Tampa Bay Waterkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global network of over 300 grassroots leaders in six continents protecting everyone’s right to clean water.
A clean and resilient watershed is essential to strong communities and a healthy economy. Serving our population of more than 2.7 million people across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper works to defend, protect, and preserve Tampa Bay’s watershed through citizen engagement and community action rooted in sound science and research.
Our scope of work is diverse, with core issues including clean water, ecosystem protection, and coastal resiliency. Tampa Bay Waterkeeper researches issues diligently and works collaboratively with citizens, local organizations and governments so that together we can find the best solutions to supporting our work.
Board of Directors
Megan Eakins
Board Chair
chairman@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Megan has spent most of her career in global luxury hospitality marketing, branding and customer experience. She grew up in Bradenton, Florida and has lived all over the state. Additionally, she spent 10 years in Chicago. While in Chicago she served on the board of directors of Friends of the Parks (FOTP) on the marketing committee. She recently moved back to Tampa Bay Area and now lives in South Tampa with her husband and three young kids. In her free time she enjoys fishing on their boat, paddle boarding, and running on Bayshore.
Jamie Harris
Secretary
jamieharris@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Jamie is an attorney practicing insurance law and commercial litigation in the Tampa Bay area. She is a Florida native and double graduate of the University of Florida. While working on her political science degree, she studied the politics of environmental transformation in Florida, including water supply issues, growth management, and Everglades restoration. Having lived in Florida her entire life, Jamie has witnessed firsthand the impact of human activity on the health and sustainability of Florida waterways, including Tampa Bay. Jamie currently lives in St. Petersburg. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, nature photography, paddle boarding with her yellow lab, Ryder, and volunteering for organizations dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of Florida marine life.
Shannon Roark
Treasurer
shannonroark@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Shannon has a Masters in Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment, both at Duke University. She has experience in financial management as well as small business and environmental strategy. Shannon has worked for Fidelity Investments, US Trust and most recently served as a vice-president and financial advisor at Evercore Wealth Management in Tampa. Shannon has also worked with numerous sustainability non-profits and small businesses in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Florida. She is passionate about the environment and enjoys volunteering locally. Shannon lives in South Tampa with her husband, Robin, and two sons, Logan and Cameron.
Michelle Sabin
Director, Head of Legal Committee
michellesabin@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Adam J. Fernandez, Esq.
Director
adamjfernandez@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Adam is a civil trial attorney practicing plaintiff’s personal injury law in Tampa, FL. Adam is a native Floridian and an avid saltwater fly fisherman. He previously served as a board member of Sarasota Bay Watch. Adam has been fishing the Tampa Bay waters for over three decades. He was raised in Bradenton, FL on beautiful Palma Sola Bay - which has fallen victim to several sewage spills over the years. Tampa Bay water quality and the health of the fishery are a priority for him. He currently lives in South Tampa with his wife and two sons who love to fish.
Capt. Dustin Pack
Director
dustinpack@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Capt. Dustin Pack is a Florida native and fly fishing guide (Fly Tide Charters) based out of Tampa Bay. Fishing Tampa's waterways for 30 years gives Dustin a first-hand perspective of what plagues our estuary. Being a born and raised Floridian, Dustin's countless hours on local waterways has fostered a true passion that drives his conservation efforts. If he is not guiding, he can be found participating in small and large scale cleanups along many of Tampa's main waterways. Dustin currently lives in Riverside Heights with his wife, Paula and golden retriever, Banjo.
Hutch Craig
Director
hutchcraig@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Hutch grew up in St. Petersburg exploring the waters of Tampa Bay. In high school and into college he worked on research vessels and in labs at the USF Bayboro campus as well as the Florida DEP. He graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Biology. After college Hutch moved to chilly Chicago only to find himself quickly coming back to the Tampa Bay area to co-found a software company, YourMembership.com, where he was the CTO from 1998-2015. He is a tech nerd at heart but enjoys fishing, paddle boarding, is an avid cyclist and a terrible golfer. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two daughters.
Justin Bloom
Director
jbloom@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Justin is an environmental lawyer with significant experience developing and directing programs and projects for environmental groups in addition to decades of legal practice focusing on environmental issues. He is the founder and a board member of the neighboring Suncoast Waterkeeper. He also serves on the board of the Florida West Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council and is the Chair of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program’s Citizens Advisory Committee. Justin graduated from New College of Florida in 1991 with a BA in Environmental Studies. He completed his law degree at Tulane University in 1996. His legal practice has focused on public interest environmental law, as well as toxic tort and class action pharmaceutical plaintiffs litigation. Early in his career, he worked on staff with Hudson Riverkeeper as an investigator, staff attorney and project manager and years later at Waterkeeper Alliance as a Director. Justin and his wife live in Sarasota with their two boys.
Victoria Gambale
Director
victoriagambale@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Victoria is an accomplished professional environmental scientist with a M.S. in Fisheries Science from Louisiana State University, a B.S. in marine biology from Roger Williams University, and over a decade of professional experience. She specializes in implementing highly collaborative projects and programs that make a real difference in the community and the environment. Victoria has lived along all three coasts of the United States working with a diverse variety of personalities to accomplish environmental advancement. She is ready to settle down and utilize her experiences and expertise to protect the environment in her forever home of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, SCUBA diving, and pottery.
Rusty Chinnis
Director
rustychinnis@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
Rusty Chinnis is a life-long fisherman who has lived in the Longbeach Village on Florida’s west coast since 1982. He is a Fly Fishers International Certified fly-casting instructor and an award-winning writer and photographer. Rusty was a co-founder (1985) and the first president of the Manatee Chapter of the Florida Conservation Association, a founder of the Sister Keys Conservancy which was presented the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award in 1992. He has served as President and Chairman of the Board of The Florida Outdoor Writers Association and is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Rusty is the Outdoors Editor of the Anna Maria Island Sun (Reel Time) and a founder of Sarasota Bay Watch. He currently serves on the Board of Suncoast Waterkeeper and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper and is committed to advocating for water quality and sustainability.
About Waterkeeper Alliance
Waterkeeper Alliance is a global network protecting everyone's right to drinkable, fishable, and swimmable water. On the water or in the courts, we are at the frontlines of the global water crisis.
Founded in 1999 by author and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and other members of the Hudson Riverkeeper community. Waterkeeper Alliance is the the largest and fastest-growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting and mobilizing more than 300 local Waterkeeper groups worldwide protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways on six continents.
Its proudest accomplishment is the depth and breadth of its member organizations and the unity of their vision for clean water and resilient communities.