Leadership

Within the program, FSG is currently managed at the programmatic level by a Director (Dr. Larkin), Associate Director for Research (Dr. Sidman), and Associate Director of Extension & Education (Dr. Laura Tiu). These positions are supported by an Assistant Director of Fiscal Operations (Christina Huntley) and a Creative/Art Director (Donielle Nardi).

Dr. Laura Tiu

Dr. Laura
Tiu

Associate Director, Extension & Education
Christina Huntley

Christy
Williams

Assistant Director, Fiscal Operations

Administration

The administrative offices of Florida Sea Grant are housed at the University of Florida. Here, the leadership and supporting teams work together to manage and run the state–wide program. The primary office is located on the main campus in Gainesville.

Photo of Roberto Ferrer

Roberto
Ferrer

Communications & Public Affairs Coordinator
Photo of Dillon Perkins outside

Dillon
Perkins

Fiscal Operations Administration Specialist
photo of cassie sexson

Cassie
Sexson

Administrative Operations Manager & Student Programs Coordinator

Extension Agents

UF/IFAS Extension Agents design and deliver extension and education programming to target audiences, mostly within defined geographic areas.

photo of Savanna Barry
The Nature Coast

Dr. Savanna
Barry

Regional Specialized Extension Agent
Headshot of Sharon Cilano
Franklin County

Dr. Sharon
C. Cilano

County Extension Agent
Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent Thomas Derbes II
Santa Rosa County

Thomas
Derbes II

County Extension Agent
Dr. Vincent Encomio
Martin & St. Lucie Counties

Dr. Vincent
Encomio

Multi-County Extension Agent
brittany scharf headshot
Hernando County

Dr. Brittany
Hall-Scharf

County Extension Agent
Joy Hazell
statewide

Joy
Hazell

State Specialized Extension Agent
Carolyn Kovacs
Flagler & Volusia Counties

Carolyn
Kovacs

Multi-County Extension Agent
Dr. Lisa Krimsky
The Southeast

Dr. Lisa
Krimsky

Regional Specialized Extension Agent
Rick O'Conner
Escambia County

Rick
O’Connor

County Extension Agent
Dr. Dana Stephens
Okaloosa County

Dr. Dana
Stephens

County Extension Agent
Leslie Sturmer
Shellfish Aquaculture

Leslie
Sturmer

Multi-County Extension Agent
armando ubeda headshot
Sarasota County

Armando
Ubeda

County Extension Agent
Ana Zangroniz
Miami-Dade County

Ana
Zangroniz

County Extension Agent

Extension Specialists & Scientists

UF/IFAS Extension Specialists provide subject matter expertise to extension agents and target audiences across the state and the nation.

photo of Dr. Anna Braswell
Coastal Ecosystems & Watersheds

Dr. Anna
Braswell

UF/IFAS Extension Specialist
Dr. Angela Collins
Marine Fisheries & Shellfish Aquaculture

Dr. Angela
Collins

UF/IFAS Extension Scientist
photo of Dr. Razieh Farzad
Seafood Safety

Dr. Razieh
Farzad

UF/IFAS Extension Specialist
photo of Dr. Andrew Ropicki
Marine Resource Economics

Dr. Andrew
Ropicki

UF/IFAS Extension Specialist

Coordinators & Liaisons

Leveraged outreach and education coordinators and liaisons support initiatives in conjunction with our state agency and federal partners. Learn more about our leveraged positions and partnerships.

photo of Eric Best
Clean Boating

Eric
Best

North West Florida Clean Boating Coordinator
Photo of Haley Cox
Resilience

Haley
Cox

Coastal Resilience Program Coordinator
photo of Renee Crisostomo
Coral Health

Renee
Crisostomo

Pacific Coral Disturbance Coordinator
photo of Sukanya Dayal
Coral Health

Sukanya
Dayal

Coral Protection Project Coordinator
Sydney Ferris
Recreational Angling

Sydney
Ferris

Social Media Specialist, Return ‘Em Right
photo of octavio franco
Clean Boating

Octavio
Franco

South East Florida Clean Boating Coordinator
photo of Vicki Gambale
Clean Boating

Vicki
Gambale

Clean Vessel Act Education Coordinator
photo of kate gretter
Coral Health

Katie
Gretter

Restoration Projects Coordinator
photo of Nick Haddad with water in the background
Recreational Angling

Nick
Haddad

Gulf of America Program Coordinator
photo of Allison Holevoet
Coral Health

Allison
Holevoet

Florida Coral Reef Resilience Program Coordinator
photo of Katie Lohr outside with greenery in background
Bivalve-Seagrass

Katie
Lohr

Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Coordinator
headshot of mackenzie magyar
Coral Health

