Leaders / Steering Committee
Kim Ross is the founder and executive director of Rethink Energy Florida, a non-profit dedicated to educating, engaging, and empowering citizens to take action toward achieving energy independence and a sustainable environment. As an owner-member of EarthSTEPS, an environmental consulting firm, she has also worked as a Program Manager for the City of Tallahassee’s Demand-Side Management Program and led EarthSTEPS’ sustainable ‘LEED’ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building division. Kim is also a mother of two, and believes that her passion for protecting the Earth coincides with protecting her children. She was honored by the Tallahassee Democrat as one of “25 Women You Need to Know” in 2014. Kim can be reached at admin(at)rethinkenergyflorida.org.
Jorge Aguilar is the Florida Director of Food & Water Watch. Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment. He has been working on water issues in Florida for 8 years and fought against the privatization of water in the state. Jorge can be reached at jaguilar(at)fwwatch.org.
Michelle Allen is the Senior Florida Organizer at Food & Water Watch. She is based in St Petersburg and works across the state to ban fracking. Prior to joining Food & Water Watch, Michelle managed a canvass office raising funds for water and solar energy issues in Florida. She also worked on campaigns to ban fracking and offshore drilling in North Carolina with the NC Conservation Network. Michelle first became passionate about social change work while a obtaining her undergraduate degree in Geography at Kennesaw State University. As a student volunteer organizer with Greenpeace, Michelle worked to get her university to commit to a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy. Michelle can be reached at mallen(at)fwwatch.org.
Marybeth Dunn is the Chapter Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida. In this role she manages the Chapter’s program and policy activities including; ensuring proper safeguards for hydraulic fracking and the proper disposal of coal ash, as well as promoting safe energy programs and the reduction of environmental toxins. She has worked closely with the PSR/Florida board to grow the chapter from the Tampa Bay area to a statewide organization.
For the prior 14 years she has worked as a researcher, educator and advocate on issues and policies regarding environmental chemical exposures and their effect on child development. She was part of the original research team that developed PSR’s Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit and the associated Training Program. She also developed the Safe and Healthy Children Initiative; a pilot program based on the Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit that addresses health disparities among children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
Ms. Dunn serves as the state liaison for Safe Chemicals Healthy Families, a coalition representing more than 11 million individual across the nation working to protect families from exposure to toxic chemicals by updating our national chemicals policy legislation. She received her Master’s Degree in Environmental Public Health from Boston University in 1999. Marybeth can be reached at marybeth(at)psrflorida.org.
Mary Gutierrez is the Founder and Executive Director for Earth Ethics, Inc. a 501(c)(3). a non profit organization that works with individuals, communities, and organizations on environmental and social justice issues. Ms. Gutierrez has an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a masters in sustainable community development. She has worked as an analytical chemist, field biologist, and an environmental planner over her expansive environmental career. She serves on the board for the Scenic Highway Foundation and is part of the regional collaborative Another Gulf is Possible. She is also a recipient of the numerous awards, and was one of 33 participants from the Gulf Coast that participated in the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP2) in Paris in 2015. She continues to work on climate change and sea level rise (as well as several other) issues in Florida and along the Gulf Coast. Mary can be reached at earthethicsaction(at)gmail.com.
Tim Heberlein is the Tampa Bay Regional Director for Organize Florida. Tim has been active in the Tampa Bay political community since 2006, most recently as the Organizing Representative for the Sierra Club Florida. He also served 4 years as the Political Director for the Florida Consumer Action Network, and organizes his community to advocate for economic and social justice. His activism has focused on grassroots organizing and field campaigning for progressive issues and candidates.
Heberlein has mobilized thousands of activists and voters around progressive campaigns, and trained many into progressive leadership in the Tampa Bay area. He has trained with the Capital Leadership Academy, National Organizing Institute, Camp Wellstone and the Midwest Academy, and been a panelist on several conference and televised forums.
Before working in advocacy, Heberlein worked as a case manager and counselor to Floridians with mental health diagnosis and substance abuse issues. Heberlein is also active in his community, just finishing his term as the Vice Chair of the Hillsborough Democratic Party, a Disaster Action Team Leader for the American Red Cross since 2006, and as a member of the Human Relations Committee for Hillsborough County. He is the son of two military service members and attended public schools all over the world. His wife Caitlin, a teacher with Hillsborough County Public Schools, and son Charlie live in Tampa. Tim can be reached at tim(at)organizeflorida.org.
V Miller – ex-officio – as the Statewide Anti-fracking Coordinator. V first got involved in environmental organizing during the Tar Sands actions outside the White House in the fall of 2011. After graduating and returning home to Tallahassee Florida, V volunteered with a number of organizations, including the Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network, mentoring and coaching student leaders in the Southeast. V’s passions are for engaging and empowering Florida’s residents to be citizen leaders in their struggle for energy independence. V can be reached at [email protected].
Jennifer Rubiello is the State Director for Environment Florida. She directs their efforts to protect the state’s air, water and open spaces through direct advocacy and grassroots organizing. She has led successful campaigns to protect bedrock environmental laws like the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, and stop offshore drilling in Florida. Jennifer has been working to build opposition to fracking in Florida since she first moved to the state in 2013. Prior to assuming her current role, she organized fundraising and issue-based campaigns for Impact and Green Corps in Texas and Washington, D.C. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Jennifer lives in St. Petersburg, where she enjoys kayaking through the mangroves, sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, and observing Florida’s spectacular wildlife. Jennifer can be reached at jennifer(at)environmentflorida.org.
Jonathan Webber representing Florida Conservation Voters. Jonathan can be reached at jwebber(at)fcvoters.org.
David Harbeitner representing Sierra Club Florida. David can be reached at davidh(at)suncoastsierra.org.
Lucinda Johnson representing Sierra Club Florida. Lucinda can be reached at lucinda(at)suncoastsierra.org.
Patty Whitehead representing Preserve our Paradise.