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LATEST NEWS
- President’s Budget Shows Strong Support for Advancing Next Phase of Bridging for Tamiami Trail
- Everglades Advocates from Across the State Head to Tallahassee for Everglades Action Day to Discuss Restoration Progress and Funding with Elected Officials
- Homestead Named Gateway to Everglades and Biscayne National Park
Sun Coast Regional Office: Meet Our Staff
Who We Are | Meet Our Staff | Field Reports | Radio Green Earth | Parks
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John Adornato III, Regional Director
John is the Regional Director of the Sun Coast Office of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). The main campaign for the Sun Coast Regional Office are to work towards successful benefits of the Everglades Restoration for the south Florida national parks and the protection of the resources and fishery of Florida Bay. John’s duties as Regional Director allow him to travel throughout the region, including Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands where he engages allies and park enthusiasts in our campaign to protect the natural and cultural resources of America’s National Parks.
John joined NPCA in February 2002 and focused on Everglades restoration goals for more than five years. John twice served as the national co-chair of the 51-member Everglades Coalition, an umbrella group of public interest, conservation and environmental organizations that advocate for the restoration of America’s Everglades. John was appointed to a series of environmental seats on the following advisory committees: the Water Resources Advisory Commission to the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District for five years, the advisory team to the federal government for the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, and currently on the federal advisory committee on the implementation of the Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan of Big Cypress National Preserve. John also serves as the chair of the Florida Bay Stewardship Fund of the South Florida National Parks Trust.
Before joining NPCA, John completed the year-long Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship through the National Sea Grant Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He served in the Capitol Hill office of Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) managing legislative issues related to national marine sanctuaries, fisheries, ocean exploration and aquaculture. In December 2001, John received his Master’s degree from the University of Maryland in Wetland Plant Ecology. His thesis topic studied the saltwater intrusion effects of the 1996 Hurricane Lili to wetlands in the Bahamas. John holds a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Russian language from Tufts University in 1996. Originally from Springfield, MA, John attended Deerfield Academy, a college preparatory school in western Massachusetts.
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Jacqueline Crucet, Senior Program Coordinator
Jackie is the Senior Program Coordinator for the Sun Coast Region, working with the Marine Team and throughout the region on projects focused on diversity, sustainability and cultural resources. Jackie has a special connection to South Florida’s national parks, having spent much of her childhood on the waters of Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay in the Keys. A graduate of Smith College with a B.A. in American Studies, Jackie works on programs that feed her dual passions for conservation and cultural preservation. Current projects include working with the National Park Service and Miami Dade College on the establishment of a Seasonal Ranger Academy, the first in south Florida. In addition, Jackie works as part of a team to facilitate the rebuilding of the Flamingo area within Everglades National Park.
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Dawn Shirreffs, Everglades Restoration Program Manager
Dawn is a New York native with Bachelor degrees in Environmental Studies and Growth Management from Rollins College. She is currently completing her Master’s in Public Administration from Florida International University. Dawn has been involved with a number of non-profit environmental organizations and dedicated several years at a non-releasable wildlife sanctuary where she cared for and trained large exotic animals including predatory cats and reptiles. Most recently, in her role as the Florida Program Coordinator for Clean Water Action Dawn spearheaded regional growth management battles, including the Hold the Line campaign, and generated grassroots support for Everglades restoration and water quality in South Florida from 2007 through 2010. She also worked tirelessly with regional groups to oppose expansion of limestone rock mining and power plants that compromised drinking water supplies.
Dawn’s passion for environmental policy lead her to South Florida where she jumped at the opportunity to expand her Everglades work with the NPCA team and protect the national parks which are home to her most treasured hiking and camping memories.
