8:30am  Welcome – Jennifer Kline, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

Agriculture & Forestry

Room 7-10 (Pam Knox)

Leveraging Wood Products & Carbon Credits to Build Sustainable Buildings-Georgia’s Carbon Registry -Devon Dartnell, Georgia Forestry Commission

Climate Resiliency and the Rise of Georgia Citrus – Lindy Savelle, Georgia Citrus Association

Running a Sustainable Farm to Benefit the Soil – Matthew Raiford, Gillard Farms 

State Efforts 1

Oceanside Salon (Jan Mackinnon)

Enhancing Community Flood Resiliency through Innovative Practices - Kelly Hill, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

Making Shore of it: Coastal Incentive Grants used to Fund Resiliency - Shy Duncan, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

Don’t’ Do It Alone: Preapplication Power & Permit Prep - Paul Tobler, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

The Georgia Coastal Aquatic Barrier Survey - Jaynie Gaskin, Jekyll Island Authority

Legislative Efforts Addressing Resilience - Lynn Smith, Georgia House of Representatives

Marine Fisheries 1

Room 4/5 (Kathy Knowlton)

The Perfect Storm: Commercial Fishing Resilience in Georgia – Jennifer Sweeney Tookes, PhD, Georgia Southern University

A Performance Comparison of Two Clam Congeners – Justin Manley, University of Georgia

Shifts Happen Except When They Don’t: Lack of Poleward Shifts in South Atlantic Bight Reef Fishes in a Changing World – Janet Nye, PhD, University of North Carolina

Research

Ballroom A (Clark Alexander)

Rooting out Ecosystem Vulnerability in Salt Marshes: Declining Belowground Plant Biomass Provides an Early Warning of Marsh Drowning – Kyle Runion, PhD, University of Georgia

2024 Sea Level Affecting Marsh Model Update - Christine Hladik, PhD, Georgia Southern University

A Model for Predicting Georgia Salt Marsh Resilience and Vulnerability Under Sea Level Rise – Rebecca Stanley, PhD, University of Georgia

Localized Modeling for Resilient Infrastructure Planning at Georgia Tech – Jairo Garcia, PhD and Jennifer Chirico, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

Community Engagement & Partnerships

Ballroom B (Kait Morano)

Vicars Community Center Resilience Hub – Beth Remmes, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, Rev. Kevin W. Earley, Community Church Atlanta

Community-led Resilience through Partnerships, the CEAR Hub – Jill Gambill, Georgia Institute of Technology, Jasmine Smith, Pin Point Betterment Association

It’s Time for Younger Hands to Lead: YoPro(Young Professional) STEM Workforce Development in Brunswick, GA – Kimberly M. Andrews, PhD, University of Georgia, Shawn Williams, Coastal Outreach Soccer

Effective Communication Practices

Room 7-10 (Brittany Dodge)

Using R with Climate Data: Data Visualization and Human Perception – Ravin Davis, Georgia Institute of Technology 

Principles of Climate Communication - Marshall Shepherd, PhD, University of Georgia

Climate Talks: Utilizing Multimedia Storytelling – Eri Saikawa, Emory University

Drawdown Georgia

Oceanside Salon (John Lanier)

The Value of Tracking Emissions: Drawdown Georgia Emissions Tracker, - Bill Drummond, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

Where are Climate Solutions and Policies Across Georgia: Highlights from the Drawdown Georgia Solutions Tracker – Marilyn Brown, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

How the Metro Atlanta Climate Action Plan Puts These Assets to Use – Crystal Jackson, Atlanta Regional Commission

Local Government

Room 4/5 (Kelly Hill)

Are Planners Prepared for Climate? Global Perspectives from Planners 4 Climate Action – Bruce Stiftel, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

A Planners Perspective on Climate Change – Marilyn Hall, Hall Consulting, Inc.

Spatial Analysis of Climate Vulnerabilities for Resilience Planning in Gwinnett County - Jairo Garcia, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

Invasive Species

Ballroom A (Eamonn Leonard & Jim Page)

Invasion Pathways in an Uncertain Future - Wes Daniel, U.S. Geological Survey

The Increased Presence of the Blue Land Crab Cardisoma guanhumi in Georgia and the Carolinas – Daniel Sasson, SC Department of Natural Resources

Increasing Surveillance for Aquatic Nuisance Species in Georgia – Sarah McNair, University of Georgia

Community Engagement: Panel

Ballroom B (Kait Morano)

Beth Remmes, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light

Rev. Keith W. Earley, Community Church Atlanta

Jill Gambill, Georgia Institute of Technology

Jasmine Smith, Pin Point Betterment Association

Kimberely M. Andrews, PhD, University of Georgia

Shawn Williams, Coastal Outreach Soccer

Lunch 12:30pm-2:00 pm Ballroom E-H

Introductions: Doug Haymans, GA DNR-Coastal Resources Division Director

Welcome to Jekyll Island – Mark Williams, JIA Director

Keynote Speaker: Wayne Clough, PhD, Georgia Tech (retired)

Local and State GIS Efforts

Room 7-10 (Tony Giarrusso)

A Fresh Look at Historical Trends: Landcover Insights from the New Georgia Now and Forever – Luben Ratchev, Georgia Conservancy

Using UAV imagery to Assess Marsh Recovery Following Wrack Disturbance – Tyler Lynn, University of Georgia

Building Resiliency with GIS: USACE Case Studies – Alexander Metz, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Local Government: City of Brunswick Resiliency Project

Oceanside Salon (Kelly Hill)

Rethinking Planning – John Hunter, City of Brunswick

Local Flood Mitigation and Resilience Efforts in Brunswick, GA – Garrow Alberson, City of Brunswick

Rain, Retained and Retrained – Jessica Brown, University of Georgia

Highlights of Green Infrastructure Implementation and Key Design Features – Rob Brown, PhD, Goodwyn Mills Cawood

Marine Fisheries 2

Room 4/5 (Kathy Knowlton)

Climate Change and Blacktip Sharks: Another Inconvenient Truth? – Beth Bowers, PhD, Smithsonian Institution

Five Decades of Change in Fish Assemblages in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay Estuarine Ecosystem – Matt Kimball, PhD, University of South Carolina

Improving Understanding of Shrimp Populations in a Changing Environment through the Lowcountry Shrimp Collaborative – Robert Dunn, PhD, Ecological Dynamics, LLC

Law & Policy

Ballroom A (Shana Jones)

Resilient Laws for Local Governments: Researching and Drafting Recovery Ordinance Provisions for Chatham County, GA – John Marshall, Georgia State University, Randall Matthews, Chatham County

Resolving & Preventing Heirs Property: The Key to Stabilizing Workforce Housing and Small Ag Businesses – Will Worley, Georgia Heirs Property Law Center

Legal Needs and Tools for Disaster Mitigation, Response, and Educating Attorneys and Key Stakeholders – Katie Hill, University of Georgia

Habitat & Impacted Species – Mangroves

Ballroom B (Jaynie Gaskin)

Challenging Assumptions: Mangrove Expansion and Freeze Resilience Beyond Known Distribution Limits – Scott F. Jones, PhD, University of North Florida on behalf of Ches Vervaeke, National Park Service

How are Red Mangroves Surviving the Cold in Georgia? Implications for Future Mangrove Expansion – Scott F. Jones, PhD, University of North Florida

Ecosystem impacts of Mangrove Expansion in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Research Reserve – Nikki Dix, GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve

Intertidal Oyster Reef Tropicalization: Mangrove-driven Impacts on Acidification, Shell Dissolution and Oyster Density – Katherine Harris, University of Central Florida

Habitat: Conservation

Ballroom 7-10 (Jaynie Gaskin)

Climate Resilient Strategies Implemented at Little St. Simons Island - Scott Coleman, Little St. Simons Island

Habitat Enhancement and Resiliency across St. Simons Island - Stephanie Knox, St. Simons Island Land Trust

Resilience and Public Access through Restoration on Jekyll Island - Yank Moore, Jekyll Island Authority

Utilities

Oceanside Salon (Scott Hendricks)

From Readiness to Restoration– Kerry Bridges, Georgia Power

Rebuilding Together: Leveraging Partnerships for Effective Mutual Aid– Wayne Gossage, Jefferson Energy Cooperative

Preparedness in Practice: Building Resilience Through Shared Experience - Jay Mathews, Georgia Rural Water Association

An Ounce of preparation is Worth a Pound of Cure – Nathan McDonald, Columbia County Water Utility Services

Marine Fisheries 3

Room 4/5 (Kathy Knowlton)

Fish Research to Inform Habitat Conservation: Knowledge Co-production with Local Government – Philip Stevens, PhD, Fl Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Fisheries and Conservation Implications of a Range Expansion of Common Snook in the Big Bend of Florida – Mike Allen, PhD, University of Florida

Evidence for Changes to Jointly Managed Coastal Migratory Pelagics in the US Southeast -Brendan Turley, PhD, University of Miami

Local Government: Resilience Networks

Ballroom A (Dominique Mack)

The Golden Isles Coastal Resiliency Network – Building a Just and Resilient Brunswick – Rachael Thompson, Glynn Environmental Coalition and Charmaine Richardson, resident

Nurturing a Network: Maintaining Momentum Beyond the Grant Lifecycle – Anna McQuarrie, Middlesex County, New Jersey

Resilience Networks: Uplifting Community Resilience on a Local, Regional, and Statewide Level – Michaela Master, Georgia Conservancy

Living Shorelines: Soft on Shore, Strong on Resilience

Ballroom B (Ashby Worley)

Living Shorelines: From Suitability to Stewardship – Meghan Angelina Chrisp, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

Supporting Community Resilience through Living Shoreline Construction at Martha Randolph Stevens Park – Courtney Reich, Georgia Conservancy & Krystal Hart, Seabrook Village Foundation

Design of Living Shorelines in Georgia – Tom Havens, Coastal Civil Engineering

Construction Methodology and Materials for Living Shorelines - Rusty Batey, Zulu Marine, Inc.

Tools Café

Ballroom C/D (Tony Giarrusso & Matt Pendleton)

Tools Café will remain open until 6:00pm

Georgia Now and Forever – Luben Ratchev, Georgia Conservancy

Updates to the Georgia Coastal Hazards Portal – Claudia Venherm, University of Georgia

Drawdown Georgia Dashboard – Bill Drummond, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

CEAR Hub Map Spot – Kait Morano, Georgia Institute of Technology

GCRC Hub Site – Matthew Younce, Coastal Regional Commission

NOAA Sea Level Calculator - Matt Pendleton, NOAA

G-WRAP Coastal Canopy – Tony Giarrusso, Georgia Institute of Technology

ARC 15- County Stormwater Forecast, Digital River Basin Profiles & Open Data Hub – Shelby Miller, Atlanta Regional Commission

2D Mapping Tool – Joseph Martinenza, GA DNR EPD Floodplain 

"

Poster Social 5:30pm -9:00pm Lobby

The poster social will feature a range of resiliency topics. Please also remember to stop by our exhibitor tables, which will be dispersed throughout the lobby.

Popcorn and a Movie 6:30pm-7:30pm Room A

Shorts:

Climate on Our Minds-Repurposing wasted food with Concrete Jungle 

Climate on our Minds- Terrapin Beer Company 

Savannah Sea Level Sensors- The Rising Tides 

SALTEx Experiment- How might sea level rise affect Georgia's freshwater marshes in the future? 

Feature Shorts:

The Mud on Their Hands 

Growing Without Limits: A Georgia Climate Story 

Private Partnerships

Room 7-10 (David Eady)

Aggregation and Demand Signals to Drive Decarbonization Investment – David S. Eady, Georgia Institute of Technology

Aggregating Demand and Supply in a Georgia Grown Carbon Exchange – Lucas Clay, Ph.D., Carbon Market Partnerships, Georgia Institute of Technology

Private Partnerships to Drive Forest Ecosystem Restoration through the Voluntary Carbon Market – Alex Butler, Chestnut Carbon

Media: Stories that Resonate and Educate

Oceanside Salon (Mark Johnson)

Drew Kann, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Mary Landers, The Current

Mallory Mintz, University of Georgia

Amber Peoples, How on Earth Television Series

Economics of Resilience

Room 4/5 (Ashby Worley)

Assessing the Socioeconomic Value of Salt Marsh Ecosystems for Climate Resilience Financing in Georgia – Matthew Bilskie, PhD, University of Georgia

Insuring Resilience – Alan Robertson, City of Tybee Island

The Effects of Rising Sea Level on your Friendly Community Bank – Mason Waters, United Community Bank

Local Government: Resiliency Leadership Academy Panel

Ballroom A (Kelly Hill)

