U.S. Army Colonel (Retired) Alan Todd shares his 20-year perspective on how the military has evolved its approach to resilience. He explains how the Army and Army Corps of Engineers shifted their focus after 9/11 to create more resilient organizations, installations, and soldiers.

Todd describes the military's comprehensive resilience strategy that includes making installations more sustainable through Net Zero initiatives for energy, water, and waste; adopting a systems approach to planning that considers how individual projects work together; implementing risk-informed decision-making; and building adaptable infrastructure for future needs.

He emphasizes four resilience principles: prepare for potential risks, absorb inevitable impacts, recover quickly, and adapt based on lessons learned. Todd concludes with the inspiring story of one of his soldiers who demonstrated remarkable personal resilience after suffering severe injuries in Afghanistan, reinforcing that resilience can be achieved at both individual and organizational levels through consistent daily improvements.

Whitney Gray, an administrator from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), presents on coastal resilience planning and implementation. She explains how rising sea levels are causing flooding issues across Florida (humorously illustrated with an example of an octopus found in a Miami parking garage). She outlines how the Florida Resilient Coastlines Program helps communities adapt through resources, technical assistance, and funding.

Gray emphasizes that communities already know how to implement resilience measures—such as elevated structures and improved stormwater management—which provide substantial returns on investment. She shares the program's adaptation planning process involving context determination, vulnerability assessment, strategy development, and prioritization. She highlights their available guidance materials, quarterly coordination meetings between stakeholders, and upcoming funding opportunities opening August 1st for fiscal year 2021-2022.

Dr. Barbara Lenczewski from the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) discusses Florida's 2015 "Peril of Flood" statute requirements for comprehensive planning. She explains how communities must incorporate flood risk reduction strategies into their comprehensive plans, addressing current flood issues (high tides, storm surge, stormwater runoff) and projected sea level rise impacts.

The statute requires communities to include development principles, engineering solutions, and site development techniques to reduce flood risks and insurance claims. Dr. Lenczewski outlines the statute's six requirements, emphasizing that communities should implement actual policies and strategies rather than postpone action.

She shows examples of communities' successful implementations, discusses how mapping tools can visualize flood vulnerabilities, and mentions technical assistance grants from her department for planning needs. Throughout her presentation, she stresses that these planning efforts offer economic benefits through potential reductions in flood insurance rates.

Chris Matthews from Mecklenburg County's Park and Recreation Department (PRD) presents a compelling economic analysis of the value of nature preserves and open spaces. As the manager of 7,500 acres across 26 nature preserves, Matthews demonstrates how his department quantified their value after budget cuts during the recession threatened its existence.

Using the most conservative figures from various studies, he calculates that these nature preserves provide approximately $26 million in annual benefits to citizens—through air quality improvement ($2.2 million), water quality enhancement ($1 million), wildlife habitat ($1 million), property tax benefits ($1.1 million), tourism ($20 million), and direct revenue ($350,000)—all with just a $3.4 million investment, representing an 800-900% return.

Matthews also highlights the unquantifiable social benefits, including stress reduction, improved mental health, obesity prevention, and community cohesion, concluding that parks and open spaces are essential components of resilient, economically strong communities.

Dr. Nancy Gassman, Fort Lauderdale's Assistant Public Works Director, presents her city's approach to climate resilience planning. She explains that resilience extends beyond sea level rise to encompass economic, leadership, health, and infrastructure dimensions.

Gassman details Fort Lauderdale's specific challenges, including tidal flooding (projected to increase from 10 annual events to 240 by 2045), extreme rainfall, and aging infrastructure in a city that's "topographically challenged" and over 100% built out. She shares practical solutions implemented by the city, including installing 162 tidal valves to prevent saltwater backflow through storm drains, enacting a seawall height ordinance, designating 17 adaptation action areas with 42 planned capital improvement projects, and forming partnerships with other jurisdictions to address interconnected infrastructure.

Gassman also discusses emerging concerns beyond flooding, including increasing extreme heat days, changing precipitation patterns, shifting wildlife habitats, and algal blooms, emphasizing that communities should understand their vulnerabilities and leverage multiple funding mechanisms to build comprehensive resilience.

Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker presents her community's approach to climate resilience planning. She explains how their small barrier island city of 10,000 residents began sea level rise planning in 2010, driven by scientifically-minded residents.

Barker details several implemented strategies, including relocating flood-prone municipal facilities (purchasing land in higher areas for a new public works facility and fire station), doubling stormwater fees after extensive community outreach, increasing coastal setbacks by 15 feet while decreasing front setbacks, requiring development affidavits in flood zones, and establishing a sustainability board with community involvement.

She also discusses their approach to incentivizing the redevelopment of aging commercial properties with stormwater issues by allowing additional height and mixed-use residential components on A1A. Throughout her presentation, Barker emphasizes the interconnectedness of multiple resilience challenges (water quality, flood attenuation, housing), the importance of transparent communication with residents, and the necessity of leadership that addresses problems before they become crises.

Dr. Jerry Murphy, JD, AICP, CFM/Pierce Jones, Director Program for Resource Efficient Communities at the University of Florida, discusses how compact development offers a more sustainable and resilient alternative to Florida's conventional sprawl-based development patterns. Murphy contrasts traditional Florida development—characterized by scattered single-family homes, extensive road networks, and turf lawns—with a more compact design approach demonstrated through the "Restoration" project.

Using quantitative comparisons, he shows how the compact design preserves natural areas, reduces infrastructure costs (saving millions on roads), decreases maintenance expenses, and lowers environmental impacts from landscaping. Murphy emphasizes that these compact development approaches align with the market preferences of younger generations while offering economic benefits to developers.

He outlines policy considerations for regional resilience planning, highlighting the importance of business leadership, public-private partnerships, regional collaboration, and water management in creating more resilient communities. Throughout his presentation, Murphy frames compact development as a strategic response to Florida's population growth challenges and climate change concerns, particularly sea level rise.

Damon Moore, Division Manager, Ecological and Marine Resources for Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, presents on how sea level rise is affecting natural areas in coastal Florida preserves. Moore focuses on the impacts already visible in ecosystems rather than just future projections, showing evidence like pine stumps surrounded by mangroves, dying oak trees at marsh edges, large-scale mangrove die-offs, and shifting habitat boundaries.

He presents Robinson Preserve as a case study, explaining how their 150-acre expansion project was designed with sea level rise in mind by elevating upland areas up to 25 feet to ensure habitat viability for decades to come. Moore emphasizes the importance of preserves as carbon sequestration sites and community amenities.

He suggests that when retreat from coastal areas becomes necessary, converting developed land to natural areas can provide ecological and recreational benefits while minimizing economic losses. Throughout his presentation, he stresses the value of documenting current plant communities to create reference models for future restoration efforts.