June 2011

The Employee e-Newsletter of the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission

Serves Them Right Employee Milestones Shining Stars

In this issue...
That "awareness/preparedness" time of year is here
Are you prepared for Hurricane Season?... [more]

Changes on the horizon for "Florida Wildlife" magazine

Transforming from paper-and-ink to digital format... [more]

Let's get our priorities straight  

Freshwater priority basins that is... [more]

Summer clinics catch young anglers

How many people can say they've taken 50,000+ kids fishing?... [more]

Back issues now available

Once again, you can access The Inside Job archives... [more]

What is this "Scribd" thing, anyway?

And what would we use it for?... [more]

Crane strain
Eating crow over a misidentified bird... [more]

South Region takes sons, daughters to work

Mom and Dad work at a pretty cool place... [more]

FWC Volunteer News

The Spring 2011 issue is out... [more]
 

That "awareness/preparedness" time of year is here

Last year, we made it through hurricane season relatively
unscathed. But there's no guarantee of a repeat in 2011. In fact,
NOAA predicts an above-normal season, including 3-6 major
hurricanes this year. Are you ready?

Every FWC employee should have a family hurricane or disaster

safety plan and be ready to use it. Keep an eye on approaching
storms and if you need to evacuate, do it early. If a hurricane
watch is issued for your area, you should be given adequate
time to begin securing FWC facilities and equipment while still
having adequate time to implement your family plan.

The 2011 edition of the FWC's preparedness plan is available

online at MyFWC.com/DisasterPlan. It includes guidance,
procedures and other important information for the workplace. It
also includes links to sites like FloridaDisaster.org, to help you
create a family plan.

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Changes on the horizon for "Florida Wildlife" magazine

As you may know, budget cuts have made it necessary to discontinue production of a printed version of
"Florida Wildlife" magazine. 

Although the magazine will no longer exist in a paper-and-ink sense, there will still be a "Florida Wildlife," and
no positions have been eliminated. Community Relations and Information Technology staff are developing
plans to transform "Florida Wildlife" into a digital publication and make it available online at no cost to readers.

The new "Florida Wildlife" magazine is being designed primarily for viewing on e-reader devices (iPad, Kindle,
Nook, etc.), but readers will be able to enjoy it on laptops and desktop computers as well. Also, the magazine
will have a website with articles, photographs and past issues.

In the meantime, staff is making arrangements for refunds to those whose subscriptions have not expired.
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Let's get our priorities straight - freshwater priority basins that is  

By Heather Hitt, Habitat & Species Conservation

Florida’s State Wildlife Action Plan, originally written in 2005, was designed to conserve fish and wildlife species
on a habitat scale. After several years of working on two freshwater priority habitats identified in the Action Plan
- softwater streams and springs and spring runs - the Wildlife Legacy Initiative and its partners have
decided that a “basin approach” is a more effective way to conserve Florida’s freshwater species.

A basin approach is essential, because freshwater habitats

have a co-dependency with adjacent terrestrial habitats for
ecosystem functions. Also, to effectively manage these
habitats, it is important to address all issues, from
surrounding land use to stream channel threats. 

This approach will focus on two types of basins: those that

are relatively pristine and need to be preserved, and those
that have potential value to fish and wildlife but are imperiled
and need enhancement. Projects in these prioritized basins
 will vary in size and scope, but they will include research,
monitoring, habitat restoration, education and stewardship. 

Spring run flowing into the Suwannee River at Fanning

Springs State Park.
(FWC photo by Kevin Kemp)

An FWC team has created a map of proposed priority basins. To create the map, the team used GIS data on
potential urban development by 2060, number of Species of Greatest Conservation Need that depend on fresh
water, and known threats to freshwater species in each basin. The priority basin map and methods used will be
vetted by both internal and external experts and stakeholders. Once the priority basins are finalized, a section
detailing the need and methods of this approach, as well as information on each basin, will be added to the
2011 Action Plan revision. 

For more information, contact Kevin Kemp at Kevin.Kemp@MyFWC.com.

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Summer clinics catch young anglers

By Eddie Leonard, Freshwater Fisheries Mgt.

How many people can say they've taken more than 50,000 kids fishing?  Mike Lesso and Dave Morse of the
Jacksonville Youth Summer Fishing Clinics can.

Mike, a high school teacher and avid sportsman, and Dave, a retired
businessman and passionate recreational and tournament fisherman,
have been teaching children how to catch fish for so long that many
of their earliest pupils now have children of their own.

The summer fishing clinics are designed to help kids appreciate

freshwater resources and teach them the skills needed to start
catching fish.

