Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit 2022
60th Diamond Jubilee Reception & Future of the Region Awards Luncheon
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and its Regional Resiliency Coalition are proud to host the 2nd Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit on April 5th & 6th 2022 at the Hilton Carillon Park Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit 2022
60th Diamond Jubilee Reception & Future of the Region Awards Luncheon
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and its Regional Resiliency Coalition are proud to host the 2nd Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit on April 5th & 6th 2022 at the Hilton Carillon Park Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit 2022
At the first Leadership Summit,we heard from national and international leaders in resiliency while engaging in a dialog about new and innovative programs, strategies, and policy that our local leaders can implement in their communities to create a more resilient Tampa Bay.
Our 2nd Leadership Summit took it to the next level as we unveiled the efforts, progress, and work that has taken place since the first summit with the introduction of the DRAFT Regional Resiliency Action Plan (RRAP).Summit attendees and sponsors participated in a historic event to solidify this resiliency plan for future generations to come. And like the first event, the agenda was comprised of local leaders and experts in the field of resiliency and climate change and specifically addressed issues such as storm water, flooding, heat, sea level rise, etc. that affect our region and how best we can work together to address those issues.
The Leadership Summit also hosted the60th Anniversary Celebrationof the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council taking place on the evening of April 5th as well as the 28th Annual Future of the Region Awardswhich was the highlight of the Leadership Summit luncheon on April 6th.
Resiliency Summit Agenda & Speakers
Presentation Archive
Looking to revisit a session from the 2022 Resiliency Summit? Follow the links below to download presentations from each session. If you do not see a session highlighted, the speaker provided remarks in place of a presentation.
Tuesday, April 5
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome, State of the Region & Chair’s Vision and Goals
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
- Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, City of St. Petersburg, 2022 TBRPC Chair
- Commissioner Janet C. Long, Pinellas County Commissioner, Resiliency Coalition Co-Chair
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. | State Legislative Update
- Representative Ben Diamond, District 68, Florida House of Representatives
9:15 – 9:45 a.m. | Update on Climate Impacts and High Tide Risks
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
- William V. Sweet, Ph.D., Oceanographer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
9:45 – 10:30 a.m. | Making the Economic Case for Resilience in Tampa Bay: A New Report from the Tampa Bay Partnership
- Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, Manatee County, Session Introducer
- Brian Auld, President, Tampa Bay Rays/TBP Resiliency Task Force Chair
- Bemetra Simmons, President/CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership
- Alec Bogdanoff, Ph.D., Principal & Co-Founder, Brizaga
- Anne de Boer, Manager, Sustainable Economics, AECOM
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. | Creating Resilient Counties – Panel Discussion with Administrators
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Session Introducer
- Tim Nickens, Public Relations Consultant, Panel Moderator
- Barry Burton, Administrator, Pinellas County
- Jonathan Lewis, ICMA-CM, Administrator, Sarasota County
- Dr. Scott Hopes, DBA, MPH, Administrator, Manatee County
- Kevin Moran, P.E., Division Director, Hillsborough County
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Speakers
- Tamara Waldmann, Director, Renewable Energy generation and Strategy, Duke Energy
- Commissioner Janet C. Long, Pinellas County Commissioner, Resiliency Coalition Co-Chair
- Jeff Berardelli, Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist, WFLA Max Defender 8
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Regional Resilient Actions: From Case Studies and Top Regional Priorities
- Mayor Woody Brown, Largo, Session Introducer
- Corinne Letourneau, Principal/Founder, Resilient Cities Catalyst
- Paul Nelson, Principal/Founder, Resilient Cities Catalyst
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | RRAP Hot Topics Panel: Getting Real about Flood Risks and Real Estate
- Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, City of St. Petersburg, 2022 TBRPC Chair, Session Introducer
- Lisa Foster, CFM, Floodplain Administrator, Pinellas County
- Mike Twitty, MAI, CFA, Property Appraiser, Pinellas County
- Joe Farrell, Vice President of Public Affairs, Pinellas Realtor Organization
- Jean Luc-Eckstein, Chief Customer Officer, Neptune Flood Insurance
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. | The State of Resilience in Florida: Legislation, Planning, and Funding
- Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, City of St. Petersburg, 2022 TBRPC Chair, Session Introducer
- Diane Quigley, AICP, MURP, Program Director, Florida Resilient Coastlines Program
- Wesley Brooks, Ph.D., Chief Resilience Officer, State of Florida
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. | Wrap Up
- Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, City of St. Petersburg, 2022 TBRPC Chair
Wednesday, April 6
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome & Update
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
- Commissioner Harry Cohen, Hillsborough County
- Commissioner Jack Mariano, Pasco County
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Resilient Cities Mayors Panel
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Session Introducer
- Bill Varian, Editor, Tampa Bay Times, Panel Moderator
- Mayor Jane Castor, City of Tampa
- Mayor Woody Brown, City of Largo
- Mayor Frank Hibbard, City of Clearwater
- Mayor Ken Welch, City of St. Petersburg
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | RRAP Hot Topics Panel: Activating Hyper Local Resilience Initiatives
- Councilmember Peter Altman, City of New Port Richey, Resiliency Coalition Co-Chair, Panel Moderator
- Sharon Wright, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP, Director of Sustainability and Resiliency, City of St. Petersburg
- Gil Martinez, Director of Economic Development, Wimauma Community Development District
- Whit Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer, City of Tampa
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. | RRAP Hot Topics Panel: Innovative Infrastructure Design and Construction
- Commissioner Ward Friszolowski, Vice Mayor, City of St. Pete Beach, Session Introducer
- Rod Braun, Climate Strategy Director, The Nature Conservancy, Panel Moderator
- Andy Sternad, AIA, AICP, Architect & Urban Designer, Waggonner & Ball
- Lynette Cardoch, Ph.D., Director of Resilience and Adaptation, Moffat & Nichol
- Hank Hodde, CFM, ENV SP, Sustainability and Resilience Coordinator, Pinellas County
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. | Future of the Region Awards Luncheon
- Sean Sullivan, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
- Barbara Sheen Todd, Gubernatorial Appointee, Pinellas County, Program Introducer
- Veronica Cintron, VP of Communications, Tampa International Airport, Emcee
1:30 – 4:30 p.m. | RRAP Prioritization Sessions: Mapping the Path Forward
- Corinne Letourneau, Principal/Founder, Resilient Cities Catalyst
- Paul Nelson, Principal/Founder, Resilient Cities Catalyst
News Articles
The Resiliency Summit in the news
Summit Sponsors’ Case Studies
We thank our Sponsors for their support