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Mr. Nechamen was the Floodplain Coordinator for the State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation for 21 years. During that period, he helped to promote higher floodplain standards in New York, including enacting a two foot “freeboard” requirement in New York’s building code, saving property owners millions of dollars in flood losses and flood insurance premiums. One of the founders of the New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NYSFSMA), a professional association with over 500 active members, he was their first Chair and currently serves the Association as its treasurer.

Mr. Nechamen has been a Board member of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) at various times for 13 years. ASFPM represents over 15,000 professionals across the United States and internationally and is a key national voice in policies designed to reduce flood risk while preserving the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains. He served as chair (2013-2015), vice-chair (2011-2013) and treasurer (2008-2010) and is currently co-chair of the Floodplain Regulations Committee. Mr. Nechamen has received the ASFPM Meritorious Lifetime Achievement in Floodplain Management Award.
In his capacity as Floodplain Coordinator, he has led workshops and training sessions on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), floodplain management and regulations, understanding and interpreting flood maps, flood insurance and the Community Rating System.

Mr. Rovak is a professional engineer and certified floodplain manager with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of floodplain management. His work requires understanding of FEMA regulations and interpretation of FEMA Flood Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies (FIS). Mr. Rovak has extensive experience in Letters of Map Changes (LOMCs), particularly Letters of Map Revisions (LOMRs), which have ranged from single reaches along a channel to large areas affecting many map panels. Related studies have ensured that infrastructure improvements such as bridges or docking facilities would not cause increase in flood heights (“no-rise” studies).

Mr. Rovak’s experience has covered riverine flooding (river and creek channels) as well as level- pool environments (lakes and landlocked floodwater storage). He has performed hydraulic and hydrologic analysis of these systems working with a variety of computer models in the public domain such as Corps of Engineers and EPA, as well as proprietary programs such as ICPR and XP-SWMM. Mr. Rovak’s experience includes steady, unsteady, and network flow simulations.

Ms. Dunn has worked for Dewberry the past 15 years insupport of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region III office in Philadelphia. In this role she has conducted and managed flood studies throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Puerto Rico, including thousands of miles of hydrologic (TR-20, TR-55, HEC-1, HEC-HMS, PSU-IV, as well as gage analyses and regression equations) and hydraulic (HEC-2 and HEC-RAS) analyses, floodplain mapping, and community outreach. Prior to her time with Dewberry, she worked in the Floodplain Management Services Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District. Ms. Dunn holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University. She is a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and is a Certified Floodplain Manager.

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.

CFM/Owner of Natural Disaster ConsultingMs. Beller is owner of Natural Disaster Consulting. She is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). Ms. Beller served as a FEMA disaster inspector after Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Gustav. She has been a licensed insurance adjuster in Texas since 2006 and worked as an adjuster in Houston after Hurricane Ike in 2008.Ms. Beller is a licensed home inspector in the state of Washington and has performed over 10,000 building inspections since 1996. Her book, Show Me the Disaster Money, will be published by the end of 2016. Its primary focus is explaining the necessary steps to receive financial and practical assistance pre- and post-flood.

