The St. Johns River played a large role in Lisa Rinaman's decision to move to Jacksonville in 1997 and now it is her focus as the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
"The St. Johns River had, and continues to have, a big impact on me from the trips riding over the Mathews Bridge to Downtown when I first visited to the first date with my husband when we kayaked into the moonlight," she said.
Rinaman was hired as riverkeeper in February 2012, succeeding longtime riverkeeper Neil Armingeon.
Rinaman served on the staffs of Jacksonville Mayors John Delaney and John Peyton as a policy adviser before joining the organization.
At the City, she led efforts to develop and implement irrigation, fertilizer and Florida-friendly landscaping ordinances to protect the St. Johns River and local waterways.
Also in that role, she contributed to securing state funding for water quality improvements, organized the City's Manatee Protection Plan and pushed for programs necessary to fulfill the River Accord restoration plan for the Lower St. Johns River developed during the Peyton administration.
"Environmental policy has always been important to me, but it was a part of my job at City Hall. Being the St. Johns Riverkeeper gives me the opportunity to focus on the St. Johns River and the area's environmental resources," said Rinaman.
Part of her responsibilities at City Hall included lobbying and consensus-building on issues — skills she said she was surprised would be tested in her latest position.
"(Being the riverkeeper) is more complex and challenging than I would have imagined," said Rinaman.
"I knew there would be a lot of politics involved with being an environmentalist. I just didn't realize the depth of the multiple layers of politics," she said.
The St. Johns Riverkeeper is a nonprofit organization that is the chief advocate for the St. Johns River.
Its responsibilities, among others, include holding regulatory agencies and those polluting the river accountable; identifying and advocating for solutions that will protect and restore the river; working with government entities, businesses, community leaders and citizens to resolve problems that impact the river's health; and communicating with the media and the public to educate and raise awareness about river-related issues.
Having been riverkeeper for a little more than a year, Rinaman said she has noticed the majority of the public does not place a high value on the river's health.
"We've been focusing on restoring the health of the river, but not preventing the pollution from getting into the river. We have been a reactive community when we should be proactive," said Rinaman.
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