Our Team

John’s professional career as an ecologist started here in Lee County in 1978 after receiving degrees in Biology and Fish and Wildlife. From 1978 to 2014 he worked as a resource manager for local government, managing waterways of Southwest Florida. He has authored both peer-reviewed scientific publications and popular media sources on resource management, history, water policy and conservation issues. His service on advisory boards, his commitment to community and involvement with land and water conservation has led to recognition from various civic groups, Including the Florida Audubon Society, Estero Bay Agency on Bay Management, Lee County Government, the Everglades Coalition, the American Fisheries Society, and the Alberta provincial government. In November 2016, John accepted the position of Calusa Waterkeeper, a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance.

Trisha Botty has 15+ years of experience driving social change by leading innovative programs, strategies, collaboration, capacity building and campaigns while building meaningful and authentic relationships that lift up people, organizations, and communities. Her experience comes from her work in government, philanthropy, labor, organizing, and nonprofits in D.C., New York, and Southwest Florida. Ms. Botty graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a Political Science degree. She is a life-long learner and is currently working on her master’s degree at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications with a concentration in Public Interest Communication. She was a 2020 recipient of the 40 under 40 award from Gulfshore Life. Trisha grew up in Upstate New York near the Great Lake Ontario and enjoys the outdoors and sunsets. She resides with her husband and two active children on a freshwater canal in Southwest Florida.

Originally from Ohio, Cindy spent most of her life in Michigan. In 2007 she left the Great Lakes for Florida’s Gulf coast. Cindy and her husband, Keith, have seven adult children and nine grandchildren. In 2019, after a 40-year hiatus, Cindy graduated from the University of South Florida. She is committed to the support and defense of our waterways and the guarantee of clean water for all.

Robin is a graduate student in the FGCU Environmental Studies program, focusing on conservation and nonprofit management. Robin is an avid birder and has enjoyed living in SW Florida and exploring our local ecosystems. She enjoys educating the public about our estuaries while leading kayak ecotours of Rookery Bay with Rising Tide Explorers. Before moving to Florida for graduate school, she worked at a wildlife hospital in coastal North Carolina. Robin is excited to work with the Calusa Waterkeeper because they are one of the first organizations she turned to as an essential resource on water quality for the local community.