Footage from the 2022 Florida Wildlife Corridor Summit
Corridor Connect: Ecology + Economy for a Better Florida
September 26-28 | Caribe Royale Orlando
Welcome to Corridor Connect, where the realms of ecology and economy will converge for three extraordinary days of networking, solution-building, and strategy development aimed at shaping a better future for Florida. Corridor Connect will bring together leaders from business, conservation and government to identify solutions for balancing Florida’s growth with the protection of our most at-risk resource — the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Together we will:
Take a step forward in Florida’s environmental sustainability and economic growth
Examine the multifaceted complexities surrounding the Corridor’s protection.
Build and strengthen relationships vital to creating successful partnerships across industries.
Engage in dynamic solutions-focused discussions and develop post-summit action plans.
Celebrate Corridor conservation wins
Who should attend?
- Public Partners and NGOs working to protect the Corridor
- Regional Developers & Landowners
- Coastal and Marine NGOs in Florida and Neighboring States
- Academic Institutions
- State Business Leaders
- Key Legislators
- Funders Interested in Hands-On Solution Building
- National Wildlife Corridor Experts & Leaders
Speakers

Mike Alfano
Principal Planner, Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency

Katie Allen
Director of Landscape Conservation, Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Dustin Angell
Program Director
of Education,
Archbold Biological
Station

Fabiola Baeza-Tarin
Conservation Ecologist, Common Ground Ecology

Dr. John Baldwin
Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University

Cynthia Barnett
Director, Climate and Environment Reporting Initiatives, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications

Eban Bean
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Urban Water Resources Engineering, University of Florida

Asha Bertsch
Lead Horticulturist, The Underline

Bob Bendick
Director, Gulf of Mexico Program, The Nature Conservancy

Logan Benedict
Adaptation and Landscape Specialist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Nina Bhattacharyya
Urban Agriculture Specialist, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production

Zach Bodhane
Director of Government Relations, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Josh
Bomstein
President,
Creative
Contractors Inc.

Rebecca
Bradley
Founding
Principal,
Cadence

Jon Paul “J.P.” Brooker
Director, Florida Conservation, Ocean Conservancy

Samantha
Brown
Office of Greenways and Trails, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Ramesh
Buch
Director of Conservation Acquisitions, North Florida Land Trust

Deborah Burr
Program Administrator, Division of State Lands, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Autumn
Calder
Director, Blueprint
Intergovernmental
Agency

Commissioner Lee Constantine
District 3
Commissioner,
Seminole County, Florida

Matthew Corby
Installation Conservation Manager, Florida Department of Military Affairs, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center

Ernie Cox
President,
Family Lands
Remembered, LLC

Capt. Paul Cross
Director of Operations, Plantation Resort on Crystal River

Gabby Curtiz
Safari Tourism
Guide, Gorongosa
National Park

Rev. Houston R. Cypress, Otter Clan
Board of Directors,
Love the
Everglades Movement

Brenna Dacks
Regional Partnership Manager and Rural Tourism Liaison, VISIT FLORIDA

Joshua Daskin
Director of Conservation,
Archbold Biological
Station

Traci Deen
CEO, Conservation Florida

Callie DeHaven
Director, Division of State Lands, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Mallory Dimmitt
Chief Executive Officer, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

Eric Draper
Chair, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation PES Workgroup

Katherine R. English
Attorney, Pavese Law Firm

John Francis
Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations Environment Programme

Mason Gravley
Lead Adventurer, Athletic Brewing

Secretary Shawn Hamilton
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Jennifer Hecker
Executive Director, Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership

Clay Henderson
Author,
Environmental Lawyer,
and Educator

Carter Henne
President, Sea & Shoreline

Erica Hernandez
Conservation Director, Alachua
Conservation Trust

Dr. Jodi Hilty
President and Chief Scientist, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Christina Hite
Co-Founder,
DIX•HITE +
Partners

Kim Holland, PE
Assistant Secretary of Strategic Development, Florida Department of Transportation

Patty
Huff
President,
Friends of the
River of Grass Greenway

Alex Johns
Executive Director of Agriculture, Seminole Tribe of Florida

Dr. Pierce
Jones
Director, Program for Resource Efficient Communities, Center for Land Use Efficiency, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Lena
Juarez
Executive Director,
Florida
Agritourism
Association

M. Jennison
Kipp
Resource Economist, Program for Resource Efficient Communities, Center for Land Use Efficiency, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Greg
Knecht
Executive Director,
The Nature
Conservancy in
Florida

Richard L. Levey, Ph.D., AICP
Managing Director, Levey Consulting

Tori Linder
Conservationist, Path of the Panther

Charles E. “Buck” MacLaughlin
Range Operations Officer, 598th Range Squadron, 23rd Wing, Avon Park Air Force Range

Julie
Morris
Director, Florida Conservation Group

Brittany
Moore
Office of Greenways
and Trails,
Florida Department of
Environmental Protection

Lisa Moore
President, Save Crystal River

Sue Mullins
Director, Rural and Family Lands Program, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

James
Murley
Chief Resiliency
Officer,
Miami-Dade
County

Heather Nagy
Strategic Conservation Planning Coordinator, North Florida Land Trust