Manager at Ramboll EnvironA senior water resources engineer and certified floodplain manager with 27-years of experience in the United States and abroad, Dr. Kristanovich has been a lead hydraulic, hydrologic, and water quality engineer, addressing evaluations, modeling, and design in three environments: watershed (hydrology), river/streamflow system (including surface and groundwater), and coastal/estuarine environments. For regulatory agencies, he has provided evaluations and floodplain-related design, including FEMA floodplain mapping, LOMR/CLOMR applications, and all associated floodplain modeling and design, including GIS/CAD interface programs. For developers Dr. Kristanovich has done remapping of floodplains and has provided floodplain mitigation measures. For local governments and tribes, he has designed wetland mitigations, floodplain enhancements, fish restoration, and restoration of rivers. For long-term planning agencies Dr. Kristanovich has provided evaluation and design of floodplain protection measures and flood resiliency to evaluate the impact of climate change and predicted sea level rises. Working for ports, he had addressed coastal protection issues.Dr. Kristanovich has utilized hydrologic models, including HEC-HMS, HEC-GeoHMS and HSPF. He has used hydraulic models, including EFDC, CEQUAL-W2, and HEC-RAS, as well as numerous other models from EPA, USGS and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Dr. Kristanovich holds a PhD degree in Hydrology from Louisiana State University, an MS degree in Hydraulics/Civil Engineering from CALTECH, and a BS degree in Civil Engineering from University of Zagreb, Croatia. He is professionally registered as a civil engineer in five states, including Washington. He is actively involved in the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), where he helped organized 2005 and 2009 AWRA professional conferences in Seattle, and 2013 conference in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Kristanovich is a member of the Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Northwest Regional Floodplain Manager Association (NORFMA).

Owner of Alpine Land Surveying Inc.
Ms. Grove is a certified floodplain manager and a professional land surveyor, licensed in the State of Michigan since 1993. A graduate of Michigan Technological University she has been the owner of Alpine Land Surveying Inc. which is located in Hartland, Michigan, since 1995. Ms. Grove has served well over 20 years on the State of Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) Board, where she currently serves as director. She has been the chair of the MSPS State Seminar Committee for the past five years. She is also the past chair of the State of Michigan Licensing Board for Surveyors, were she served eight years on both the Surveyors and Engineers Licensing Boards. Active at the National Level, she is an emeritus member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), currently serving on the National Exam Committee for Professional Surveyors (EPS) and as a subject matter expert for the national surveyor’s exam. Ms. Grove has chaired the Future City Competition in Michigan for the past five years. She is also very active with the Hydroplane Boat Races every year, serving as co-chair for the past several years for the Gold Cup Races in Detroit, and as the current chair of the Quake on the Lake Races which raises money for the Make a Wish Foundation. For the past five years Ms. Grove has traveled throughout the United States, teaching on the topic of FEMA and flood zones and is currently considered a national expert on the issue.

Lansing Michigan Office of Emergency Management
Ms. Oberlin is a certified floodplain manager (CFM) and a certified emergency manager (CEM). She has a B.A. degree in Communications and master’s degrees in Emergency Management and Distance Education. During her 18 years with the Lansing Michigan Office of Emergency Management, she has focused on natural hazard mitigation and on risk and crisis communication. Ms. Oberlin was the Michigan Stormwater Floodplain Association’s Floodplain Manager of the Year in 2013. In 2015 she was inducted into the International Women in Homeland Security and Emergency Management (InWEM) Hall of Fame.

Mr. Norris is a civil engineer for the City of Greenville, North Carolina, specializing in stormwater engineering, and he is the owner of Norris Environmental Engineering, PLLC. He is a professional engineer, a certified floodplain manager, a certified professional in stormwater quality, and a certified professional in low impact development. Prior to working for the City of Greenville, he worked with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. Mr. Norris was also the environmental specialist and floodplain administrator for the City of Wilson. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management and a master’s degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, both from North Carolina State University.

Senior Project Manager at Horner & Shifrin
Ms. Frederich is a civil engineer experienced in flood protection and environmental projects. Typical projects of hers have included construction management, hydraulic and hydrologic analyses for flood studies, FEMA flood insurance rate map changes, sewer design and rehabilitation, combined sewer consolidation, stormwater studies, and construction/ contract management of public works projects. Ms. Frederich is a licensed professional engineer in Missouri and Illinois, and she is a Certified Floodplain Manager.

Mr. Rovak is a professional engineer and certified floodplain manager with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of floodplain management. His work requires understanding of FEMA regulations and interpretation of FEMA Flood Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies (FIS). Mr. Rovak has extensive experience in Letters of Map Changes (LOMCs), particularly Letters of Map Revisions (LOMRs), which have ranged from single reaches along a channel to large areas affecting many map panels. Related studies have ensured that infrastructure improvements such as bridges or docking facilities would not cause increase in flood heights (“no-rise” studies).

