Florida Specifier Podcast

In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, hosts Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews are joined by fellow members of the Florida Specifier editorial board: Jeff Littlejohn and Patrick Gillespie. Together, they dive into the fast-moving first week of Florida’s legislative session, analyzing the impact of delayed committee meetings, the challenges of processing nearly 1,800 filed bills, and the likelihood of fewer than 225 bills making it to the governor’s desk. The discussion highlights key environmental and water-related legislation to watch, including SB-7002 on Water Management Districts, the Safe Waterways Act, and the Everglades restoration budget. The team also explores the shifting political landscape, with changes at both DEP and the EPA influencing Florida’s environmental policies. Additionally, they preview the latest edition of The Florida Specifier, covering articles on fluoride in drinking water, federal environmental policy changes under the new administration, and an exclusive interview with industry leader Shawn Hamilton. With an engaging mix of policy insight, industry updates, and candid discussion, this episode is a must-listen for environmental professionals, policymakers, and anyone invested in Florida’s natural resources. To read the Florida Specifier online (where we hope you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com To get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, or Jamie at: brett@floridaspecifier.com ryan@floridaenet.com jamie@floridaenet.com A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. This episode is a production of The Florida Specifier. Audio production by Karl Sorne and Dave Barfield at Lonely Fox Studios. A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan, Tracy Kistler and Meg Holley for keeping us organized and moving forward.

In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, Ryan and Brett speak with Brewster Bevis, CEO of AIF, from the AIF Water Forum. This event, held annually for the past six years, brings together legislators and environmental leaders to discuss Florida's most pressing water issues. Brewster shares the origins of the Water Forum and its evolution into a key platform for addressing water challenges faced by businesses, agriculture, and citizens in Florida. They also discuss the importance of educating policymakers, particularly new legislators, on critical water issues through initiatives like Legislator University. The episode highlights the significance of balancing water use for business and agriculture with ensuring access to clean drinking water for all Floridians. Listen in for a deeper understanding of how AIF is shaping water policy in Florida and how you can get involved in future events. To learn more about the AIF Water forum, go here To read the Specifier online (where we hope you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com To get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, or Jamie at: brett@floridaspecifier.com ryan@floridaenet.com jamie@floridaenet.com A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. This episode is a production of The Florida Specifier. Audio production and editing is by Karl Sorne and Dave Barfield at Lonely Fox Studios. A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan and Tracy Kistler for keeping us organized and moving forward.

In this episode, Brett takes the show on the road without Ryan to moderate a discussion at the One Water Summit in Winter Haven. His conversation partners included Lynn Spivey, the City of Plant City Utilities Director; David MacIntyre, the President of AquaSciTech Consulting; and Frank Bernardino, Partner Ameritus with Anfield Consulting. They discuss the definition of One Water; how the regulatory structure of water in Florida may be exacerbating its resource issues; what’s missing in how environmental issues are being communicated to policy makers and the public; what the real cost of water and environmental restoration is; and even some talk about how to pay for it all. Special thanks and recognition goes out to Gary Hubbard and Amy Jenkins with the City of Winter Haven for organizing the summit and to Eric Draper for allowing Brett to hijack his panel for the show. To visit the One Water Summit website and see the agenda and panels, go here. Writing articles, advertising in the paper and website, and sponsoring the newsletter and podcast are a few ways to reach new customers and expand your company or organization’s profile throughout Florida. If you’d like to get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world through an article or sponsorship, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, Patrick, or Jamie at: brett@anfieldflorida.com ryan.matthews@gray-robinson.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com jamie@floridaenet.com If you’d like to advertise in The Florida Specifier, be sure to get in touch with Jamie Sheehan or Patrick Gillespie at: jamie@floridaenet.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com To read the Specifier online (where we hope you’ll become a subscriber if you aren’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast.

In this special episode, released under the Water for Fighting as well as the Florida Specifier banner, Brett gets to sit down with Bartow’s favorite son, Adam Putnam. At the time he served, Punam was the youngest person ever to be elected to the Florida House of Representatives at barely twenty-two years old. He would go on to serve as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms, becoming the 3rd ranking member of that body, and he was elected statewide as Florida’s 11th Commissioner of Agriculture where he served two terms. He is now the CEO of Ducks Unlimited but still splits time between Tennessee and Florida. They discuss his deep roots in Imperial Polk County; growing up in the family’s citrus and cattle business; his long-term, successful participation in the 4H Club and Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the leadership tools he developed there; how he drifted into politics at such a young age; how he brought the character and challenges of his community to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. as he pursued fresh perspectives on old problems; his appreciation for the expansion of the Rural and Family Lands program; his frustration with the federal government’s opaque and overbearing nature as it relates to Waters of the U.S.; and what it’s like to have one of the coolest jobs you can imagine. This episode has plenty to capture the attention: a story about how his grandparents kept truck tires inside with them because they were so vital to their livelihood; some incredible stats on what Ducks Unlimited is accomplishing; a University of Florida shoutout (if you’re into that sort of thing); flashbacks to the citrus freezes from the 80s that captured hearts of area communities; a solid Alexis de Tocqueville reference; a simultaneously optimistic and realistic view on the future of citrus in Florida; and how he has no plans on getting back into politics again (see above re: coolest job ever). To visit the Ducks Unlimited website, go here. To learn more about Florida’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, go here. This episode is brought to you by my friends at Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) RES is the nation’s leader in ecological restoration, helping to restore Florida’s natural resources with water quality and stormwater solutions that offer communities guaranteed performance and outcomes. Check them out at www.res.us This episode is also brought to you by my friends at Sea and Shoreline. Sea and Shoreline is the Southeast’s leading innovator in protecting coastal communities from devastating storms and restoring ecosystems that once faced ecological collapse. Visit their website at www.Seaandshoreline.com. You can follow the show on LinkedIn and Instagram @flwaterpod, and you can reach me directly at FLwaterpod@gmail.com with your comments and suggestions for who I should be talking with. A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. Production of this podcast is by Lonely Fox Studios. Thanks to Karl Sorne for making the best of what he had to work with. And to David Barfield for the amazing graphics and technical assistance.