Mackenzie
Magyar

Coral Propagation Coordinator
photo of Jaz McKibben
Recreational Angling

Jaz
McKibben

Marketing & Communications Specialist
photo of Caroline McLaughlin
Coral Health

Caroline
McLaughlin

National Coral Disease Coordinator
photo of Emily Riewestahl
Aquaculture

Emily
Riewestahl

Aquaculture Marketing & Communications Specialist
Angelique Rosa Marin Portrait
Coral Health

Angelique
Rosa Marín

U.S. Caribbean Coral Rescue Coordinator
photo of Genevieve Schave
Water Quality

Genevieve
Schave

Water Quality Protection Program Coordinator
morgan smith headshot
Clean Boating

Morgan
Smith

Northeast Florida Clean Boating Coordinator
photo of Betty Staugler
Harmful Algal Blooms

Betty
Staugler

NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom Liaison
headshot of bethany tober
Water Quality

Bethany
Tober

Biscayne Bay Commission Coordinator
photo of Logan Williams
Coral Health

Logan
Williams

U.S. Caribbean Coral Rescue Coordinator
photo of Monica Wilson
Marine Debris

Dr. Monica
Wilson

Coastal Debris Project Coordinator

Program Advisors

The program is provided with ongoing guidance by a long-standing Advisory Council, a newly established Director’s Operating Advisory Panel (DOAP), and a State Agency Advisory Group. The Advisory Council meets regularly (2-3 times per year, at least once in person) and actively participates in various aspects of program management and vision. The DOAP is called upon when needed to provide specific advice and guidance to the director. Members have experience with Sea Grant programs and activities nationwide, their most recent or current Sea Grant affiliations are listed below. The “Agency Group” is comprised of managers of key programs that comprise our state government and regulatory bodies. The Agency Group is called upon when needed to provide specific advice and guidance, and to discuss future needs and gaps for managing resources within the state.

Advisory Council

FY24-28 TBD.

Bob
Aylesworth

Aylesworth’s Fish and Bait, Inc.

Jim
Cantonis

Acme Sponge & Chamois Co., Inc.

Kevin
Claridge

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

Spencer
Crowley

Akerman Law

Kathleen
Elliott

Mahogany Youth Corporation

Victor
Garrido

Quirch Foods, LLC

Laura
Geselbracht

The Nature Conservancy

Greg
Jacoski

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

Tim
Jordan

Saucy Lady Oyster Company

Bill
Kelly

Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association

Ernesto
Lasso de la Vega

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program

Gil
McRae

FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Richard
Pruitt

Carnival Cruise Line

Shawn
Stephenson

Southern Cross Sea Farms

Steve
Stock

Victory Consulting, Inc.

Director's Operating Advisory Panel

Charles “Chuck”
Adams

Florida Sea Grant

Anders
Andren

Wisconsin Sea Grant

James “Jim”
Cato

Florida Sea Grant

James “Jim”
Murray

National Sea Grant Review Panel

John
Woeste

National Sea Grant Review Panel

Dorothy
Zimmerman

Florida Sea Grant

Don
Pybas

Florida Sea Grant

Key Agency Contacts

Whitney
Gray
|
Administrator
FDEP Florida Resilient Coastlines Program
Brian
LaMarre
|
Meteorologist-in-Charge
NOAA NWS, Tampa Bay Area WFO,
Brenda
Leonard
|
Administrator
FDEP Clean Boating Programs
Jessica
McCawley
|
Director
FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management
Gil
McRae
|
Director
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Clay
Porch
|
Director
NOAA Fisheries/Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Portia
Sapp
|
Aquaculture Director
FDACS Division of Aquaculture
Mike
Shirley
|
Administrator
FDEP Florida Coastal Management Program
Andy
Strelcheck
|
Regional Administrator
NOAA Fisheries/Southeast Regional Office
Joanna
Walczak
|
Administrator
FDEP Coral Protection and Restoration
Jessica
White
|
Deputy Director/Facility Manager
NOAA NOS/Disaster Preparedness Program
Dana
Wusinich-Mendez
|
Atlantic and Caribbean Team Lead
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program

UF Research Affiliates

The Florida Sea Grant program is also a center at UF. To fulfill the mission of a campus center, the program maintains a group of research affiliates at UF with which it can foster communications, establish research groups (i.e., Work Action Groups or WAGs) and work interactively with UF/IFAS Extension Agents to translate research outcomes. This group of 40+ faculty is supplemented by the PIs of over 50 additional research-based projects located around the state that are tracked by the Associate Director of Research. As time and resources allow, the program brings together all researchers, students and agents to share what has been learned and how to effectively communicate to stakeholders in Florida. FY24-27.

School of Forest Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences
School of Forest Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences
Landscape Architecture, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience