Protecting your right to clean water
Tampa Bay Waterkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global network of over 350 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 improve, 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.
Our Mission
Tampa Bay Waterkeeper is dedicated to ensuring fishable, swimmable, and drinkable water for all.
Our mission is to protect everyone’s right to clean water by working collaboratively with citizens, local organizations, businesses and governments to safeguard our coastal and inland waters using the law, science and community action.
Executive Team
Justin Tramble
Executive Director
Justin has served in local government management for over 6 years, working in various functions including parks and recreation, budgeting, grant writing and strategic planning. He most recently was the Assistant Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Treasure Island. He has a proven track record of leadership and has a passion for establishing effective partnerships between stakeholders. Justin holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Political Science from Kennesaw State University. Tramble recently served as the secretary of the Angler Action Foundation (previously the Snook and Gamefish Foundation) for 5 years. He is a USCG licensed captain, avid angler and advocate of fisheries and habitat conservation. A Florida native, Justin currently resides in St. Petersburg with his wife Beka and daughter Isla.
As Executive Director, Justin works to improve, protect, and preserve Tampa Bay’s watershed through citizen engagement and collaborative community action rooted in science-based solutions.
Board of Directors
Megan Eakins
Board Chair
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 Trail.
Adam J. Fernandez, Esq.
Vice Chair
Adam is a Partner at Maney | Gordon Trial Lawyers in Tampa, Florida where he is a Trial Attorney representing clients injured as a result of motor vehicle/commercial vehicle/trucking accidents, maritime accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home and assisted living facility negligence, defective/unsafe products, and trip/slip hazards. Adam also focuses his practice on “Dram Shop” claims against bars and restaurants for the sale of alcohol resulting in intoxication-related injuries, such as drunk driving motor vehicle crashes. He is a graduate of the University of Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, in 2005. Adam went on to receive his law degree at Stetson University College of Law in 2008. He has received an AV Preeminent Rating with respect to legal ability and ethical standards, and has also been honored each year by Florida Super Lawyers since 2015.
Adam is a native Floridian and was raised in Bradenton, FL on beautiful Palma Sola Bay - which has fallen victim to several sewage spills over the years. He is an avid fisherman, especially saltwater fly fishing. He previously served as a board member of Sarasota Bay Watch, before moving to Tampa. He joined the Tampa Bay Waerkeeper Board of Directors in 2020. Adam has been fishing the Tampa Bay waters for over three decades. Tampa Bay water quality and the health of the fishery are a priority for him. He currently lives in South Tampa with his wife Meaghan, and two sons AJ and Henry, who love to fish.
Kelly Marton
Secretary
Kelly has a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Florida, and currently works as a GIS Project Manager in the field of survey and transportation engineering. Her prior experience is in municipal Public Works.
Kelly was born and raised in Pinellas County and grew up loving all things science and wildlife, especially of the marine variety. She is an alumna of USF’s College of Marine Science Oceanography Camp for Girls and credits that early experience for her eventual career trajectory. Kelly is passionate about environmental education and outreach, and preserving public resources. She enjoys kayaking, Florida Friendly gardening, and spending time with her extended local family. Kelly lives in St. Petersburg with her husband, Mike, and pit mix, Simon.
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Jeff Valdes
Treasurer
Jeff earned his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Tampa and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida. He owns an accounting and consulting firm that services law firms, commercial real estate companies and other boutique businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area.
Jeff was born and raised in Tampa and lives in South Tampa with his wife, Jennifer and his three children, Madeline, Mason and Matthew. He enjoys golf, beach, fishing and baseball with sons and nephews.
Michelle Sabin
Board Member
Michelle Sabin is a Partner at Zinober Diana & Monteverde, P.A., and manages the Tampa office. Her areas of practice include general liability, first-party property & casualty defense, insurance coverage counsel, and commercial litigation. Michelle is a graduate of Florida State University where she received her Bachelor of Science cum laude in Criminology and Psychology. In May 2008, she was awarded her Juris Doctor cum laude from Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, Michelle was a Biodiversity Fellow at the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, where she participated in the implementation program of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment initiative. She was also President of the Environmental Law Society and a student editor for the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy. During law school, Michelle interned with the Ocean Conservancy in St. Petersburg, FL, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento, CA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta, GA. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, swimming, paddle boarding, live music, and traveling.
Capt. Dustin Pack
Board Member
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.
Justin Bloom
Board Member
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.
Deirdre Semeyn
Board Member
Deirdre is a native of Boston, but moved to Florida to pursue a career in Marine Science Research. Studying marine mammals allowed her to explore some of her favorite places in southwest Florida including Everglades National Park, Boca Grande and Sarasota Bay. Deirdre has lived in Tampa for the past 10 years, raising her family of four children. During this time she switched gears from research to education and now teaches middle school science. Through her experience, passion and knowledge, she hopes to inspire the next generation of good citizens of the planet. During her days off, you will find Deirdre and her family boating, fishing or just spending time at the beach.
Antonio "Cheech" Castellvi, MD
Board Member
Antonio "Cheech" Castellvi, MD is a family man and an avid outdoorsman. He spends his free time coaching youth baseball and fishing all over Florida, but loves fishing right here in Tampa Bay as he grew up on Tampa Bay as a child.
He is an experienced and caring family physician serving the community as part of the BayCare Medical Group. Because he is bilingual in English and Spanish, patients from a variety of backgrounds enjoy having him as their physician.
Cheech is passionate about preserving the Tampa Bay watershed so that his kids can grow up making memories on the water.
Robert D. Ellis, Ph.D.
Board Member
Bob is a marine biologist and research scientist who studies fish that live in and around Tampa Bay. Born in Hawaii, raised in Southern California, he attended UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate studies based mostly on the proximity of the campus to world-class surfing. After a couple years of seasonal work as a surf guide in Nicaragua, he decided to go back to school and got an MS in Oceanography from LSU followed by a PhD in Biology at Florida State. For his dissertation, he studied the ecology of red grouper in Florida Bay. Five summers of research in the Florida Keys was followed up by a year working for NOAA at their headquarters in Washington DC before he returned to Florida in 2016 to study life history of groupers and snappers. When he's not out diving or tagging fish for work, you can usually find him at the beach or on the water fishing with his two boys. Bob lives in St Petersburg with his wife, two sons and their dog.