Ryan and Brett continue their look back at the Environmental Permitting Summer School through the eyes of its founders and supporters – both past and present – to provide a snapshot of who they are, what they do, why they’ve continued their support over the years; and what the conference means to them. This episode begins with Mark Thomasson from National Stormwater Trust. He discusses the difference between attending the conference from within government and from the private sector; the panel presentations as predicate for deeper discussions afterward; how Smart Ponds work; and what he’s doing to expand NST’s reach beyond the Florida border. The episode continues as Larry Sellers and Jon Steverson talk about the earliest days of Summer School, how it’s become part of their family life, and a pineapple upside-down cake that is so special that Jon would stab Ryan and Brett to eat it. Writing articles, advertising in the paper and website, and sponsoring the newsletter and podcast are ways to reach new customers and expand your company or organization’s profile throughout Florida. If you’d like to get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world through an article or sponsorship, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, Patrick, or Jamie at: brett@anfieldflorida.com ryan.matthews@gray-robinson.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com jamie@floridaenet.com If you’d like to advertise in The Florida Specifier, be sure to get in touch with Jamie Sheehan or Patrick Gillespie at: jamie@floridaenet.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com To read the Specifier online (where we hope you’ll become a subscriber if you aren’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. This episode is a production of The Florida Specifier. Audio production and editing is by Karl Sorne and Dave Barfield at Lonely Fox Studios. A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan and Tracy Kistler for keeping us organized and moving forward.

In this episode, the Florida Specifier’s editorial board is back during the “quiet season” to discuss the September/October issue of the Specifier. Ryan gives the rundown on the Legislative Budget Request (LBR) and grants processes; Jeff gives an update on Florida’s legal wrangling with the federal government regarding Ch. 404 assumption; Brett directs readers’ attention to the federally mandated triennial water quality standards review and rulemaking at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); and Patrick pulls it all together, and then some, to provide environmental professionals and policymakers news they can actually use. To read the Specifier online (where we hope you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com To get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world whether it’s in the paper or the podcast, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, or Jamie at: brett@anfieldflorida.com ryan.matthews@gray-robinson.com jamie@floridaenet.com If you’d like to advertise in Florida’s premier environmental news periodical, please reach out to Jamie or Patrick here: jamie@floridaenet.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com If you’re a subscriber and aren’t receiving the Florida’s Specifier’s weekly newsletter every Monday morning, please Patrick or Jamie know, and they will make sure you get it. A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan and Tracy Kistler for keeping us organized and moving forward.

In this episode, Ryan and Brett host David Rathke and Pepper Uchino to talk about their work and the upcoming 3rd Annual Florida Resilience Conference, taking place from September 11-13. David is the Executive Director of Resiliency Florida, and Pepper is the Executive Director of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association. Together, their organizations have teamed up to put on one of the most interesting and impactful conferences in the state. They discuss the growing scope of the resilience concept, how their individual organizations were developed, the nexus of their organizations’ missions, why people both inside and outside government are starting to pay close attention and looking for ways to collaborate, and even some tips for first-time attendees (like Brett). They make a great pair of interview guests, so we know you’ll enjoy the conversation. There’s still time to register for the Florida Resilience Conference, so start your travel plans by heading here. If you want to look ahead at the FSBPA’s 38th Annual National Conference on Beach Preservation Technology in February of 2025, get out that page here. To find out more about what the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA) is up to and how you can get involved, go here. If you’d like to learn more about Resiliency Florida and how you can get involved in their good and important work, go here. To read the Specifier online (where we hope you’ll become a subscriber if you aren’t already), go here: https://floridaspecifier.com If you’d like to get the word out about how you’re making waves (pun intended) in Florida’s environmental world, make sure you reach out to Brett, Ryan, Patrick, or Jamie at: brett@anfieldflorida.com ryan.matthews@gray-robinson.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com jamie@floridaenet.com If you’d like to advertise in The Florida Specifier, be sure to get in touch with Jamie Sheehan or Patrick Gillespie at: jamie@floridaenet.com patrick@floridaspecifier.com A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast. This episode is a production of The Florida Specifier. Audio production and editing is by Karl Sorne and Dave Barfield at Lonely Fox Studios. A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan and Tracy Kistler for keeping us organized and moving forward.