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Director, Florida Conservation St. Petersburg, Florida
My ancestors came to Florida in the 19th century and two centuries later, I am proud to be a Floridian that not only celebrates but also works to protect what makes this state and our way of life special and unique—the beauty and bounty of our ocean, our coasts and our communities.
Areas of Expertise
Florida coastal and marine issues
Federal fisheries management
Florida water quality and abundance
Environmental law
Administrative law
J.P. was born and raised in Florida on the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. His family first came to Florida from the Bahamas in the 1850s, eventually settling in Key West and Tampa. His work as a marine conservationist started at a young age and by 15, he had earned the Boy Scouts of America’s highest achievement, the Eagle Scout award, for his work restoring the mangroves at Florida’s Ulumay Wildlife Preserve.
After several years abroad, J.P. returned home to rededicate himself to protecting what he loved ever since he was a kid—Florida’s unique environment. Based in Ocean Conservancy’s office in St. Petersburg, J.P. has deep experience on federal fisheries issues in the Southeastern United States and on Capitol Hill. His expertise in coastal and conservation issues in the state includes state fisheries, water quality and quantity, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, marine debris, oil and gas, and ocean plastics.
Trained with a specialization in environmental law, J.P. is admitted to the Florida Bar and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. He sits on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section and is co-chair of its Public Interest Task Force. J.P. has been appointed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to serve on its Coral Advisory Panel, and by the President of the Florida Bar to serve on its Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee and its Admiralty Law Committee.
J.P. is an avid diver who also enjoys spearfishing, surfing and fly fishing. He and his wife Kathy are raising their young daughters Elizabeth and Anne to love and care for Florida’s ocean and coasts.
Education
Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, and Energy Law, Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law (anticipated 2022)
Juris Doctor (JD) with Concentration in Environmental Law, Stetson University College of Law
Bachelor of Arts, Dalhousie University, Ecology and English
Bachelor of Arts, University of King’s College, Philosophy and Ecology
Visiting Fellow, University of Cambridge, Clare Hall
General Studies, University of Florida
My Favorite Thing About the Ocean
I love the ocean because I love to fish, and I love to fish because I am an optimist. I approach everything in life with the hopefulness and optimism of a fisherman. Fishermen are the most hopeful people on the planet – the very next cast could catch the big one.