The workshops host an average of 4,200 children annually. In 2003, a

record 5,288 students went through the classes. With Lesso leading
these events for 15 years and Morse at it for 13 years, it's easy to see
Over the years, Dave Morse and Mike Lesso
how the two have reached more than 50,000 young anglers.
have taught more than 50,000 kids the joy
of fishing at FWC fishing clinics.
(FWC photo)

The success of the program reflects a cooperative effort between several organizations. The FWC maintains
several fish management areas in Jacksonville, where the workshops take place. The agency also maintains the
workshop equipment and vehicles. The Fish Florida Foundation, the George M. Baldwin Foundation and several
local businesses provide all of the bait, tackle, advertisements and support materials.

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Back issues now available

Back issues of The Inside Job are now available online - in 2 locations.

The first, and more traditional source, is SharePoint. You'll find PDF files of archived issues in the Employee
Awareness area of the Community Relations SharePoint site. Of course, you have to be logged into the network
to access them.
 In addition, back issues are now available via Scribd. Go to Scribd.com/InsideJobFWC to see the collection. You
can access the site from anywhere - no firewall, no login required.

At the moment, only a few back issues are available, but we'll continue converting and uploading as we build a
more extensive library.
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What is this "Scribd" thing, anyway?

As its website (Scribd.com) describes it, Scribd is the "world's largest social reading and publishing company.

"Scribd has converted over a billion pages of written works into web pages, which means that it's
also easy to access what you're reading from any web-enabled mobile device, like an iPhone, iPad,
Android smartphone or even Amazon Kindle. In addition, most Scribd content is available to
download or print, giving readers even more choices for reading and sharing."

As we've already noted, you can use Scribd to see back issues of The Inside Job newsletter. The FWC has a
second Scribd site - Scribd.com/MyFWC - where you can read Saltwater Fishing Regulations, FWC Volunteer
News and the FWRI publication Sea Stats.

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Crane strain

April's Inside Job article on biological status reviews included a photograph of a bird misidentified as a sandhill
crane. Several eagle-eyed observers quickly advised us that the bird is actually a whooping crane, not a
sandhill crane. We apologize for the error and will strive to be less of a bird-brain in the future.

Whooping crane Sandhill crane

(FWC photo) (FWC photo)

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South Region takes sons, daughters to work

By Robin Stetler; photos by Erin McDevitt

The South Region's first organized "Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day" event was, by all accounts, a
huge success. Approximately 20 kids attended the event at the West Palm Beach regional office and participated in
entertaining, fun and educational activities.
The children enjoyed a fishing clinic, canine demonstration, forensics lab demonstration, tracking clinic, archery,
and wildlife presentations with a live alligator and skunk.

A big thank-you from event organizer Robin Stetler to regional staff who took time out of their busy schedules to
talk with the kids about their careers: Freshwater Fisheries Mgt. crew led by Steve Marshall, Project WILD
coordinator Lori Haynes, forensics biologist Hector Cruz-Lopez, hunter safety coordinator Lynne Hawk, duty
officer supervisor Carol Lyn Parrish, Officer Katie Wright and K-9 officers Chris Douglas and Hank
Juntunen.
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FWC Volunteer News

Check out the Spring 2011 issue of "FWC Volunteer News." the official
electronic newsletter of the FWC Volunteer Program.

Jessica Ireland, Volunteer Coordinator in the Office of Recreation

Services, oversaw development of the newsletter to showcase all the great
things volunteers do for the FWC and to educate FWC staff and the public
about the variety of volunteer opportunities available.

Wendy Dial (Community Relations) edits the newsletter, and Marrell

Cooper and Ann Marie Tavares created the graphic design.

"FWC Volunteer News" is published quarterly; contact Jessica Ireland to

submit material for publication in the newsletter.

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Serves Them Right

Citizens and FWC customers were so impressed by the following employees, they told us about it through the
"Praise an Employee" page of MyFWC.com/Contact:

Officer Joanne Adams, Officer William Bell - "...came to our school to discuss (their) profession with our
students. (They were) most informative, interesting and enthusiastic. Our students have requested additional
information and visits due to this encounter."

Lt. Jamie Bevan - "...He did a great job with the kids and opened eyes about another aspect of law
enforcement for these young men and women. Your agency is well represented by Lt. Bevan!"

John Cassady, Kim Danesha, Shawn Marsh, Krystan Wilkinson, Joy Young (FWRI) - "I leaned heavily
on John's knowledge to make it through a challenging necropsy of an endangered smalltooth sawfish...His
effort was critical in getting it done while the sun took its toll on all of us, including the specimen...Kim was
very helpful in assisting...She not only had bags and containers ready as needed, but she also served as the
unofficial official photographer...Shawn offered many great suggestions to make the necropsy a lot smoother,
and it was his tent that offered excellent shade...Krystan volunteered to record data through the entire
necropsy and also helped prepare bags and containers for collections...Joy provided excellent advice over the
phone during non-working hours to effectively preserve extremely important sawfish samples."

Madeline Fernandez (FFM) - "...advised me as to my options and expedited a resolution of my issue

promptly, reflecting highly on the Commission. Thank all of you for doing a great job."

