COMMUNITY OUTREACH!
THANK YOU FORT LAUDERDALE ROTARY CLUB!
🙌 I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale, one of the oldest ( having served the community since its founding in 1922)and most respected service clubs in our city, for inviting me to speak at yesterday’s meeting.
💦 From the moment our Board member Patricia Roth and I arrived, we felt an incredibly warm welcome — not just for us, but for Residents for Resilience (R4R) and the work we are doing on our four critical water issues:
drinking water safety, waterway restoration, flood mitigation, and stormwater management.
🌿 Led by their President, Jeffrey Michael Shaffner, the more than 50 members in attendance demonstrated an inspiring level of engagement. Your thoughtful questions, insightful comments, and genuine interest in protecting our community’s water future meant so much. It is clear that Rotary’s spirit of service extends far beyond traditional projects — it reaches into the heart of resilience, stewardship, and community well-being.
❤️ And then… the gift.
I was deeply touched to receive a donation made in my honor to the Wheelchair Foundation. Knowing that someone in need will receive a wheelchair because of this gesture absolutely warmed my heart. Particularly in this Season of Giving! It is a beautiful reminder of the compassion and impact that define Rotary’s legacy both locally and around the world.
🫶Thank you again for your hospitality, your curiosity, and your commitment to making Fort Lauderdale stronger and more resilient. I look forward to future collaborations!
🎄 Happy Holidays!
With gratitude,
Suzee
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |
A heartfelt thank-you
to the Cypress Creek Rotary Club!
🙏I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Cypress Creek Rotary Club and President Alan Cohan for inviting me to speak at their Tuesday meeting hosted at American Tapas. What an amazing group!
Your thoughtful engagement and excellent questions once again reminded me how deeply our residents care about the future of our community. The Club showed strong interest in several issues central to R4R’s mission, including:
💦Waterway restoration and flood mitigation
🌳Retrofitting parks for resilience and stormwater management
🚰Drinking water concerns — especially what our water may pick up as it travels through aging, potentially contaminated pipes on the way to our homes
As we often say at R4R: We can’t control what comes to our homes, but we can control what comes into our homes — through high-quality RO systems and carbon filtration.
Rotary members always bring a high level of insight, curiosity, and commitment to service—and today was no exception.
🙌I was also deeply touched to receive a gift of appreciation from the Club: a donation made in my honor to The Rotary Foundation Polio Fund, which is matched 2-to-1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing 10 polio immunizations toward ending polio worldwide.
🫶This meaningful gesture truly warmed my heart — especially in this Season of Giving.
🙏A very special thank-you to Dori Lynn Neuwirth-Gottzmann and Steven Chess for making all of the arrangements and ensuring everything ran seamlessly. Your efforts made this presentation an absolute success.
R4R looks forward to working together with the Cypress Creek Rotary Club in 2026 as we continue our shared commitment to strengthening community resilience.
🎄Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!
— Suzee
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  | |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
IT’S A WRAP!
...and A Huge Thank You!
☔️ Our final session of the Waterlogged webinar series focused on flood insurance, disaster recovery funding, and home and community resilience strategies. I opened by stressing that knowledge is power — the more you know your options, the better prepared you are, and with preparation comes peace of mind.
🙏A big thank you to our keynote speakers:
-
Mark Hagerty, Fort Lauderdale’s Floodplain Manager — explained how the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System (CRS) can lower flood insurance costs. Fort Lauderdale is currently a Class 7 rating - offering residents a 15% discount. Mark expressed that the city is working toward Class 5 rating that would provide to only a more resilient city but offer residents a 25% discount ob flood insurance— saving millions each year.
-
Rachel Williams, Housing & Community Development Manager — updated us on the $88 million in disaster recovery funds awarded to Fort Lauderdale. These dollars will go toward housing, infrastructure, and flood mitigation — with funding assistance available for low-income areas to help vulnerable residents
strengthen resilience and recovery. - For more information click here!
NEXT IMPORTANT DISCUSSION!
📅 October 7th City Commission Meeting at 6pm
📍Broward Center for the Performing Arts,
Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom,
201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
🎟️ PUBLIC HEARINGS -PH-1 25-0917
Public Hearing to Approve the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Community
Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)
Action Plan -
(Commission Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4)
LET YOUR VOICE AND CONCERNS BE HEARD!
