Florida Cabinet and legislative and gubernatorial commissions. In addition, Lori chairs the Legislative, Lobbying and Governmental Affairs Practice Group. Lori earned her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Florida and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law.