The Annual Climate Leadership Summit is a major regional event hosted by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact to share knowledge, showcase climate action, engage leadership across sectors, and mobilize the collaboration needed to tackle this significant challenge at scale. The summit attracts innovative thinkers and leaders from the business, government, academic, and  nonprofit community to exchange dialogue and ideas on expanding the region’s capacity to respond to climate challenges and build climate resilience.

From December 9-10, 2021, the Compact convened a virtual summit, Seizing the Moment, Together, to hear from multi-disciplinary and innovative thinkers from the business, government, academic, and nonprofit communities. Leaders exchanged dialogue and ideas on expanding the region’s capacity to respond to climate challenges and build climate resilience. The event focused on engaging and building relationships with various stakeholders, and strengthening the coordination needed for this important, long-term work. 

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Keynote Address by Brenda Mallory

Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality

 

View from the Dais: Local Leaders Advancing Climate Resiliency

Moderated by Carl Amritt, Program Analyst, District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
Mayor Robert Weinroth, Palm Beach County
Commissioner Steve Geller, Broward County
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County
Mayor David Rice, Monroe County

 

 

Keynote Address by Daniel Blackman

Daniel Blackman, Regional Administrator for Region 4, U.S. EPA

 

 

Making the Investment: Innovations in Valuing and Funding Resiliency

Moderated by Dr. Raghuveer Vinukollu, Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.
Mark Braun, Debt Manager, PBC Office of Financial Management & Budget
Amy Knowles, City of Miami Beach
Matt Kuchtyak, Vice President, Moody’s ESG Solutions
Paula Pagniez, Willis Towers Watson

 

 

Greening the Coast for Resilience

Moderated by Irela Bague, Chief Bay Officer, Miami-Dade County
Deborah Drum, Department Director, PBC Environmental Resources Management
Sabrina Simms, Supervisory Grants Manager, Region 4, Federal Emergency Management Agency BRIC
Susy Torriente, Global Leader, City Resilience, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.
Laura Geselbracht, The Nature Conservancy

 

Building Better: Embedding Resilience in Capital Infrastructure

Moderated by Peter Moore, President and CEO, Chen Moore and Associates
Jerry Buckwalter, Chief Innovation Officer, American Society of Civil Engineers
Mario E. Loaiza, Client Account Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.
Elizabeth Perez, President, Collective Water Resources
Kristina Swallow, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation

 

 

Zero Hour: The Economic Imperative of Decarbonization and a Just Transition

Moderated by Kate Stein, Climate Risk Consultant, MSc. London School of Economics
Toyah Callahan, Deputy Director, SolSmart Program, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Ryan Evans, Executive Director, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy
Dr. Katherine Mach, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Miami
Matt Valle, Vice President, FPL Development, NextEra Energy, Inc.

 

 

In Memoriam: Remembering Our Champions

Dr. Jennifer Jurado, CRO, Deputy Director, Broward County Resilient Environment Department
Jim Murley, Chief Resilience Officer, Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience
Commissioner Holly Raschein, Monroe County

 

 

Resiliency From the State: A Conversation with Florida Legislators

Moderated by Ed Chase, Division Director, Intergovernmental Affairs and Community Engagement, Palm Beach County
State Representative Robin Bartleman
State Senator Lori Berman
State Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera

 

 

Keynote Address by Bill Nelson & Mobilizing Millions Voices of Youth and Calls for Action

Bill Nelson, Administrator, National Aeuronotics and Space Administration

Moderated by Yasmin Layeeq, Broward County
Mariam Orabi, Gabbi McGrath, Miami-Dade County Students
James Bozeman, Nina Bowen, Monroe County Students
J’Nesse Balkman, Asher Sochaczewski, Broward County Students
Guadalupe Cortes, Daisy Li, Palm Beach County Students

 

 

Keynote Address by Shannon Estenoz

Shannon Estenoz, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior

 

 

View from the Administration: Local Leaders Advancing Climate Resiliency

Moderated by Commissioner Holly Raschein, Monroe County
Verdenia Baker, County Administrator, Palm Beach County
Bertha Henry, County Administrator, Broward County
Jimmy Morales, Chief Operations Officer, Miami-Dade County
Roman Gastesi, County Administrator, Monroe County

 

 

Resilient Water Management: A Conversation with the USACE and the SFWMD

Moderated by Dr. Jennifer Jurado, CRO, Deputy Department Director, Broward County Resilient Environment Department
Drew Bartlett, Executive Director, South Florida Water Management District
Col. James Booth, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District

 

 

Shelter from the Storm: A Changing Climate for Affordable Housing

Moderated by Lauren Westmoreland, Vice President, Energy & Sustainability, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future
Jonathan Brown, Director, Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development
Jennifer Posner, Senior Program Manager, University of Miami
Laurie Schoeman, National Director, Climate Resilience, Enterprise Community Partners
Andrew Velo-Arias, Development Manager, Related Urban

 

 

¡Que Calor! Science, Stories, and Solutions for a Rapidly Heating Region

Moderated by Jane Gilbert, Interim Chief Heat Officer, Miami-Dade County-Resilient 305
Dr. David Hondula, Director, Heat Response and Mitigation, City of Phoenix, AZ
Oscar Londoño, Executive Director, WeCount!
Robert Molleda, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service
Tom Phillips, Researcher, Educator & Advisor, Healthy Building Research

 

 

Fertile Grounds Innovations in Climate Smart Agriculture

Moderated by Ron Rice, Director, UF/IFAS, Palm Beach County Extension Department
Kelley Smith Burk, Director, Office of Energy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Stephen Basore, Principal Owner, TKM/Bengard Farms LLC
Dr. Clyde Fraisse, Effective Climate Services for Agriculture under a Changing Climate: Innovation and Co-development, University of Florida
Dr. Antonio Tovar, Policy Associate, National Family Farm Coalition

 

 

Resilient People and Places: Building Strong, Inclusive Communities

Moderated by Jamie Cole, Energy Foundation
Ali Bayat, Director, Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department
Joanna Lombard, Professor, University of Miami School of Architecture
Michelle Mejia, AVP, Health Promotion & Strategic Partnerships, West Kendall Baptist Hospital

 

 

Keynote Address by Crystal Bergemann & Climate Summit 2022 Announcement

Crystal Bergemann, Senior Advisor for Climate, Office of the Secretary, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Commissioner Beam Furr, Broward County