Mr. Rovak’s experience has covered riverine flooding (river and creek channels) as well as level- pool environments (lakes and landlocked floodwater storage). He has performed hydraulic and hydrologic analysis of these systems working with a variety of computer models in the public domain such as Corps of Engineers and EPA, as well as proprietary programs such as ICPR and XP-SWMM. Mr. Rovak’s experience includes steady, unsteady, and network flow simulations.

Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A.
A Connecticut native, Ms. Bracke relocated to the west coast of Florida in 2005 where she began her career as a litigation paralegal. She has been working in the area of family law since 2007 and joined Cortes Hodz Family Law and Mediation in May of 2017 as a case manager and paralegal for attorneys Vivian Cortes Hodz and Angelica D. Rosello. She received her bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven in 2001 and her master of science degree in Advanced Forensic Investigation from the University of New Haven in 2003 where she studied as part of an exclusive group of students under the direction of Dr. Henry C. Lee.
 

Harris Hunt & Derr, P.A.
Ms. Derr is a board certified expert in marital and family law in Tampa. While she is known as a skilled litigator, Ms. Derr is equally adept at fashioning creative, mutually beneficial resolutions in mediation and through her collaborative divorce practice. While she is proud of her success in the courtroom, her experience has taught her that the most advantageous way to resolve a case is usually at the negotiation table. Ms. Derr believes that the collaborative process is suited for cases where the parties seek a confidential, less contentious solution. Regardless of whether a case is collaborative or contested, Ms. Derr puts in the same effort to analyze each case, get the right answers, and allow clients to make informed decisions. She believes that clients are in the best position to make decisions about their families and finances, and an attorney’s role is to use her training, analysis, and experience to help navigate those decisions.

Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A.
Ms. Hodz practices exclusively marital and family law in Tampa with the law firm of Cortes Hodz Family Law and Mediation, P.A. She is a Supreme Court certified family law mediator and a qualified parenting coordinator. Ms. Hodz is a past president of the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, serves on the board of directors of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and Bay Area Legal Services, is a graduate of Class II of the Florida Bar Leadership Academy, and is the 2019-2020 chair of both the Voluntary Bar Liaison and Annual Convention Committees of The Florida Bar. Ms. Hodz received her bachelor of arts degree in Criminology in 1999 from Florida State University and her juris doctor degrees in 2002 from Florida State University College of Law.

Ms. Kay assists Florida’s families as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law and Appellate Mediator and a collaborative attorney. She also extends her expertise to solo and small firms throughout Florida with freelance research, writing, and consulting services. Ms. Kay served as the chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar during its 50th anniversary year (2023-2024), as president of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (2017-2018), president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Leadership Institute Class of 2013, and the co-chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association 5k Pro Bono River Run Committee in 2013 and 2014. Ms. Kay is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She holds a J.D. degree, a master’s degree in Education and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Sessums Black Caballero Ficarrotta Family Law
Mr. Reder is an attorney in Tampa, practicing exclusively marital and family law. His practice combines alternative dispute processes, such as mediation and collaborative divorce, with traditional adversarial litigation. Mr. Reder previously served as a prosecutor for the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office where he successfully prosecuted over 20 jury trials and numerous non-jury trials and motions. Prior to that, Mr. Reder was a staff attorney where he clerked for four circuit court judges. He is actively involved in the local community and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. Mr. Reder is a member of the Executive Council for the Marital and Family Law Section and the Executive Board of the Trial and Litigation Section. He earned his juris doctor degree with honors from Stetson University College of Law and his bachelor of arts in Political Science with honors from Auburn University.

