The older I become, the faster time flies.  I graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1983 and joined the Environmental and Land Use Law section in 1984.  I worked on a variety of Section projects including the section “Reporter” publication, the “Treatise” publication, membership, CLE and others.  Soon, all that hard work paid off! I was elected to a position on the Executive Council in1995??  Fast forward to NOW - my tenure as Chair of the Section is ending.  So little time… 

     I recall my many years on the Executive Council and witnessing the annual transition of new Section leadership at the Section’s Annual Update.   As members of the Executive Council gain longevity and experience, they inevitably move “up” the ranks to become an officer, to become Chair, and finally to move “out” of the Council altogether.  But where, I ask, is “out?”  Out does not mean gone.

     In August at the Amelia Island Plantation, new Section officers will be installed:  “Bob” Fingar will succeed to Chair, “Bob” Riggio to Chair-elect, Robert “Bob” Manning to Secretary and Michelle Diffenderfer to treasurer.   It seems that the upcoming year will be filled with wonderful and successful initiatives by “Bob”. (no offense Michelle).  

     As we look back over the accomplishments of the last twelve months, credit and thanks go to many people, each of whom contributed their unique talent and energy to the Section: Terry Zinn for building and strengthening our law school faculty and student liaison; Enola Brown for diligently and masterfully keeping the Reporter in print and on time; Paul Chipok , David Jordan and Mary Hansen for creative and well-planned CLE seminars and workshops; Michelle Diffenderfer for single-handedly developing opportunities for all our Section’s members  with the ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources; Gary Hunter, Bob Fingar, Gary Oldehoff, Martha Collins and Joe Richards for their contributions to re-inventing the Treatise authorship, editing and marketing functions, (Joe also for maintaining the Section web-page as a vital service), Erin Deady for chairing the Public interest committee; Jim Porter and  Kirk Burns for their roles as CLE program chairs; Peter Partlow who organized three fabulously successful attorney/affiliate member mixers in Tampa, Miami and Orlando; Andrea Zelman for assisting Enola with the Reporter; Mike Cooke our DEP representative and CLE speaker; Larry Sellers our past Chair and Board of Governors Liaison and finally to Jackie Werndli who always has the interests of the Section and the Florida Bar in her heart and who is the catalyst of  many of the great things we have accomplished. 

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Section as Chair this year.  I have enjoyed working with our Executive Council members and sharing in the camaraderie that accompanies belonging to a team.  I look forward to moving “out” but not being gone, and continuing to contribute my time and energy to the Section’s projects and to Florida’s environmental challenges.