Board of Directors
Jorge Caspary Jorge Caspary, P.G. is a Senior Principal with Montrose Environmental, LLC, an environmental consulting firm. Mr. Caspary has 30 years of technical and managerial experience in the areas of environmental assessment and site cleanup, Brownfields redevelopment, and contaminated property reuse strategies. He is involved in the redevelopment of several Brownfields sites across Florida. As a former Director of the Division of Waste Management within the FDEP, he was involved in the development and implementation of new environmental policy, rules, and guidance in the State of Florida that have benefited Florida’s Brownfields redevelopment. He is a former Board member and President of the Florida Brownfields Association and during his tenure as President, he was instrumental in the development of a Strategic Plan for the Association and re-engagement with the Association’s Foundation. Mr. Caspary holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Florida State University and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Florida.
Michael Larson Michael Larson is an environmental attorney and Partner in the Tallahassee office of Akerman LLP. He has over 15 years of legal experience and advises clients on a range of complex environmental law issues arising in litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters. In addition to handling environmental disputes, Michael routinely assists clients with the cleanup, reuse, repurposing, and redevelopment of Brownfield sites and other contaminated or distressed properties. Michael guides clients through obtaining environmental regulatory closure of contaminated sites and also advises on environmental permitting and compliance matters. His practice additionally includes assisting clients obtain Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credits and performing significant environmental due diligence in connection with real estate and corporate transactions. Michael received his B.A. and J.D. from Emory University.
Ed Johnson Edward (Ed) Johnson began his sixty (60) year public/private career in 1963 (Retired U.S. Air Force). Mr. Johnson is currently employed as the City of Palmetto, Florida, Interim Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Director and recently retired from the City of Tampa, Manager for East Tampa Development and Coordinating Manager for the EPA Brownfields Grant Programs for over eighteen (18) years. He was previously employed by SouthTrust Bank for seven years as Vice President, Florida West Coast Regional Manager for Community and Business Development.
Kirk Blevens Kirk Blevins is a Project Director for SCS Engineers. With over 25 years of experience, Mr. Blevins is responsible for the management, planning, and technical direction of a wide variety of environmental investigative and compliance projects. His primary practice areas comprise land development and redevelopment support, due diligence for property transactions, EHS compliance/auditing, waste management, and navigating the regulatory issues associated with RCRA and CERCLA sites. He currently leads teams and regional business development efforts for SCS. Mr. Blevins is a graduate of Old Dominion University and Florida Institute of Technology.
Lena Green Young Lena Young Green Lena Young Green serves on the board of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, and is founder of Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association. She is co-founder of the Coalition for Community Gardens - Tampa Bay, and the GreenARTery, Inc. She worked in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate as legislative assistant to James Hargrett, Jr. for almost twenty years. With her first-hand involvement in internal and external state governmental operations, leadership in legislative policy research, and management of constituent affairs, she directed government-relations, consulting and technical assistance services. She has many years of experience in community and youth development, community leadership projects and program amd grant management, analysis and consultation. In addition, she has expertise in resident board development and capacity building. She has served with numerous civic and community entities and on nonprofits boards. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Operations Management and Associates in Business Information Systems. Past services include: Tampa Heights Stewardship Team, Florida Brownfields Association Advisory Board; Belize American Association, City of Tampa Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board; Hillsborough County Magnet Schools Advisory Board; Clearwater Community-Based Development Organization, Tampa Youth Opportunity Advisory Board Member; The Mayor's Youth Corp Advisory Committee; Mayor Beautification Greenprinting Program. Awards include: Outstanding Support and Dedication Award, Citizen of the Year Award, Board Member ofthe Year, Brotherhood/Sisterhood A ward, Dedicated Service Award.
Shakenya Jackson Dr. Shakenya Harris-Jackson is the Grant Administrator for the City of Apopka and manages the Brownfield program, Apopka Youth Works, and the Apopka Youth Council. She has over 18 years of grant writing and management experience. Her work with youth programming has received awards from The United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. She has a doctorate degree in Education and taught Health, Biology and Physical Science for over a decade. She is also a licensed real estate agent with Watson Realty Corp. She has been a member of the Florida Brownfields Association since 2015.
Richard Jenkins Rich Jenkins is a seasoned program manager with over two decades of experience specializing in economic growth, environmental redevelopment, and governmental initiatives. As a leader in Pasco County’s Office of Economic Growth, Rich manages the Pasco County Brownfield Initiatives and serves as county liaison for the Pasco County Food Policy Advisory Board, overseeing programs that drive community development and sustainability. Rich also serves as a board member for the Pasco County Coalition of Neighborhood Associations and as a member of the Pasco County Sherriff’s Office Career Service Appeals Board. Additionally, Rich has represented Pasco businesses through the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC. His work includes administering federal and local grants, ensuring compliance with regulations, and fostering partnerships to support economic revitalization.