Rachel also warned that flood insurance may eventually become unaffordable for
homeowners who have not taken mitigation steps such as elevation.
-
Roderick Scott, Flood Hazard Mitigation Specialist from Louisiana — highlighted the urgent need for proper flood mitigation. He explained that raising homes on pilings, piers, or columns — rather than fill — protects properties, preserves natural floodplain functions, and prevents floodwaters from being pushed onto neighbors. He also underscored the need for workforce training and free education programs to help property owners make informed decisions. For more
information - Flood Mitigation Solutions!
We closed with a lively Q&A and discussion, where residents shared personal experiences with dangerous flooding in their homes and neighborhoods. As always participants asked thoughtful, solution-focused questions. April Young from District 3 shared firsthand accounts of flooding’s toll on her and other families in her neighborhood.
Panelists reinforced the importance of advocating for available funding resources, and the need for community education, preparation and action in shaping policies.
This lively session, with its strong Q&A, highlighted real strategies and real hope for preparing our communities.
👉 Key takeaway:
This R4R Webinar Series connected residents with top specialists in environmental resiliency,
offering options for navigating flood and insurance decisions
. Missed our events?
Webinar recordings are below!
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR AMAZING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
AND ALL OF YOU THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT ALL OF THESE EVENTS!
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
WATERLOGGED;
Weathering the Storm - Part 1
Tools and Tips to Prepare for Flood Events!
WATERLOGGED;
Weathering the Storm - Part 2
Retrofitting Parks for Resilience!
Heading 3
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
R4R PUBLIC OUTREACH!
R4R sends a heartfelt thank you to the Lake Aire Civic Association for inviting me to speak at your meeting this past Thursday evening.
I was joined by R4R Vice President Tricia Halliday, and we were both incredibly impressed by the thoughtful questions and strong community spirit shown by everyone in attendance.
We’d especially like to acknowledge Linda Patrick for her outstanding leadership — it’s clear the residents of Lake Aire are engaged, informed, and deeply committed to protecting their health and environment.
We heard the concerns voiced by those living on or near Rock Pit Lake — especially regarding the high levels of contamination many fear they’ve been exposed to daily. Please know that you have a friend in R4R. We are committed to continuing this dialogue, and working to help ensure your voices are heard by those in a position to take action.
Together, we’ll keep pushing for the solutions your community deserves.
With appreciation,
Suzee
R4R Joins Riverside Park for a Powerful Evening on Water Resilience
Sending heartfelt thanks to Esthel Brennan, President, and Danella Williams, Esq. , Vice President of the Riverside Park Residents’ Association, for inviting Residents for Resilience (R4R) to speak at your meeting last Wednesday at the Riverside Park Community Center. Your outstanding leadership is truly commendable!
It was an honor to join Mike Lambrechts, CPFA, in discussing four critical water issues, especially the alarming condition of our local waterways. I was joined by R4R’s Vice President, Tricia Halliday, and we were both deeply moved by the strong turnout and the community’s passion for protecting our waters—and for learning more about innovative flood information and storm resiliency.
The enthusiasm for our nature-based solutions—like “Biochar: "Socks for Your Docks",” mangrove hedges, living seawalls, and panels, and vertical oyster gardens—was incredibly encouraging.
Riverside Park clearly understands the challenges we face and is eager to be part of lasting, positive change. Thank you again, Riverside Park—we look forward to continuing this vital work together!
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
Thank You River Oaks Civic Association!
I want to send a BIG Thank You to River Oaks for inviting R4R to present at their Civic Association meeting. I also want to thank our Board members, Tricia Halliday, Michael Schneider, and Zachary Routman for joining me as we kicked off our busy speaking engagement schedule. It was truly inspiring to see so many concerned residents committed to addressing the four critical water issues I highlighted in my presentation.
A special thanks to Ted Inserra, for not only inviting R4R to present, but also for organizing such an exceptional event, and his active voice of concern addressing all of our resiliency issues. It was great to have marine water specialists Michael Lambrechts, Jeff Maggio, and Norm Bekcoff join us, sharing their insights on the alarming conditions they witness on our waterways daily, and discussing the hopeful future of the Marine Water Officer position to ensure our invaluable waterways receive the attention they deserve.
