Volusia Water Alliance Virtual Symposium Series
P R E S E N T S
Our Water, Our Future
Two Perspectives
May 13, 2021 6pm
This is a Zoom presentation and Registration is required
Program:
Volusia Water Alliance presents the latest of a webinar series: Our Water, Our Future – Two Perspectives. Join us on May 13th at 6 p.m. when we explore both the beauty of our waters and the threats they face. We are fortunate to have two dedicated professionals bring us their expertise on how to solve our water crisis. Gabbie Milch, Middle St. Johns River Basin Advocacy Coordinator for the St. Johns Riverkeeper, will take us for an amazing journey through our beautiful waterways to see both the beauty and the undeniable pollution in our backyard. Keith Riger, Public Service Director of the City of DeLand with extensive experience on most facets of public infrastructure will provide us the unique perspective of a public utility professional and the challenges, solutions, and opportunities that entails.
Speakers:
Gabbie Milch
She is the Middle St. Johns River Basin Advocacy Coordinator for the St. Johns Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization. Gabbie focuses on water resource protection and clean water in the St. Johns River Middle Basin. She activates and advocates for the community to engage and learn about the quality and quantity of the River from Orange County to Lake George. She believes that the St. Johns River should be safe for kayaking, as well as swimmable and fishable. She believes clean water is critical for our waterways and aquatic life and the health of people.
She has worked as an Extension Agent for the Seminole County UF IFAS Extension Office as an Urban Horticulturalist and Florida Friendly Landscape Program Agent, coordinated the Master Gardener Program. She also has worked as a Stormwater and Lakes Manager for the City of Maitland, Fl. And as a Water Conservation Coordinator for the City of Ocoee, Fl
She has worked in outreach, volunteer coordination, and community education for over 30 years in Central Florida. She attended UF, working on her MS in Agricultural Education and Communications and graduated from Rollins College, Winter Park, FL with a BA in Environmental Studies, 1988. She is an avid kayaker and loves the outdoors. Married with three grown children, and lives near Wekiva Springs.
Gabbie Milch, will take us for an amazing journey through our beautiful waterways. She will take us down rivers and to springs to see both the beauty and the pollution in our back yard. The first part of fixing a problem is to know that it exists and to what extent. Gabbie helps answer these questions and poses some interesting solutions.
Keith Riger, P.E.
Keith Riger, P.E. is the Public Service Director of the City of DeLand and has worked for the city for 27 years, previously he was a Consulting Engineer (including Civil, Utility, and Environmental Engineering) for the city of Atlanta, Georgia for 14 years. As a Professional Engineer Keith was responsible for construction of more than 150 governmental capital projects as well as maintenance, operations and planning for public infrastructure for local governments in Florida and Georgia. He serves as DeLand’s Director of Public Services in responsible charge of public works, stormwater, utilities, engineering and airport divisions.
He has a Master of Science in Environment Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Florida.
Keith with be providing us with a unique perspective, that of a public utility professional and the challenges, solutions, and opportunities that informs.
Keith will be going into the details of what these water quality and water quantity challenges mean for you and me and the future of our communities. What causes water degradation and what cities, and their water managers are doing to address that.
For more information please email volusiawater@gmail.com
This program was funded with the help of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida via proceeds from the ‘Protect Florida Springs’ license plate.
PREVIOUS SEMINARS IN THE SERIES
Volusia Water Alliance
Virtual Symposium Series
P R E S E N T S
Restoring Balance: Reflections on Florida’s Water:
Past, Present, and Future
Presented by Rick Kilby and Moderated by Jason Evans
Rick Kilby is the author of the award-winning, Finding the Fountain of Youth, and recently released Florida’s Healing Waters.
Professor Jason Evans is the Executive Director of Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience.
To View the recording of this webinar, click on this link;
Restoring Balance: