IRL Round Table Steering Committee members include scientists, instructors, citizen advocates and space program veterans who are dedicated to restoring and preserving the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary:
- Stel Bailey, Advocates’ Voice
- Dave Botto, Marine Resources Council
- Jim Durocher, Florida Rights of Nature Network
- Jeffery Greenberg, A Rocha
- Matt Heyden, Space Coast Audubon
- Al Koller, e3 Company of Florida
- Lew Kontnik, Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition
- Lora Losi, Space Coast Audubon
- Michael Myjak, Speak Up Titusville
- Frank Rohrer, Indian River Lagoon News
- William Rotne, Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters
- Maureen Rupe, Turtle Coast Sierra Club
- Laurilee Thompson, Brevard Nature Alliance
- Charlie Venutto, Merritt Island Wildlife Association
IRL Round Table Member Bios
Stel Bailey
Advocates’ Voice, Managing Editor
Fight for Zero, Executive Director
National PFAS Coalition, Co-Facilitator
Patrick Space Force Base Restoration Advisory Board
Stel Bailey, a cancer survivor and community advocate, has committed over a decade to researching the impacts of toxic chemicals on wildlife, water quality, and human health in and around the Indian River Lagoon.
Raised in Brevard County, she became aware of the PFAS contamination of water sources and relentlessly pushed for stricter regulations on the chemicals. This led to the EPA setting the first-ever national drinking water standards and a hazardous substance designation, as well as over a million dollars in federal funding for installing drinking water filters in schools.
In addition to founding Fight for Zero, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing disease and pollution in Florida, Bailey has worked closely with numerous national and international organizations, academic institutions, and experts to achieve her goals. Apart from her environmental advocacy efforts, she is a researcher, writer, and photojournalist, as well as an adventurous spirit, mother, and educator.
Email: StelBailey@gmail.com
Website: stelbailey.com
David C. Botto
David C. Botto is a Florida native residing in Brevard county since 1968. He was Chief of Ops Plans for air assets during Apollo and was awarded the Silver Snoopy by the Apollo astronauts. He retired from the U.S. Air Force and is a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. Mr. Botto also retired from Harris Corp having served as an engineering, program management and marketing director. He holds BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dave is dedicated to restoring and preserving the natural wonder that is the Indian River Lagoon. He served on the Marine Resources Council Board from 1996 to 2014, nine years as chairman. He was chair of the successful MRC led effort to restrict fertilizer run-off pollution in the lagoon and he believes that Low Impact Development (LID) is essential to the future health of the Lagoon.
Link: FloridaToday – On the Indian River, ‘life was good’
Email: dbotto1@cfl.rr.com
Jim Durocher
Florida Rights Of Nature Network, East Central Regional Director
Jim is a Florida native and Coastal Master Naturalist who is a retired Property Manager from Brevard County now living in Volusia. He was one of the founding members of the Cocoa Beach Area Hotel and Motel Association. Other business and personal interests were establishing Space Coast Kayaking nature tours and securing the Thousand Islands of Cocoa Beach as a nature sanctuary. He currently volunteers with several environmental organizations.
Email: jimthekayakguy@gmail.com
Jeffrey Greenberg
Jeffrey (Jeff) Greenberg is a Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Science from Wheaton College, IL. His education includes Geophysics-Geology Masters from U of Ky and PhD in Geology-Geochemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. Jeff was an Assoc. Prof. of Environmental Resources for the University of Wisconsin and Geologist for the WI Geological and Natural History Survey. His background includes academic research and supervising global outreach-research for undergrad students. Areas of specialty include community development, geological mapping, mineral resources, land-use planning, sanitation and water issues. Jeff currently serves as VP of Geology in the Public Interest, Board Member of The Global Network for Geoscience and Society, and Senior consulting Scientist for A Rocha-USA.
Email: jeffrey.greenberg@wheaton.edu
Matt Heyden
Space Coast Audubon, Conservation Chair
Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology, which helps him in his work as a long-term board member and Conservation Chair for Space Coast Audubon. He has been leading birding and kayak trips for more than 15 years, and is an advocate for several conservation organizations primarily focusing on the role between native landscapes and bird populations.
Email: mheyden716@aol.com
Al Koller
Dr. Al Koller has worked in aerospace for 60+ years. He began his aerospace career at age 17 in 1959 as a technician for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) at Cape Canaveral. He transferred to NASA in 1960 and served on the launch team for Apollo 11, remaining there for 32 years and earning Masters and Doctoral degrees from Florida State University.
He retired to work at Brevard Community College as an executive for 20 years, founding SpaceTEC – the NSF National Center for Aerospace Technical Education. He’s served on several Boards including the Titusville Chamber of Commerce and the NASA Alumni League. In 1968 he founded the e3 Company of Florida, LLC, a consulting group where he serves as president.
Al has been married to the former Carol Ann Knight of Jacksonville for 60+ years. Their family includes three daughters, a son, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.
Email: alkoller@gmail.com
Lew Kontnik
Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition Board
Lew joined the BIRLC Board in 2017 and has been active in leading the organization’s communications efforts and in organizing community Straight Talk and Lagoon and Lager events to stimulate direct resident engagement. He is now driving the formation of the BIRLC Lagoon Voices advocacy program. He is also active in the IRL Roundtable. Lew has focused on improving the environment most of his life. Early in his career, he earned a MS in Environmental Engineering, and a J.D. practicing Environmental Law in Washington, DC. Later in his path, he became a world recognized expert in anti-counterfeiting through a series of newsletters and conferences and co-authored the book Counterfeiting Exposed, published in 2003 by Wiley.
Email: lewkontnik@gmail.com
Phone: (805) 558-2295
Lora Losi
Lora holds a Master’s degree in biochemical research and has taught physics, chemistry and biology for more than 20 years. A long-term board member for Space Coast Audubon, she has been leading birding and kayak trips for more than 15 years. In addition, she is an advocate for 12 different conservation organizations.
Email: losi.loral@gmail.com
Michael Myjak
Speak Up Titusville
The Virtual Workshop, Inc.
Michael is Director of Research and Development for The Virtual Workshop, Inc., a virtual world consulting firm that has developed methods and tools that have significantly advanced the state-of-the-practice building distributed virtual worlds.
Email: mmyjak@gmail.com
Frank Rohrer
Frank Rohrer is a Melbourne native born within 100’ of the Indian River and raised under Atlas, Mercury and Apollo exhaust plumes with superheroes named Grissom, Shepard and Glenn. An avid nature lover since childhood, Frank solo hiked 110 miles of the Appalachian Trail at the age of 15. From Anastasia to Bahia Honda he enjoys fishing, hiking and primitive camping in all Florida habitats.
Frank is owner/editor of Indian River Lagoon News, an unaffiliated, nonpartisan website serving Indian River Lagoon news, events, and educational resources for Florida’s East Coast communities.
Captain William Rotne
Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters
IRL Discussion Group Moderator
Capt. Billy Rotne is a Florida native with over 25 years experience fishing inshore and nearshore in the east central Florida area. He was born and raised in a house on the water in Port Orange and had his first boat at 10 years of age. Fishing occupied most of his free time and when he was old enough to drive, he was fishing Mosquito Lagoon, Ponce Inlet and the Indian River Lagoon every time he got the chance. He became an avid fly fisherman and soon grew a passion for showing others what this special estuary has to offer. This passion led to Billy starting his guiding career. He still lives on the water and fishes daily, the coastal lifestyle is all Capt. Billy has ever known.
After guiding Mosquito Lagoon and it’s headwater Ponce Inlet for almost 15 years, Capt. Billy enjoys his career more than ever. Guiding more than 200 days a year, the vast majority of his customers are repeat clients and have become good friends. He always welcomes new clients and truly enjoys sharing the experience and history of Mosquito Lagoon and the surrounding areas. From history about NASA, the lagoons flora, fauna, pre-Columbian peoples and geology, expect far more than just a fishing charter on your trip.
Link: Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters
Email: captbillyrotne@gmail.com
Maureen Rupe
Marine Resources Council Board
Turtle Coast Sierra Club Executive Committee
League of Women Voters of the Space Coast
Port St John Special District Advisory Board
Maureen has served on multiple Boards and Brevard County Advisory Boards. Currently the League of Women Voters, Sierra Club Turtle Coast Executive Committee, Marine Resource Council, Port St. John Special District Advisory Board, and the Parrish Medical Center Board of Directors. Maureen has served on these boards for over 20 years. She has also been appointed to three Brevard County Charter Review Commissions and three Brevard County Redistricting Committees. She also served as President of the Brevard British Club for 26 years. Maureen was born and bred in England. She married Bob, who served and retired from the Air Force, where she made America her home 45 years ago. She is extremely interested in protecting the environment and trying to preserve our Indian River Lagoon.
Email: rupe32927@gmail.com
Laurilee Thompson
Merritt Island Wildlife Association Board
Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizens Oversight Committee
Laurilee is a fifth-generation Floridian with an unshakable commitment to the state’s natural resources, including the Indian River Lagoon. She is the co-owner of Dixie Crossroads, a southern seafood restaurant in Titusville, FL with international name recognition and a menu that features locally caught seafood. Laurilee is an avid naturalist with a pragmatic eye to the sustainable use of natural resources and an important advocate for the promotion, protection, and responsible use of our natural resources. She is the founder of the highly successful Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and serves on numerous boards related to tourism, the environment and fishing.
Email: laurilee.irlroundtable@gmail.com
Links:
Charlie Venuto
Merritt Island Wildlife Association Board
Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizens Oversight Committee
Charlie is the newly elected President of the Merritt Island Wildlife Association. He is a part time Environmental Science Professor at the American Public University System. He was awarded research grants from APUS to study the creation of the Merritt Island NWR and the lives of Allan and Helen Cruickshank. Prior to retirement Charlie was an environmental professional for 39 years, mostly at the Kennedy Space Center. He is a former President of the Space Coast Audubon Society and sits on the board of the Brevard Nature Alliance. He is the Science Alternate for the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizens Oversight Committee.
Email: charlie.venuto@gmail.com
Links:
- My Lagoon Story: Charlie Venuto
- Prof. Charles Venuto, American Public University – The Space Program and Environmentalism