COTI, SanCap Resilience to host program
The Committee of the Islands (COTI) and SanCap Resilience will present a program, “The State of Resilience on Sanibel,” on April 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Community House on Sanibel.
COTI reported that there are several remaining questions on many Sanibel and Captiva minds as the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Ian approaches: How well prepared is the community for future storms? What is being done to address the causes and impacts of climate change to make the community safer and to align actions with Sanibel’s focus on sustainability?
Guest speaker and city of Sanibel Chief Resilience Officer Ashlee Painter will address these questions. She will describe what has been accomplished in the city to date and lay out a vision of where the community can go from here. In the presentation, Painter will address:
– What is resilience?
– Resilient Roots — where we started
– Major and minor disruptors — hurricanes, pandemics, power outages, et cetera
– What has been done since 2020
– Where are we going and how you can be involved?
There will be time for questions from attendees and discussion.
The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Hired by the city in July, Painter serves as the lead in establishing practical and actionable strategies to improve Sanibel’s resilience to environmental threats and challenges, such as rising sea levels, hurricanes and other climate-related impacts, and increasing the city’s sustainable practices, including the use of renewable energy.
She was previously with the city of Oldsmar as the environmental management supervisor, supervising the sustainability coordinator, environmental specialist and utility operations coordinator. Painter was responsible for writing and managing resilience and public works grants. She also served as the project manager for resilience and stormwater projects.
Painter majored in biological sciences at Clemson University, where she earned her undergraduate degree. She holds graduate degrees in marine biology from James Cook University and in coastal sustainability from the University of South Florida. Painter has more than 20 years of experience working in environmental conservation and education, both domestically and internationally.
Prior to the program from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m., COTI members are invited to attend a reception to meet the new board of directors and Painter. Refreshments will be served.
To register, visit https://bit.ly/4bQKGkx.
For more information, visit www.COTI.org or contact coti33957@gmail.com.
The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.