Meet Our Staff
John Adornato III, Regional Director
John is the National Co-Chair of the 48-member Everglades Coalition, which is an umbrella group of public interest, conservation and environmental organizations that advocate for the restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem. John currently sits on the Water Resources Advisory Commission to the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District and recently sat as an environmental community representative on the advisory team to the federal government for the Everglades restoration project, Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.
John joined NPCA in February 2002 after completing the yearlong 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.
Jason Bennis, Marine Policy Manager
Jason Bennis is the Marine Program Manager for the Sun Coast Regional Office in Hollywood, Florida. He is responsible for the management and regional political advocacy of the Sun Coast’s Marine Campaign, which includes a significant focus on the Florida Bay Protection Program. He monitors and analyzes general management plans and other park-related policies for Florida Bay/Everglades, Biscayne, Virgin Islands, and Dry Tortugas National Parks. He serves as the regional liaison for the Park Protection and Park Funding Campaigns and works on other national park protection issues. Jason holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy with a dual concentration in Environmental and Social Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining NPCA, he worked in Chicago for the Institute for Policy Research; in Washington, DC, for Environmental Defense; and in St. Croix, USVI, as a snorkel/dive trip operator for Buck Island Reef National Monument. Jason is originally from Columbus, Ohio and currently resides in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Robert Clift, Senior Marine Outreach Coordinator
Robert Clift came to the Florida Keys in 1998 after growing up in Sherman, Texas. He spent 7 years in the Keys teaching sailing, fishing, and snorkeling to the Boy Scouts of America at the National High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida. In 2004 Rob married and moved to the South Pacific island of American Samoa. There he worked as a boat captain for a consulting firm conducting water quality monitoring for the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as team leader for a base line survey to pave the way for the first sewer line in the town of Awa, Samoa. Rob also captained boats for for Fangatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary as well as for numerous visiting scientists conducting marine research. In 2006 Rob returned to the Florida Keys to serve as the Senior Marine Outreach Coordinator for the National Parks Conservation Association. His current projects include the development of an online, resource protection based boater education program for Everglades National Park and outreach to the public on boater education and issues affecting Florida Bay.
Sara Fain, Everglades Restoration Program Manager
Sara came to NCPA from University of Miami School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a focus on environmental and coastal law. She is also finishing a Masters Degree in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Previously, she worked as Environmental Project Coordinator at the Presidio National Park for the Presidio Trust, and as Environmental Outreach Project Manager for the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. She also served as a consultant to the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, where she created, wrote, and designed a Fisheries Education Module for use by high school level teachers. Sara is also fluent in Spanish, and is a member of the Florida Bar.
Sara Fain is NPCA’s Biscayne Restoration Program Analyst. She is thrilled to be able to work on issues affecting Biscayne, as she grew up in Miami and holds this National Park and its amazing resources near and dear to her heart. Sara’s responsibilities include working with all levels of government and the local community to ensure Biscayne National Park is protected from numerous external threats, and is appropriately restored through the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
Kahlil Kettering, Biscayne Restoration Program Analyst
By collaborating with our allies and decision makers, Kahlil works to ensure Biscayne National Park is appropriately protected and restored, and he coordinates with the local community to raise awareness about Biscayne National Park. Previously Kahlil worked at The Cadmus Group, Inc. addressing environmental health solutions related to indoor air quality issues. Prior to that he worked at the Environmental Protection Agency coordinating pesticide projects related to NAFTA between the United States, Canadian, and Mexican governments. Kahlil earned his B.A. and M.A. in Global Environmental Policy from American University. He comes to South Florida after living for several years in Washington, D.C., Ohio, and Nairobi, Kenya where he developed a passion for environmental conservation and national parks.
Lisa Welch, Regional Director of Development
Before joining NPCA as the Sun Coast office's Regional Director of Development, Lisa was Director of Philanthropy for Florida and the Caribbean for the Trust for Public Land. She has also held development leadership positions at Nova Southeastern University's law school and the University of Miami law school. Lisa is a graduate of the Leadership Broward program and a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Lisa earned her B.A. from the University of Texas and her law degree from University of Miami.