Joseph F. Ullo, Jr. Joseph Ullo “Joe” acts as environmental counsel to brownfield redeveloper clients. Having practiced in the industry for almost three decades, Joe has held views from the technical, legal and regulatory perspectives. For many years, Joe has volunteered his time serving in various capacities for the FBA. In 2008, he worked closely with Anna Long and Becky Buice on the annual conference in Jacksonville. Between 2009 and 2010, he served as FBA President. Over his many years with the FBA, Joe has helped the Legislative Committee in successful campaigns as a Co-Chair of the committee. Joe currently is a Co-Chair with Michael Sznapstajler. Joe is a licensed professional engineer and a barred attorney in Florida. He is a shareholder with Carlton Fields and a proud graduate of Georgia Tech, Florida State University and Spring Hill College.
Belinda Williams-Collins Belinda Williams-Collins has served as a Senior Planner with the City of DeLand since 2009 where she also serves as the Brownfields Project Manager and Historic Preservation Coordinator. Prior to serving in DeLand she was employed as Principal Planner for the City of Daytona Beach for nearly 15 years. She has been involved with FBA since 2013 and has served on the EJ Committee as Chair and Co-Chair. Ms. Williams-Collins has a background in landscape architecture which enhances her work with brownfield remediation and working as an urban planner provides a means of bringing the focus of brownfield cleanup full circle to help make optimal use of remediated land. She is the recipient of an Urban Design Award from the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, FPZA (Florida Planning & Zoning Association) Outstanding Planning Study Award and FPZA Outstanding Service Award.
Patrick A. Barnes, P.G. is a professional geologist and environmental justice advocate. He began his career in 1985 working for the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University as a Research Assistant in seismology and borehole geophysics. In 1986 he joined TAMS where he worked on several Superfund sites in the New York/New Jersey area, including “The Love Canal”. He relocated to Orlando Florida in 1988 to work with DRMP, where he served as Project Manager/Hydrogeology Department Head. At DRMP he managed the site assessment, environmental permitting and water supply needs for numerous Florida municipalities and in 1994 he established BFA Environmental), an environmental, utility engineering, surveying and hydrogeologic firm. At its peak BFA had over 150 employees in the southeast US, executing 25 million dollars in contracts. Mr. Barnes has conducted numerous large-scale natural resource evaluations and managed contamination site assessment/cleanup projects in brownfield communities of Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, New Orleans and Birmingham. He has served as a Science/Technical advisor to the EPA for Superfund cleanups such as the Warren County (North Carolina) PCB Landfill (the birthplace of the EJ movement), the Wingate Road Landfill in Fort Lauderdale, and the Coronet Site in Plant City. Although currently retired from BFA as its Founder/CEO, he still advises BFA on issues related to management, finances, operations, planning, marketing and community engagement. In 2006 after completing a USACE/FEMA debris removal management contract for the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he provided $300,000 seed capital to establish Limitless Vistas, Inc (LVI), a non-profit dedicated to training at-risk young adults as environmental technicians. In 2013 he was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change – Climate Resiliency Leader for his work in vulnerable communities. Mr. Barnes has served on many boards/councils including the Corps Network, Central Florida NSBE Alumni Extension, Florida Association of Professional Geologists. He served 4 years (2014-2018) on the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program (GRP) advisory board and subsequently the GRPs Offshore Situation Room (OSR) Committee and most recently the GRP’s Enhancing Community Resiliency (EnCoRe) Working Group. He has been very involved with the FBA since its founding and is very engaged in its environmental justice initiatives.
Serena Echols is currently a senior at Spelman College pursuing her B.S in Environmental Science. During her time at Spelman College, Serena serves as the Class Representative for the Corella & Bertram Bonner Scholars Program and as an intern at the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. Most of Serena’s work focuses on Environmental Justice concentrating on urban planning and public health. Through her research, she intends on preserving native populations of people and plants by capturing the stories of these communities and place keeping their stories in history using a multimedia approach. Ken Pinnix In addition, Ken is President and CEO of PTW Associates, LLC which provides an array of professional services to its clients including project and grant management, community outreach, community engagement and empowerment, as well as client relations support. Ken worked in various leadership roles for over ten (10) years in the Planning and Development and Housing and Neighborhoods Departments where he served as Chief of the Community Development Division, Community Planning, Historic Preservation and Brownfields Program Coordinator. An accomplished scientist and researcher, Ken has more than 20 years of experience with medical device manufacturing, research and consulting with Emory University, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Johnson and Johnson, Inc. and is a published author of several scientific papers. He holds a BS in Zoology from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Science in Biology/Immunology from North Carolina Central University and has completed collaborative graduate research at Duke University in Durham, NC. Ken is Past President and Board Chair of the Florida Community Development Association; Board member of the Florida Brownfields Association; Board Chair of the Florida Brownfields Association Foundation; Current Vice President and Past President of 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc., and member of the National Community Development Association. He is a former board member of The Florida Theatre Inc., Community Connections, Inc., and Dean’s Leadership Circle of The Thomas G. Carpenter Library, University of North Florida; Otis Smith Youth Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Northeast Florida. |