John H. Nix
Energy Conservation Engineer, Alachua County Public Schools

Sean M.
Parks
District 2
Commissioner,
Lake County,
Florida

Senator Kathleen Passidomo
President, Florida Senate

Matt
Pearce
Chairman,
Conservation
Florida

Beth
Pratt
California Regional
Executive Director,
National Wildlife
Federation

Queen
Quet
Chieftess and
Head-of-State,
Gullah/Geechee
Nation

Jennifer Roberts
Assistant Bureau Chief, District 3 Administration, Florida Park Service

Valerie
Seidel
President and
Principal Economist,
The Balmoral
Group

Brittany Sellers
Assistant Director of Sustainability, Resilience, and Future-Ready Initiatives, City of Orlando

Gautam Shah
Founder, Internet of Elephants, National Geographic Fellow, TED Fellow

Commissioner Wilton Simpson
Commissioner of Agriculture, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Jeb
Smith
President,
Florida Farm
Bureau
Federation

Taylor V. Stein, PhD
Professor and Associate Director, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida

Lindsey
Stevens
Director of the Sustainable Communities Strategy and Protection, The Nature Conservancy in Florida

Jim
Strickland
Owner,
Strickland
Ranch

Gabriela
Tejeda
Conservation Storyteller, 2023 National Geographic Young Explorer

Travis
Thompson
Radio Host, Cast and Blast Podcast & Owner/Operator, Gasparilla Charters

Carlton
Ward Jr.
Founder,
Wildpath

Shane Wellendorf
Land Conservancy Director,
Tall Timbers
Research Station
and Land Conservancy

Geoff West
Director of Development, Florida Power and Light

Benita M.
Whalen
President,
Dispersed
Water
LLC

Nick
Wiley
Chief Operating
Officer,
Ducks Unlimited,
Inc.

Ben & Louann Williams
Owners and
Managers,
Wetland
Preserve LLC

Kent L. Wimmer
Coordinator, Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape & Senior Northwest Florida Representative, Defenders of Wildlife

James M. Wohl
Owner, Rafter T Ranch

Dana
Young
President and
Chief Executive
Officer,
Visit Florida
Agenda at a glance
Innovation Corridor
The Innovation Corridor provides businesses, nonprofit organizations and students an opportunity to present innovative, novel, and creative solutions for Corridor protection to state-wide and national leaders in the private and public sectors. We are offering opportunities to purchase a booth or a package including tickets to enjoy the full summit. A limited number of scholarships are available for college student presenters. For pricing and other details, contact Maureen Vicaria at maureen@floridawildlifecorridor.org.












Travel Information
Caribe Royale Orlando
Hotel
A discounted room rate of $189/night plus tax and fees is available when you book through our link. The hotel will honor the rate for 3 days before and after the summit, subject to availability. A Government room block is also available.
Parking
Hotel Self-parking $28.00 (plus tax, per night, per vehicle)
Non-registered Hotel Day guest: $30.00 (plus tax, per vehicle)
Valet: $35.00 (plus tax, per vehicle)
Disney Perk:
Transportation is available to the Walt Disney World Ticket & Transportation Center and to Disney Springs. Any hotel guest may reserve a seat on the shuttle so long as space is available. Guests must stop by the concierge desk in the main lobby to reserve transportation.
Sponsorship Opportunities
As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generous support of sponsors to make this event possible. As a sponsor, you will not only gain valuable exposure for your organization but also play a crucial role in advancing conservation solutions. We are offering a variety of sponsorship levels and perks to accommodate a variety of budgets and objectives. For personalized sponsorship needs please contact Director of Development, Danna Bramlett at danna@floridawildlifecorridor.org.
- 2 passes to Corridor Connect 2023 (Field Trips not included)
- Company listed in event app
- Name included on event website
- 4 passes to Corridor Connect 2023 (Field Trips not included)
- Company listed in event app
- Name included on event website
- 3 passes to Corridor Connect 2023 (one Field Trip per ticket included)
- Named sponsorship of one (1) meal (breakfast, lunch or break)
- Selected based on availability when sponsorship is confirmed
- Name included on event website
Sponsors
Corridor Connect 2023 is made possible in part by:
Sustainability Sponsor:

Sponsors:
![Disney Red 4C[35]](https://floridawildlifecorridor.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Disney-Red-4C35.png)

























Summit Program Committee
2023 Corridor Connect Committee Members provide program and presenter expertise to ensure that we deliver a collective culture that’s inclusive of all corridor voices and interest. Meet our committee members!
Josh Daskin, PhD, Director of Conservation, Archbold Biological Station
Mallory Dimmitt, Chief Executive Officer, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
Elizabeth Guthrie, Manager of Conservation Programs – Florida, Ducks Unlimited
Jason Lauritsen, Chief Conservation Officer, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
Julie Morris, Florida and Gulf Programs Manager, National Wildlife Refuge Association
Heather Obara, Associate Director, Alachua Conservation Trust
Jim Strickland, Owner, Strickland Ranch
Noah Valenstein, Managing Partner, Brightwater
Jane West, Policy and Planning Director, 1000 Friends of Florida
2022 Florida Wildlife Corridor Summit
The inaugural-multi-day Florida Wildlife Corridor Summit took place over three days in April 2022 to convene thought leaders for discussions, collaboration, and problem-solving all geared toward conserving the Florida Wildlife Corridor.