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Florida Communities Trust - Governing Board
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The Florida Communities Trust has a six-member governing board chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs (Thomas G. Pelham). The other members include the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (Michael W. Sole), and four public members appointed by the Governor (Albert E. Alfonso, William F. LaMée, Ruth Stanbridge, and Lynette Self).
Thomas
G. Pelham, Chair
On December 21, 2006, Governor Charlie Crist appointed Tom Pelham as Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs. With over twenty five years of experience in environmental, land use and governmental law at the state, regional and local levels, Secretary Pelham is a unique asset to the Department. By diligently working with Governor Crist and community leaders, Mr. Pelham will lead the Department's efforts to manage issues affecting Florida's communities including community and transportation planning, development and implementation of affordable housing solutions, and mitigating disaster recovery. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Mr. Pelham was of counsel to the law firm Fowler White Boggs Banker P.A. Mr. Pelham is a certified planner who previously served as the Secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs from 1987-1991. As Secretary, he played a key role in the initial implementation of the 1985 Growth Management Act. He served as member of both the Tallahassee-Leon County and Capital Center Planning Commissions. Mr. Pelham obtained his bachelors degree from Florida State University, his masters degree from Duke University, his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. As Secretary of D.C.A., Mr. Pelham serves as the Chair of the F.C.T. Governing Board.
Michael
W. Sole
On December 21, 2006, Governor Charlie Crist named Michael W. Sole as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. As Secretary, Mr. Sole oversees Florida's environmental regulatory and law enforcement programs, the acquisition, conservation and management of public lands, including Florida's award-winning state parks, and the development and regulation of Florida's water resources through the State's five water management districts. Secretary Sole has served the Department since 1991, most recently as Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs and Energy where he spearheaded the 2006 Florida Energy Act -- the four-year, $100 million plan to diversify the state's fuel supply and promote energy conservation and efficiency. Prior to his appointment as deputy secretary, Secretary Sole served as the Department's chief of staff and also as the director of the Division of Waste Management. As Director, Mr. Sole was responsible for implementing state and federal laws relating to solid and hazardous waste management, storage tank regulation and the cleanup of contaminated sites. A long time advocate for Florida's environment, Secretary Sole began his career in environmental protection as a biological scientist for the Florida Department of Natural Resources. During his sixteen years as an environmental manager he has undertaken responsibilities ranging from marine turtle protection and invasive plant management to beach preservation, wetland protection and petroleum cleanup.
Albert
E. Alfonso
Albert E. Alfonso is a founding principal and President of Alfonso Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in Tampa. Under Mr. Alfonso's leadership, Alfonso Architects, Inc., received the American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year 2003 award for Florida. His projects have been recognized with more Design Awards during the last twelve years than those of any other firm in the state. Recent projects recognized by the Florida State AIA Design Awards program include Tampa International Airport Airside C, the Nielsen Media Research Global Technology Center (a 650,000-square-foot corporate campus headquarters), the Mission of St. Mary Chapel, the University of South Florida School of Psychology / Communication Sciences & Disorders Building, and the Hillsborough County Downtown Partnership Urban K-8 school. Mr. Alfonso is currently a member of the American Institute of Architects, the USF Graphic Studio Board and the University of Florida School of Architecture's Professional Liaison Committee. He previously served on the City of Tampa's Architectural Review Committee and the Barrio Latino Commission. Mr. Alfonso earned both a Bachelor of Design and a Master of Arts in Architecture from the University of Florida. He lives in Tampa with his wife Susan and their two children. Mr. Alfonso fulfills the required appointment of a member of the development community.
William
F. LaMée
Bill LaMée is the president and co-founder of The Great Outdoors Conservancy, a non-profit national land trust located in Bradenton. Responsible for all aspects of organization operations - including administration, fund-raising and land projects - Mr. LaMée started Oktoberfest Suncoast in 2001 as a major fundraiser for the Conservancy's land acquisition activities. Mr. LaMée is a former member of the Florida Greenways and Trails Council, appointed by then-Senate President John McKay in 2002. He is currently a Trustee and Treasurer of the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that develops public and private funding initiatives to support the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails and a Florida Trail network. Mr. LaMée is a 1965 graduate of the University of Florida and, prior to establishing The Great Outdoors Conservancy, he spent many years in the newspaper industry and is a former publisher and president of The Bradenton Herald. Mr. LaMée is a licensed Florida real estate broker. Mr. LaMée fills the required appointment of a representative of a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization.
Ruth Stanbridge
Ruth Stanbridge is a native of Indian River County and served as a county commissioner from 1998-2002. A respected historian, she was appointed as the Indian River County Historian in 1997 and owns a small historical and environmental research and grant writing firm in Vero Beach. Ms. Stanbridge has an extensive background dealing with environmental and growth management issues. She served for 35 years in the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission's Vero Beach Biological Field Office. She was appointed to the Indian River County Planning and Zoning Commission in 1983 at a time when the county's first Comprehensive Land Use Plan was being developed. She was appointed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush to the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and served the Florida Association of Counties as vice chair of the Health and Human Services subcommittee. Ms. Stanbridge received the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program's Leadership Award in 2002, the Marine Resource Council's Outstanding Elected Official Award in 2001, and Indian River County's Woman of the Year Award in 1983. Her book Special Places - A First Field Guide, which is a guide to the natural and historical resources of Indian River and south Brevard counties, was published in 2005. Ms. Stanbridge and her husband, Bill, have been married for more than 40 years and have two daughters and two grandsons. Ms. Stanbridge fulfills the required appointment of a former elected county official.
Lynette Self
Lynette Self is a native of Jacksonville. She has been involved in her community through business and community organizations, and served on the Jacksonville City Council from 1999-2007. She was the 2001 recipient of the Charles E. Webb award, which is presented to the year's outstanding council member by the Council President. Ms. Self is owner and president of Rose of Sharon European Florist, which she and her husband have owned for more than two decades. As a small business owner, Ms. Self is involved in various business organizations including the Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she served as President of the Downtown Council and on the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee. She has received the Chamber's Downtown Council Small Business Leader of the Year Award and was Jacksonville's 2003 Woman Business Owner of the Year as selected by the Women Business Owners of North Florida. Ms. Self and her husband, Lake, have been married for 29 years. They have two adult children. In her free time, Ms. Self enjoys reading, photography and spending time with her family. Ms. Self fills the required appointment of a former elected municipal official.