AWRA Florida Annual Meeting - Key West
August 6 and 7, 2026
Harvey Governmental Center
1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL
Thursday, August 6, 2026
10:00 am - 12:00 am AWRA Florida Board Meeting - All are welcome
12:30 pm Meeting Registration Opens
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm Welcome - Greg Stelmack, President, AWRA Florida
1:15 pm - 1:35 pm Key Note Presentation
Insights into the New Federal Directive, Build Infrastructure, Not Paperwork Major Cory Bell, USACE
1:40 pm – 2:50 pm Latest Developments in Florida's Water Supply
Mark Bombard, Assistant Utility Director, City of Winter Haven
David Hackworth, Director of Engineering, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority
Annie Brett, Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law
2:50 pm – 3:05 pm Break
3:10 pm – 3:35 pm Innovative Solutions to Water Resource Challenges
Greg Knecht, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in Florida
3:40pm – 4:00 pm 2026 Florida Legislative Update
Alexandria M. Kernan, Senior Advisor, Transportation & Natural Resources Policy Leader, Arrow Group
4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Closing Remarks
5:30 pm – 8:30pm Private Reception and Dinner at the Audubon House- For Registrants, Speakers, and Guests. 205 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. Includes Reception, dinner, and private tour of the Audubon House
Friday, August 7, 2026
8:00 am – 8:45 am Networking Continental Breakfast
8:45 am -9:00 am Meeting Begins - Greg Stelmack, President, AWRA Florida Board of Directors
9:00 am – 9:10 am - Monroe County Welcome and Opening Remarks
Commissioner Jim Scholl, District 3, Monroe County
9:10 am – 10:40 am The Water Management District Update from the Five Executive Directors
Brian Armstrong – Executive Director, Southwest Florida WMD
Drew Bartlett – Executive Director, South Florida WMD
Mike Register – Executive Director, St. Johns River WMD
Lyle Siegler – Executive Director, North West Florida WMD
Hugh Thomas – Executive Director, Suwanee River WMD
10:40 am – 10:55 am Break
11:00 am – 12:15 pm U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Update
Colonel Brandon L. Bowman, District Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Major Cory J. Bell, Deputy District Commander for South Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Jason Engle, P.E., Chief, Water Resources Engineering Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Howard Gonzales, Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
12:15 pm – 1:45pm Lunch, on your own
1:50 pm – 2:10 pm – DEP Update
Adam Blalock, Deputy Secretary for Ecosystems Restoration, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2:15 pm – 2:35pm U.S. Fish and Wildlife Update
Timothy Breen, Everglades Program Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2:35pm – 2:50pm Break
2:55 pm – 4:00pm
Student Technical Presentations – Student Winners
Scholarship Awards – Gordon Brown, Education Committee chair
Special Recognition and Annual Awards – Luna Phillips, 2025 Past President
Raffle of Cooler of Cheer - Logan Whitehouse, Secretary, AWRA Florida
4:00 pm Closing Remarks – Greg Stelmack, President
5:30 – 7:30 pm Private Happy Hour Reception on Duval Street, For Registrants, Speakers, and Guests. Point 5 Tapas & Wine Bar, 915 Duval St #5, Key West, FL 33040
Annual Meeting Chairs
Lynette Cardoch, PhD, Moffatt & Nichol
Luna Phillips, Esq., Gunster Law Firm
Registration Fees
- 2026 Member: $375 ( Includes Thursday night reception and dinner and Friday networking reception)
- 2026 Non-Member: $425 for 2026 (Includes AWRA Florida membership, Thursday night reception and dinner, and Friday networking event)
- Students (Meeting only): $25 Thursday and Friday technical meetings
- Students (Full Registration): $100 Thursday and Friday technical meeting, Thursday night networking and dinner, and Friday night networking reception
- Guests of a paying registrant or speaker: $150 Thursday reception and dinner and Friday networking event
- Annual Sponsors and Life Members - Free Registration - Contact awra@awraflorida.org for Free Registration Code
Information
- Organizations interested in sponsoring the meeting should contact Sam Palermo at 561-351-5278 or pay online here.
- There is no reserved hotel block. Lodging fills quickly—book early!
- Registrants will be able to obtain PE and PG continuing credits and Florida Bar CLE credits.
Saturday August 8, 2026 - Snorkeling Trip
Click Below for Key West Adventures + Discount Pricing to book directly with the company. This Snorkeling Trip is an additional cost and is not included in the Registration Fee. AWRA Florida is not responsible for this excursion.
Click Here
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