Ms. Anderson primarily practices in the areas of domestic and family law, criminal law, and bankruptcy. Ms. Anderson’s over 12 years of experience in these areas of law has given her a unique ability to not only achieve results but to assist clients though difficult, complicated and sometimes incredibly emotional events. She received her bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and a J.D. degree from Barry University School of Law, where she received a certificate for completing a concentration in the areas of children and family law. Ms. Anderson has worked in the legal field since 1997 and since then has worked at all levels within private law firms. Ms. Anderson has been involved in the following organizations and affiliations: American Bar Association, The Florida Bar (Family, Criminal and Young Lawyers Division), and Orange County Bar Association. Additionally, Ms. Anderson is an adjunct professor for Seminole State College as well as Bryant & Stratton. Ms. Anderson was a former adjunct professor for Barry University, Kaplan University and Everest University.

The Virga Law Firm
Mr. Melendez has dealt with paternity, divorce, child support, and temporary custody by an extended family member, cases all over Northern Florida. He graduated from Florida State University cum laude, earning a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship. Shortly after graduating cum laude from Florida Coastal School of Law and receiving his license to practice in Florida, Mr. Melendez worked for North Florida Legal Services. He assisted the indigent with government aid applications, loan modification documents, and defending debt collection and eviction proceedings. In early 2014 he moved to south Florida to work in Mortgage Foreclosure Defense and in 2015 Melendez returned to Tallahassee to provide affordable immigration, bankruptcy, and family law services to residents of Leon and surrounding counties. Joining The Virga Law Firm, P.A. in 2016, Mr. Melendez brings years of conflict resolution experience, superb legal writing, and a dedication to thorough research. This lends to his previous legal experience in saving both homes and families in counties all over the state of Florida.

Conti Moore Law, PLLC
Ms. Moore has quickly earned a reputation in the Central Florida legal community as being a fierce advocate for her clients. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge obtained from the best schools in the state. Ms. Moore’s determined approach to winning every battle was crafted when she attended Florida A&M University. It was there where she earned a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems with a minor in business, gaining the acumen she now utilizes to operate her own successful business and represent her clients in business law matters. The unyielding, battle-ready disposition that Ms. Moore brings to every case was fortified when she attended and earned her doctor of jurisprudence degree at the College of Law at Florida State University. It was here that she was honored to have become a member of the FSU Journal of Transnational Law and Policy. In 2010, Ms. Moore was recognized by the National Bar Association and Impact as one of the Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40. She was also presented with the coveted Excellence in Service Award in recognition of her unyielding commitment to community service.

Mr. Nickolaou practices almost exclusively in divorce, marital and family law. Mr. Nickolaou also handles record expungements and sealings. He and his partner, Ophelia Bernal-Mora Nickolaou, joined forces in March 2016 to form the unique and boutique husband and wife family law team at Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A. Together, they take a practical and team- based approach to all of their cases and clients to deliver the highest quality experience and representation. Mr. Nickolaou was born in Chicago, Illinois, and relocated to Florida as a teenager, where he has lived since. He graduated from the University of Florida, with honors, acquiring a bachelor of arts degree. He then proceeded to law school, where he earned his doctorate of jurisprudence degree from Barry University – Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando with high honors in the top five percent of his class.

Bernal-Mora & Nickolauo
Ms. Phillips, FRP, is a Florida registered paralegal and is the Senior Family Law Paralegal at Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A. She began her career doing court appointed guardianship for the elderly and disabled. Ms. Phillips is currently working on obtaining her certification to become an advanced certified trial paralegal. She has extensive experience in divorce, marital, and family law and brings that wealth of experience to clients that she is privileged to work with, and that experience helps her assist her attorneys in diligently and competently representing the client.

The Spence Law Firm
Orlando divorce and family law attorney Richard Spence founded The Spence Law Firm in 2012 to provide top end legal expertise to its clients at a reasonable cost that most firms can’t match. Mr. Spence focuses his practice on divorce law and family law. He graduated from UCF in 1995 with a B.A. degree in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration, then graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Law in 1999, where he served as research editor of the Florida Law Review.