Mission, History, Initiatives
Mission
Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance is a non-profit organization responsible for sustaining healthy local waterways through monitoring, education, restoration, and research.
For 20 years, CBA has been the only nonprofit organization promoting water stewardship within the Choctawhatchee watershed, growing the network of supporters who join CBA’s mission to provide a future for these precious, natural resources.
History
In early 1996, representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP); other state, federal and local government agencies; environmental organizations; and members of the business community met with concerned citizens and elected officials at Northwest Florida State College to discuss environmental quality and economic development. The sharing of concerns from participants along with the discussion on philosophies of ecosystem management from the FDEP and Eglin AFB sparked a partnership for sustainable development that is now called the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance of Northwest Florida State College (CBA).
Vision
The health of our water resources is the foundation for our identity and our economic security. Be it fishing, tourism, or our very quality of life, everything depends upon a healthy watershed. As environmental and anthropogenic threats continue to impact our critical natural areas, local citizens need to become active stewards of these precious resources to ensure that future generations can enjoy them. Community support aids CBA in acquiring funding that will make a positive change in our environment for the long term.
CBA utilizes public awareness, public involvement, and collaboration to:
- Promote optimal utilization of the basin resources through citizen empowerment.
- Engage citizens in practicing environmentally sound land management.
- Involve government agencies to act and reflect public needs, desires, and values.
- Utilize public support and citizen involvement to initiate technical projects and coordinate efforts between citizens, business owners, environmental organizations, and government agencies to solve specific problems.
Advisory Committee
Click here for Advisory Committee member biographies.
| Name | Position | |
| Dennis Peters | Chair | dpeters@gsrcorp.com |
| Monica Autrey | Treasurer/Secretary | mautrey@dwuinc.com |
| Tim Norris | Advisory Member | timnorris@earthlink.net |
| Julie Terrell | Advisory Member | terrellj@nwfsc.edu |
| Joe Nacchia | Advisory Member | joe@emeraldcoastpubs.com |
| Dawn Pack | Advisory Member | packd@mail.okaloosa.k12.fl.us |
| Mitch Shank | Advisory Member | cshankcm@aol.com |
| Mark Shaeffer | Advisory Member | mshaeffer@baskervilledonovan.com |
| James Ward | Advisory Member | jward3184@aol.com |
| Dr. David Schjott | Advisory Member | schjottd@nwfsc.edu |
| Chester Kroeger | Advisory Member | chester@fudpucker.com |
| Ross Hamilton | Ex-Officio Member | hamiltor@nwfsc.edu |
| Mike Flynt | Ex-Officio Member | mflynt6905@aol.com |
Staff
Click here for staff biographies.
| Name | Position | |
| Alison McDowell | Director | mcdowel2@nwfsc.edu |
| Brittany Tate | Senior Grant Manager & Education Coordinator | tateb@nwfsc.edu |
| Brandy Foley | Monitoring Coordinator | foleyb@nwfsc.edu |
| Rachel Gwin | Restoration Coordinator | gwinr@nwfsc.edu |
| Erika Zambello | Communications and Marketing Coordinator | zambelle@nwfsc.edu |
| Riley Timbs | Ecology Technician | timbsr@nwfsc.edu |
| Amanda Briant | Education Technician | brianta@nwfsc.edu |
| Alison Jean | Education Technician | jeana1@nwfsc.edu |
Newsletters
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