Officer Duane North - "...We've called FWC several times and Officer North is always extremely responsive
and timely, and appreciative of the information...We appreciate you protecting wild Florida."

John Torres (L&P) - "...a pleasure to deal with in what can normally be a stressful situation....patience and
professionalism...we were not sure what we wanted...we were getting many licenses for the first time..."

Officer Alan Webb - "My sister-in-law was seriously injured in a boating accident...Officer Webb and other
officers involved have been exceptionally professional, courteous and determined in their follow-up
investigation..." 

Unidentified Officers - ".... I cannot tell you how respectful your officers were to my family and me. I was in
violation and they could have issued me a citation for the violation and they chose not to. This is a testament to
what law enforcement all about. Although they were in their right to issue a citation they did not, but at the
same time they kept the waters safe for everyone..."

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Shining Stars
The Office of the Executive Director recently held its annual Awards and Recognition Celebration luncheon in
Tallahassee. Included under the OED umbrella are Community Relations, Executive Director's Office,
Legislative Affairs, Human Resources, Information Technology, Inspector General, Legal, Licensing &
Permitting, Planning & Policy Coordination, Recreation Services and Regional Directors.
Congratulations to the following recipients:

Superior Job Performance: Gabriella Ferraro (South Region Public Information Coordinator)
Personal Initiative: Jennifer Killingsworth (Information Technology)
Excellence in Administrative Support: Adrienne Ruhl (Recreation Services)
Customer Service: Elaine Richardson, Angie Jones, Kristen Frisbie-Hoose, Naomi Ganter
(Northeast Region Call Center Team)
Leadership: Sara Dugger (Information Technology)
Team Spirit: Jayson Greenfield, Fu Huynh, Greg Maruna (Information Technology)
Survivor: Connie Lord (Community Relations)
Mentoring: LeeAnn Feiertag (Information Technology)
OED Employee of the Year: Laura Jerome (Human Resources)

Ö Ö Ö

Likewise, the Finance and Budget Office celebrated the announcement of its 2011 outstanding performance
award winners. Congratulations to the following employees:

Personal Initiative: Claudia Plummer (Northeast Region Business Manager)

Customer Service: Jennifer Romero (Northeast Region Purchasing Director)
Superior Job Performance: Carol Streichert (Northwest Region Purchasing Agent)
Leadership: Joanne Lane (Tallahassee Finance and Accounting)
Team Spirit: Salena Heard, Lynette Meldrum, Sara Teckle, Sandy Watson, Paula White-Horne,
Amy Williams (Encumbered Section, Tallahassee Finance and Accounting)
FBO Employee of the Year: Debra Schweinsberg (Revenue and Grants Section)  

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Milestones

Editor's note: The FWC has a great many non-FTE employees, and they deserve recognition for reaching 5-
year milestones too. Unfortunately, the system doesn't keep track of such statistics; but we don't want that to
stop us. If you know of a non-FTE employee about to reach a 5-year milestone, please have his/her section
leader notify the Inside Job by e-mail.

Congratulations to the following employees, who reach 5-year milestones of employment with the FWC in June.
Numbers in parentheses indicate total state service, if different.

35 Years
Stephen Crawford - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

30 Years
Lindsey Hord - Hunting & Game Mgt. (30 years, 11 months) 

25 Years
Bernice Clark - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Lillian Sweeney - Finance & Budget (34 years, 3 months)
Linda Torres - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
James Whittington - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (25 years, 9 months)
John Young - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

20 Years
Robert Beaton - Law Enforcement
Grinelle Bishop Jr. - Law Enforcement (28 years, 5 months)
Vangie Collins - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (22 years)
Carol Lyn Parrish - Law Enforcement

15 Years
Cheryl Armstrong - Finance & Budget (29 years, 7 months)
Rebecca Coletti - Law Enforcement (31 years, 9 months)
Kathy Jackson - Law Enforcement 

10 Years
 Randall Bell - Law Enforcement
Katherine Bronzatti - Law Enforcement
Daniel Dorosheff - Freshwater Fisheries Mgt.
Leanne Flewelling - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (10 years, 9 months)
Cortney Sims - Law Enforcement
Sarah Walters - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute  

5 Years
Cameron Carter - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Shirley Dowda - Freshwater Fisheries Mgt.
Flora Eldridge - Freshwater Fisheries Mgt. (18 years, 3 months)
Sean Keenan - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Amber Lawson Griggs - Law Enforcement
Sherri MacDonald - Executive Director's Office
Nicole Ranalli - Habitat & Species Conservation 

And "Congratulations; we're jealous," to the retirees listed below.

May
Stephen Acton - 22 years (Law Enforcement)

June
Timothy Breault - 36 years (Habitat & Species Conservation)
Sheila Jackson - 12 years, 5 months (Law Enforcement)
Annette Plavsich - 7 years, 6 months (Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)

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