Additionally, Jessica Basi of MangroLife reminded us all of the vital importance of re-establishing mangroves in our Fort Lauderdale ecosystems, and Barbra Stern offered her support, concern, and professional advice on moving forward with our waterway remediation efforts.
It was truly a remarkable evening, and we were honored to be a part of it.
Thank you again, River Oaks!
Suzee
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |
Our R4R team extends our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make our second Restaurants for Resilience event such a fabulous success! It was a true honor to recognize Tiki Tiki for their outstanding sustainable practices within the restaurant industry. 👏
From the delicious food and perfect setting to the exceptional staff, the evening was an absolute delight. The impressive guests in attendance and the engaging marine specialists only enhanced the five-star experience. This lively event brought together marine experts, local environmental organizations, city leaders, state representatives, and residents in a shared educational and networking platform.
📣 A big shoutout to our R4R Board members, Kelly Fischer and Patrick Ferguson, for chairing this celebration!
🙏 A special thank you to our amazing sponsors: Tiki Tiki’s Alex Serafini, Lucas Oliveira and The Design Oasis, Mike Lambrechts of CCA, and Stacy Brown of Urban Farming Institute Institute, for their generous support. We truly couldn’t do this without their backing!
✨ We’d also like to thank:
-
Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham
-
Joanne Alvarez from Senator Jason Pizzo’s Office
-
Several nonprofit representatives
-
Discovery Channel’s Rosie Moore
-
Hollywood’s Resiliency Team
-
Chief Resiliency Officer Christopher Roschek, P.E. and Elaine Franklin
-
Mangrove Specialist Jessica Basi and her husband Joe
-
Broward’s The Surfrider Foundation Foundation,
-
and the Broward County Sustainability Advisory Coalition, to name a few!
Your support is invaluable, and we look forward to more opportunities to collaborate in 2025!
👍 Special thanks to our awesome Expert AdvisoryTeam:
-
Schonna Manning, PhD - FIU - Algal Bloom Specialist
-
Aliza Karim - Miami Waterkeeper
-
Jose Sucre - WaterVue
-
David Punchard - Oyster Institute
-
Stacy Brown - Urban Farm Institute - Oyster Institute
-
Mike Lambrechts - Coastal Conservation Ass.
-
Maddie Rieger - Kind Design Seawalls
-
Zack Farr - Biochar Specialist
We’re grateful for their time, expertise, innovative recommendations, and educational displays on proposed projects!
As we face high bacteria levels, harmful algal blooms, and recent sewer line issues, your continued support is essential as we move forward with nature-based solutions. Together, we can create positive change for our priceless waterways 🌊
💚 This Event Honors Sustainability Champions in the Restaurant Industry. We hope Tiki Tiki’s environmentally friendly approach inspires other restaurants. Their sustainable practices not only help the environment but are essential to restoring the health and vitality of our priceless marine waters.
Want to nominate a restaurant that meets our sustainability standards?
-
-Uses only reusable food ware on-site
-
-Avoids Styrofoam containers
-
-Avoids plastic straws, utensils, and takeout bags
-
-Avoids plastic bottles for sale
Nominate here: Restaurants for Resilience Nomination Form
💦 Want to get more involved with R4R’s mission?
Join us in advocating for:
-
Safe, clean drinking water
-
Flood mitigation
-
Storm resiliency
-
Restoring the health of our waterways
Join our team at: residentsforresilience.org
INTERESTED IN SPONSORING ONE OF OUR EVENTS?
info@residentsforresilience.org
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
VIEW ENTIRE WEBINAR BELOW
In honoring Even Keel for setting the standard in sustainability practices within the restaurant industry, our Residents for Resilience (R4R) team extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and made our first Restaurants for Resilience event such a success!
These eco-friendly initiatives not only positively impact our environment but also play a vital role in restoring the health of our priceless marine waters.
A big shoutout to R4R Board members, Kelly Fischer and Patrick Ferguson, for chairing this lively celebration! The event brought together a remarkable group of city leaders, marine experts, local environmental organizations, educational leaders, and residents, all engaged in our collective educational and social networking platform.
