Statement from Jimmy Orth, Executive Director, and our Board of Directors
Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper since 2012, has announced her candidacy for Jacksonville City Council District 7. Because the Riverkeeper role requires a full-time commitment to protecting and defending the St. Johns River, Lisa has decided to step down in the spring of 2027. She will continue serving until then and support a smooth transition.
The Board of Directors has formed a search committee to identify her successor.
St. Johns RIVERKEEPER enters this transition from a position of strength, with a talented staff, engaged Board, loyal supporters and clear strategic direction.
Our mission and programs will continue without interruption. We remain focused on defending the river, educating and engaging our community, holding polluters accountable and ensuring the St. Johns has a strong voice for generations to come.
We are deeply grateful for Lisa’s years of service and will continue to benefit from her leadership and expertise during the coming months and impending transition.
We appreciate your continued support and will keep you updated as we navigate this next chapter.
Lisa’s Impact
During Lisa’s tenure, we have expanded our team into the Upper and Middle St. Johns River Basins to address pollution at our river’s source, expanded our statewide impact as a founding member of Waterkeepers Florida, and launched water quality research programs including the SAVe Our River’s Grasses Expedition and Resilient Ribault to advocate for good policy using real data. Using the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, we challenged numerous industrial stormwater permits resulting in significant pollution reductions.
We fought the delegation of wetlands permitting to the state of Florida, which breached federal law and would result in potential losses of crucial wetlands and habitats for protected species. The judge ruled in our favor and reestablished the more protective federal program.
This year we celebrated a major legislative win with the passage of the 2028 ban on the land disposal of Class B Biosolids (aka sewage sludge).
We look forward to building on the strong foundation Lisa has helped create.