Suncoast Waterkeeper is a grassroots organization led by members of the community and activists with a passion for protecting our waters. Our team consists of experts in environmental law, policy, science, communications, and public relations.
Together we are tirelessly working to safeguard the Suncoast’s environment through advocacy, monitoring, community engagement, and legal action. Meet our leadership team!
Suncoast Waterkeeper’s founder Justin Bloom got his JD at Tulane Law School and has been a practicing environmental attorney specializing in prosecuting pollution cases and representing communities for over 18 years. His experience includes investigation, enforcement and litigation of Clean Water Act violations and “Toxic Tort” cases. He has successfully represented many plaintiffs affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and other oil spills in the US. Prior to returning to the Suncoast, he worked in New York City as Waterkeeper Alliance’s Eastern Regional Director. Justin’s family first came to the area in the ‘70s. He attended New College, where he graduated with a concentration in environmental studies in 1991.
Rusty Chinnis - Chairman
Rusty Chinnis is a retired building contractor who has lived in the Longbeach Village on the north end of Longboat Key for over four decades. Rusty is an avid fly fisher, award winning writer, and photographer with credits in several national fly-fishing publications. Rusty was a founder of and co-chairman of the Sister Keys Conservancy and is a co-founder, Past President, and Chairman of The Board of Sarasota Bay Watch. He was instrumental in forming the Manatee Chapter of the Florida Conservation Association, now the Coastal Conservation Association, and served as its first President. Rusty is a member of the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America and was President and Chairman of The Board of The Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association. Rusty is a Fly Fishers International Casting Instructor, the Outdoors Editor of the Anna Maria Island. Rusty joined Suncoast Waterkeeper because in his words, “they are doing the critical work to hold municipalities and elected officials accountable under the Clean Water Act”.
Orion Morton - Secretary
Orion Morton is a kayak guide on Sarasota Bay and the founder of Florida Rewilding Collective, LLC, an ecological/native/edible landscaping and consultancy business. A Florida native, Orion’s childhood was defined by those magical ecosystems where land meets water in our state, and he remains strongly motivated to work towards ensuring their conservation and restoration. After graduating from the New College of Florida in 2017, he remained in the area to work with, and advocate for, the health of the habitats leading to the Bay.
Sarah Dearman - Treasurer
A resident of Longboat Key, Sarah is the Chief Innovation Officer for The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit leading action in communities across the U.S. to reduce waste and advance the circular economy. Sarah specializes in leveraging her government, corporate, and nonprofit experience to build collaborative, action-oriented initiatives to improve the environment. Sarah brings this experience along with her learnings from other roles, such as a prior board member of the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, to help protect and restore our precious waterways.
Merrie Lynn Parker - Member
Merrie Lynn is a retired Manatee School District administrator. Her family moved to Anna Maria Island in Manatee County when she was three. She was a local high school science teacher and school administrator. Dr. Parker was the executive director of a regional fifteen school district collaborative that focused on leadership development. She is a board member of the Manatee Fish & Game Association and a certified Master Naturalist. With her husband, she hunted the Myakka area woods and fished the waters from Tampa Bay to Pine Island Sound. She is a member of the League of Women Voters in Manatee County serving on its Natural Resources Action Team and chair of its Education Issues Action Team. She serves on the boards of METV and New Tech Now. She enjoys painting water colors of wildlife and its natural habitat and kayaking the local tributaries and water bodies.
Alison Albee - Member
Alison's career has spanned more than 30 years in the environmental field working in private industry, non-profit research, and city and county governments. Her experience includes wastewater treatment and environmental laboratory management, energy and water conservation, and sustainability. She has a degree in Chemical Technology and a degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida.
Alison has lived in the Sarasota area for more than 30 years and she enjoys sailing, kayaking, diving and fishing. She has been an active volunteer with the Longboat Key Turtle Watch for more than 15 years and is a member of the Citizen's Advisory Committee of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.
Richard Moore - Member
Richard is a retired civil/environmental engineer with over 40 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of major water and wastewater projects. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University, and a M.S. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from University of Massachusetts (Lowell). He was employed by a major international consulting firm for most of his career; and more recently he worked as a self-employed consultant. His project experience includes many Florida municipal and county clients. He has been a resident of Sarasota since 1988. Richard maintains an active lifestyle and enjoys tennis, cycling, hiking, boating, kayaking, and woodworking. His recent volunteer work has included Mote Marine Laboratories, Sarasota Bay Explorers, food pantries, and various environmental organizations.
Rob Brown - Member
Rob joins Suncoast Waterkeeper after 34 years with Manatee County Government. He is current Principal at Suncoast Consulting & Management Services, LLC. Rob brings tremendous environmental knowledge and understanding of where to focus our clean water mission.
Bill Partridge - Member
Bill is a retired healthcare lawyer who has lived on the east shore of Sarasota Bay for over 45 years.
An Alabama native, he grew up on the banks of the Warrior Tombigbee River and began boating and fishing at the age of 9. Upon moving to Sarasota in 1974, saltwater fly fishing became his passion outside of law. He has spent a great deal of time pursuing his hobby in the water of Florida and nationwide.
Bill and his family have given back to the community over the years with service to the Sarasota County and Florida Bar and with participation in many local non-profits. He has always been an observer and steward of our local waters and continues in that role as a member of Suncoast Waterkeeper.
Jose Uranga - Member
Jose is a retired 30 year environmental attorney with both government enforcement and corporate practice experience. He earned a JD from Georgetown University and a MA in Environmental Management from the University of Texas, San Antonio. Originally from New Mexico, he has lived in Sarasota for over 20 years since retiring and stays active playing tennis, golf, and kayaking. Jose has volunteered as an Art Docent at the three Ringling museums, served on several non-profit boards and as a Guardian Ad Litem representing abused children in state courts. Jose chairs a city- wide book club and has authored three books detailing the Hispanic experience in the United States.
Samantha Wassmer is Suncoast Waterkeeper's Marketing and Communications Specialist. She joined the team in May 2023 after transitioning from her previous life working in art museums.
Sam is a proud second-generation Filipino-American and Florida native. She grew up in St. Petersburg, FL and is thrilled to be working to protect the waters she grew up in. Sam has a BA from Stanford University in California and an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She believes culture and policies work hand and hand to create change. Not only does design influence us, but we learn and are taught from culture and art. With Suncoast Waterkeeper, Sam applies her skills as a designer and artist to foster community engagement and advocate for our precious ecosystem.
Abbey Tryna - Executive Director
Experienced educator and scientist Dr. Abbey Tyrna joined Suncoast Waterkeeper in 2022. She grew up in Cape Coral and has focused her education on learning about wetlands and protecting Florida waters. Tyrna has a doctorate in geography from Pennsylvania State University, where her research focused on measuring the effects of development on wetlands. Before joining SCWK, she worked with Sarasota County government and the University of Florida to help bring scientific knowledge and expertise to the public as the Water Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability. Before receiving her doctorate in 2015, Tyrna earned a Master’s in Environmental Science from LSU in 2008, concentrating on wetland science and management, and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Florida State University in 2001.