Thank you to Fort Lauderdale City Leader’s Mayor Mayor Dean Trantalis, Vice-Mayor Steve Glassman, Commissioner Warren Sturman, Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, District 4 City Manager @SusanGrant, and School Board Member Debra Hixon, for taking time out of their busy schedules to support our event!
A special thank you to Dylan Hansen of Empowering Fund and @Holly Rand Bailey for generously donating their time to capture our event through stunning photos and videos!
A special thanks to our Expert Team members: David Punchard from the Oyster Institute, with his amazing Live Oyster Tank display; Marine Specialist Stacy Brown and David Finneran, WaterVue’s Jose Sucre ; and Dr. Landolf Barbarigos from the @University of Miami’s School of Engineering - Seahive. We greatly appreciate them sharing their time, effort, knowledge, and proposed projects with all of us.
With the current high levels of bacteria and harmful algal bloom outbreaks in our waterways, we hope to count on your support as we move forward with our proposed long-term, nature-based solutions—because when everyone works together, amazing things can happen!
Want to nominate a restaurant that meets our sustainability standards?
- Uses only reusable food-ware on-site
- Avoids Styrofoam containers
- Ensures straws, utensils, and takeout bags are not plastic
- Avoids the use or sale of plastic bottles
Nominate here: https://lnkd.in/eRrA_UKv
Want to get more involved with our R4R missions?
- Safe, clean drinking water
- Flood mitigation
- Storm resiliency
- Restoring the health and vitality of our waterways
- Join our team: residentsforresilience.org
We look forward to continuing these initiatives and more with each of you to make a lasting impact on our community. Thank you for your time, energy, and dedication to fostering environmental stewardship for future generations.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |
VIDEO CLIPS OF THE EVENT
WATER-LOGGED
"Beyond the Surface"
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |
WATER-LOGGED
Beyond the Surface
Our audience was so impressed with our guest, speaker 11 year old Cruz Yturraide, who spoke on his scary experience contracting 2 forms of samonella poisoning from enjoying fishing on our canals. Bravo Cruz and thank you!
Keith Van de Riet - Mangrove Reef Living Seawall Panels
Sending a Big Thank You to all who helped to make our first Live Water-Logged Series a big success including all of you who came out to support this amazing event! Our audience was so impressed with our guest, speaker 11 year old Cruz Yturraide, who spoke on his scary experience contracting 2 forms of samonella poisoning from enjoying fishing on our canals. Bravo Cruz and thank you!
I also want to thank Harry Rozelle and LarryYturraide for co-sponsoring this event along with Katherine O’Fallon and Marine Research Hub and
The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science!
And a big round of applause for our guest panel, Dr. Keith Van de Riet, Mangrove Reef Walls, Associate Professor, The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, David Punchard, The Oyster Institute, Dr. Esber Andiroglu, Associate Professor of Practice in Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Univ. of Miami,
Stacy Brown, Urban Farming Institute and South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, and Linda Sunderland, Environmental Program Supervisor and Broward County Enviornmental Permitting
Thank You, Victoria Park HOA!
R4R would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Victoria Park HOA for inviting me to speak on the four critical water issues that impact our community, this past Wednesday. It was a pleasure to connect with such an engaged group, and Tricia Halliday and I truly appreciated the interest and enthusiasm shown by everyone present.
We hope the information we shared on flooding issues and the Elevate Florida Fema Program will be helpful to those residents dealing with challenging choices that may have to be made in dealing with these more frequent extreme weather conditions.
A special thank you to their HOA President Melissa Carbonell for the invitation and ongoing support; your concern for your neighborhood, and the well being of the residents that live there is admirable!
We were especially encouraged by the interest shown in transforming the old cement Victoria Park seawall into a living seawall, enhanced with oyster shells, seagrasses, and even mangroves—which can now be professionally maintained. Together, we have the potential to make a significant impact as we work to restore the health of our priceless waterways.
As we move forward, we're excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and the collaborative efforts we can undertake as a community. Every action counts, and we look forward to working together to make our waterways swimmable once again.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Port Everglades
Earth Day 2024 -
Build an Oyster Rope!
Stacy Brown
Urban Farming Institute & South Florida Association of Environmental.
