Northwest Florida is home to some of America’s most significant and simultaneously most vulnerable military installations. Not only does the region boast several major facilities such as Pensacola Naval Air Station, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Tyndall Air Force Base, but the adjoining naval ranges and air corridors in more than 180,000 square miles of Department of Defense controlled airspace extending out into the Gulf of Mexico are an invaluable and irreplaceable asset for the U.S. military. Yet, the DoD ranks Northwest Florida’s bases as among the most exposed to climate change in the country. Climate-induced extreme weather phenomena, flooding, and sea-level rise not only costs the U.S. military billions of dollars in damaged facilities and equipment, but also in terms of readiness, training, and personnel. Join ASP and the University of West Florida on April 24th for an in-person public panel discussion exploring the key role Northwest Florida plays in enhancing national security, the consequences of climate insecurity, and climate resilience strategies for the cities and municipalities that surround U.S. military installations.
Moderated by Dr. Matthew Schwartz from the University of West Florida, panelists include:
CAPT Tim Kinsella, USN (Ret.) is Director of the Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Center for Leadership in the UWF College of Business. Tim previously served 33 years in the Navy as commanding officer of a carrier-based helicopter squadron, White House liaison to the secretary of the Navy, flag aide to the deputy chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare, a division chief in the Joint Operations Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon, and as a defense planner for NATO at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Mons, Belgium.
Tim’s last assignment on active duty was as commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he led the installation through the devastation of Hurricane Sally while maintaining the installation’s operational viability. Under his leadership, NAS Pensacola was awarded the Navy’s Installation Excellence Award.
CAPT Rick Miller, USN (Ret.) leads Pharos Mission Critical Solutions, a combined consultancy and technology integration practice and MobileDOCK-USA a ground logistics optimization solution. He also serves part-time as a Deputy Director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center managing their Resilience Hubs Networking Strategy project for Miami-Dade County.
His career in the U.S. Navy included command at sea and ashore, including leading current operations for U.S. Southern Command and serving multiple tours in the Pentagon as part of both the Navy and Joint Staffs directing and planning Navy’s programs and budgets as well as guiding development of defense appropriations to support wartime activities.
Active in the South Florida community, Rick is on the Board of Directors of the South Dade Economic Development Council and is Executive Director of the South Florida Defense Alliance. Additionally, he serves as Vice Chair of the state-wide Florida Defense Alliance.
Dr. Haris Alibašić is an Associate Professor and the Public Administration Program Coordinator at the University of West Florida. Dr. Alibašić previously worked for the United Nations Mission, NATO, and the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and South East Europe. In Grand Rapids, he directed energy, sustainability, legislative affairs, and climate resilience policies including significant renewable energy investments and the development of a climate resilience plan for the region.
In 2022, Dr. Alibašić served as a Fulbright Project Specialist in the Republic of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Office of Strategic Planning, where he completed the project of National Development Strategy and National Energy Strategy alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In March 2017, Dr. Alibašić was appointed by the City Council to the City of Pensacola Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force. Additionally, Dr. Alibašić is a partner in the Florida League of Cities Municipal Research Program and was co-chair for the energy sector of the White House Climate Preparedness and Resilience Task Force in 2014.
Dr. Brian Crisher is an Associate Professor in Government Department at the University of West Florida. His work has been published in “International Interactions,” “Foreign Policy Analysis,” and “Research and Politics,” among others. He is also reviewer for The Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Quarterly, International Interactions, Conflict Management and Peace Science.
Laurie Murphy is the President of The Stormwater Training Center where she specializes in Clean Water Act regulations at the Federal, State and Municipal level.This includes the certification of inspectors across the United States and U.S. territories, including the certification of Qualified Stormwater Management Inspectors for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Laurie is also the Executive Director for Emerald Coastkeeper, a member of Waterkeeper Alliance that protects your right to swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.
Eric Christianson is a planner with the Emerald Coast Regional Council coordinating the Military Installation Resiliency Review for Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Naval Support Activity Panama City, and Tyndall AFB.
