Our communities depend on clean, healthy, and safe water, and the South Florida Water Coalition was founded as a 501(c)(4) to establish a network of partners to work together in ensuring our water’s protection. The Coalition’s director, Ryan Rossi, ran for office in 2018 on a platform that included environmental safety, where he continually expressed public concern for a number of important environmental issues including the threat of sea level rise along our coastal communities, and the protection of our water resources. He envisioned the goal of the SFWC to not only continue raising awareness to environmental matters, but to bring together a group of stakeholders that will work together to protect the water of future generations of South Floridians. Recently, the Coalition has joined SEFLUC (Southeast Florida Utility Council) to partner with local utilities on maintaining healthy water supply for our area. The Coalition is currently accepting donations from the public to maintain its outreach on this critical issue.
Ryan Rossi - Director, South Florida Water Coalition
Ryan Rossi, a South Florida native, has a B.A. and M.A. from Florida Atlantic University, and resides in Boca Raton. After teaching high school and working in the real estate industry, Ryan was a candidate for the Florida State House of Representatives in district 89 – which spans the Palm Beach County coastline. Following his campaign, Ryan has served on local committees, and concentrated his efforts on advocating for water issues in our communities. Founding the South Florida Water Coalition in 2019, Ryan has travelled extensively throughout the tri-county area and the state, raising awareness to water issues to thousands of local residents and businesses, partnering with local utilities, and establishing bi-partisan support among our area’s elected officials.
Advisory Board
Tommy Strowd - Executive Director, Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD)
Tommy Strowd, P.E. was appointed as Executive Director of the Lake Worth Drainage District in March 2019. Strowd joined the District in April 2014 and served as the Director of Operations & Maintenance. He has more than 35 years of experience in civil, environmental and water resource engineering in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the District, Strowd served as the Assistant Executive Director of Operations, Maintenance & Construction for the South Florida Water Management District. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanographic Technology from Florida Institute of Technology and is a professional engineer registered in the State of Florida since 1983.
Tina Polsky - Florida State Senator, District 29
Tina Polsky is a current member of the Florida State Senate, elected in 2020 and serving district 29. She previously served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 - 2020. During her time in office, she has been an avid supporter of maintaining a protection to water supply for Palm Beach County.
Rob Long - Delray Beach City Commissioner
Rob has a B.A. in Civil Engineering and a MBA, and currently runs the grassroots community engagement firm, D2D Strategies. Previously, Rob was a Loss Prevention Engineer with AIG where he analyzed risk exposures from natural catastrophes to high valued properties. In Rob's life as a public servant, he has been elected to the county-wide office of Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor since 2016, where he currently serves as Chair. Additionally, Rob serves as Vice Chair on the City of Delray Beach's Planning & Zoning Board and President of the Palm Beach County Young Democrats.
Mayor Keith James - Mayor of the City of West Palm Beach
Mayor James was first elected Mayor of the City of West Palm Beach in 2019. Focused on creating a community of opportunity for all, Mayor James has a vision for West Palm Beach that is resident-driven. Prior to being elected, he served as the West Palm Beach City Commissioner for District 4. During this time, Mayor James helped create West Palm Beach’s strategic plan, finance plan, water plan and mobility plan.
Dr. Poonam Kalkat - Director of Public Utilities for the City of Boynton Beach
Dr. Poonam Kalkat, is the Director of Public Utilities for the City of Boynton Beach. In her current role she manages a workforce of over 120 employees and oversees water treatment, distribution, metering, billing, collections, pumping stations and stormwater as well as reclaimed water and sustainability programs. Prior to working for the City of Boynton Beach, Dr. Kalkat was the Director of Public Utilities at the City of West Palm Beach. Dr. Kalkat earned a PhD. In Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and has been working in the drinking water and waste water field for the past 19 years. She is the current vice chair of South East Florida Utility Council and a board member for the Florida Rural Water Association. She also serves on the Palm Beach County Water Resource Task Force and is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County and AWWA’s Transformative Leadership Academy. She is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and has spearheaded Lean Six Sigma Green Belt projects as well as ISO 14001
The South Florida Water Coalition is proud to have the following direct support:
“It’s important that we have groups like the SFWC advocating for the water needs of our county’s residents. I appreciate the work that they’ve done in fighting for appropriate water levels in Lake Okeechobee and keeping our water safe.”
“Our water issues require good leadership and smart decision making, and I’m happy to support the SFWC in their efforts to raise awareness to the critical issues that affect our county residents. Our residents depend on their activism!”
“Protecting our water is paramount to public safety. In coastal states such as ours water is the backbone of our economy. Whether inland or on the shore, without it our tourism industry could not be sustained nor the livelihoods of all those that depend on it.”
“Water quality is one of South Florida’s top issues, and I look forward to working with the SFWC on ensuring Lake Okeechobee water levels are at appropriate levels, our drinking water is safe, and various other projects. It is vital we keep our water supply at the top of our priority list as it is a major component to the future of our state’s pristine environment as well as our public safety and health.”
“Protecting our water is one of the most important issues facing our county, and our residents are deeply concerned. As mayor of Greenacres, I’m proud to stand alongside our county officials and other organizations who oppose lowering Lake Okeechobee. I commend the SFWC for continuing to raise awareness to this issue.”
“The SFWC has been a powerful advocate in our community for protecting our water supply. Our residents depend on their work of raising awareness to our water issues, and being proactive in building relationships to find solutions for them.””