PANEL 2
OUR CLEAN WATER ECONOMY
Florida’s economy runs on clean water. This panel will take a deeper dive into that reality with various industry leaders discussing how clean water and a healthy Everglades not only benefit Florida businesses, but also the quality of life in the communities they serve.
MEET THE PANELISTS
Scott Deal,
President & Founder
Maverick Boat Group Inc.
Scott Deal is the President & Founder Maverick Boat Group, Inc., a National Leader in the Manufacture of Recreational fishing boats under the Maverick, Hewes, Cobia and Pathfinder Brands. A long time Industry advocate and association Board Member, Mr. Deal has been the recipient of many awards for his work in conservation, fisheries management, and Industry advocacy including:
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National Marine Manufacturers - Hall of Fame Inductee
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Coastal Conservation Association - Lifetime Achievement Award
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Center For Sportfish Policy - Eddie Smith Award
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Treasure Coast Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
A graduate of Princeton University and father of 4, Scott lives in Vero Beach, Fl with his college sweetheart, Susan.
Capt. Elizabeth Jolin,
Co-Owner
Bay and Reef Company
Captain Elizabeth Jolin has lived and worked in the Florida Keys for over 20 years. As co-owner of the Bay and Reef Company of the Florida Keys she has personally had the opportunity to entertain and educate thousands of visitors from the helm of her fishing and tour boat as well as through management of numerous resort recreation contracts. She harnessed her passion for conservation and helped co-found the nonprofit Florida Bay Forever which works to unify the voice of Monroe County to preserve the Florida Bay. With her husband Captain Xavier Figueredo and beautiful daughter, Sofia, she has joyfully created an adventure filled life, living near, working on, and advocating for the preservation of her coastal community.
Capt. Chris Wittman,
Co-Founded Captains
For Clean Water
A fourth-generation Florida native, Captain Chris Wittman, co-founded Captains For Clean Water after witnessing the consequences of Florida’s water mismanagement. His extensive experience as a fishing and hunting guide, nationally renowned tournament angler, on-camera host and TV show producer allows him to engage leading brands and personalities across the industry and identify opportunities to expand the organization’s reach.
Shane Spring,
Realtor
As a second generation Realtor, Shane Spring followed is his father’s footstep’s and began his fulltime career in Real Estate in 1999. Shane was born in Summit, NJ but his family moved to SW Florida in 1980. Shane grew up on Sanibel and attended Bishop Verot High School. He has seen the transformation of SW Florida into a community where anyone would want to reside.
After attending University of Colorado and Florida Gulf Coast University, Shane joined his father in Real Estate part time in 1997. Shane found his passion for Real Estate and his desire to help others and became a full time Realtor in 1999. He has worked with his father for 15 years before he ventured on his own and joined Royal Shell Real Estate. Shane is actively involved in local, state and national Board of Realtors. Shane also is involved in the local community; he is a current member of Lee County Conservation Land Acquisition Committee for the past 6 years and just was reappointed for another 2 year term. He has also volunteered for local boards.
Over the years, Shane has owned multiple properties throughout SW Florida and has even ventured in to the construction and renovation side of flipping homes. Shane has a vast knowledge of SW Florida’s Real Estate market and is continually educating on Real Estate related issues and technology. Shane has a strong work ethic based on communication, trust and integrity.
When Shane is not working, you can find him enjoying all SW Florida has to offer with his children Andrew and Lauren. Shane is active and loves to outdoors.
MEET THE MODERATOR
Tom Rosenbauer,
Marketing Manager For Orvis Rod And Tackle
Tom Rosenbauer has been with the Orvis Company for 40 years, and while there has been a fishing school instructor, copywriter, public relations director, merchandise manager, and was editor of The Orvis News for 10 years. He is currently Marketing Manager for Orvis Rod and Tackle. As merchandise manager, web merchandiser, and catalog director, the titles under his direction have won numerous Gold Medals in the Multichannel Merchant Awards.
Tom was awarded Fly Rod & Reel’s “Angler of the Year Award” for 2011 for his educational efforts through his books, magazine articles, and podcasts.
Tom has been a fly fisher for 50 years, and was a commercial fly tier by age 14. He has fished extensively across North America and has also fished on Christmas Island, the Bahamas, Belize, in Kamchatka, Chile, and on the fabled English chalk streams . He is credited with bringing Bead-Head flies to North America, and is the inventor of the Big Eye hook, Magnetic Net Retriever, and tungsten beads for fly tying. He has about 20 fly fishing books in print, including The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide, Reading Trout Streams, Prospecting for Trout, Casting Illusions, Fly-Fishing in America, Approach and Presentation, Trout Foods and Their Imitations; Nymphing Techniques; Leaders, Knots, and Tippets, The Orvis Guide to Dry-Fly Techniques, The Orvis Fly Fishing Encyclopedia, and The Orvis Fly-Tying Guide, which won a 2001 National Outdoor Book Award . His collaboration with photographer Andy Anderson, Salt, also won a National Outdoor Book Award in 2014. He has also been published in Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Catalog Age, Fly Fisherman, Gay’s Sporting Journal, Sporting Classics, Fly Rod & Reel, Audubon, Men’s Journal, and others. His latest book, Fly Fishing for Trout—The Next Level, was published in November of 2016. Tom is the writer and narrator of “The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide Podcast,” one of the top outdoor podcasts on ITunes. He lives with his wife and son in southern Vermont on the banks of his favorite trout stream.