Introduction – Jennifer Kline, GA DNR Coastal Resources Division

Commissioner Lance Sabe, City of Brunswick

Commissioner Adot Whitely, Chatham County

Commissioner Alan Booker, Glynn County

Commissioner Felicia Harris, City of Brunswick

Commissioner Donald Lovette, Liberty County

Mayor Tiffany Zeigler, City of Pembroke

Alderman Nick Palumbo, City of Savannah

Emergency Preparedness

Ballroom B (Alan Sloan)

Building Resilience in Georgia Communities Using Climate Disaster Data -  Zachary Saunders & Naye Bullock, Georgia Emergency Management Agency/ Homeland Security

Supporting Georgia’s 9-1-1 Centers During Disasters - Aleisha Rucker-Wright & Amy Ramsey, Georgia Emergency Management Agency/ Homeland Security

Georgia/ Alabama Partnership for Sustainability, Ileeia Smith, PhD, University of Georgia

Education 2

Room 7-10 (Jill Gambill)

Youth Leading Community Resilience in Georgia Panel and Small Group Discussion – Anne Lindsay, University of Georgia, Rev. Antwon Nixon, Sowing Seeds Outside the Walls, Beverlee Trotter, Savannah Youth City Inc., Jacayla Greene, student, Howie Trotter, student

Creative Communications

Oceanside Salon (Brittany Dodge)

Humor in Risk Communication: Theories and Applications – Hye Jin Yoon, University of Georgia

Exploring Human Experience in the Built Environment through Virtual Reality – Jessica Fernandez, University of Georgia

Getting Fishy with It- Engaging the Local Community with Monitoring Efforts through the Creation of Alternative Resources – Bryan Fleuch, University of Georgia

Marine Fisheries 4

Room 4/5 (Kathy Knowlton)

Estuarine Finfish Abundance in Coastal South Carolina and Potential Climatological Drivers – Joey Ballenger, PhD, SC Department of Natural Resources

A Coastal Assessment of Marine Heatwaves (MHWs) and Marine Cold-Spells (MCSs) in South Carolina estuaries - Ashley Bobnar, College of Charleston

Black Sea Bass Changing Year Class Strength and Spatial Extent from Two Long-Term Surveys off the Southeast U.S. Atlantic Coast – Julie Vecchio, PhD, SC Department of Natural Resources

Building Lasting Resilience Within Local Governments Panel

Ballroom A (Jon Philipsborn)

How building administrative capacity, and strengthening collaboration, can create long-term disaster preparedness and resilience

Noah Slovin, SLR Consulting

Jackie Jackson, Chatham County

Alan Robertson, City of Tybee Island

Moving the Needle on Nature-Based Solutions

Ballroom B (Meghan Angelina Chrisp)

The Yes Formula for Beneficial Use of Dredge Material Projects and What We’ve Learned in Georgia – Laurel Reichold, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Roots of Equity: Growing Climate Resiliency – Kat Erickson, Savannah Tree Foundation

Oyster Restoration on Sapelo Island: Integrating Community Engagement and Numerical Modeling to Enhance Restoration Efforts and Community Benefits – Brock Woodson, University of Georgia

Natural Infrastructure Planning in Support of Military Readiness – Ben McGarr, University of Georgia

Stabilization and Restoration of Plum Orchard Shoreline, Cumberland– Kayleigh Hendley and Michael Seibert, National Park Service

Lunch 12:00pm-1:30pm Ballroom E-H

Introduction: Christi Lambert, The Nature Conservancy 

Keynote Speaker: Monica Thornton, The Nature Conservancy

Education, Community, Oysters

Room 7-10 (Tim Cone)

Future-Proofing Georgia: Kids as the Succession Plan for a Resilient Coast– Laura Solomon & Anna Roach, EcoGeorgia

Weather & Climate

Oceanside Salon (Marshall Shepherd)

Georgia’s Climate Trends and How They are Affecting Agriculture and Rural Communities – Pam Knox, University of Georgia

Bassfield, MS  Tornado: A Remote Sensing Analysis – Dawson Yang, University of North Georgia

Using AI Weather Intelligence To Solve Tomorrow’s Climate Issues Today – Jason Deese, Flash. AI

Health

Room 4/5 (Jill Andrews)

Adapting to Heat and Flooding: The City of Brunswick’s Tree Resiliency Plan – Ashby Worley, The Nature Conservancy

Medical Grade Oxygen Supply During Disasters – Dennis Gailey, Jekyll Island Authority

Bridging Research and Practice: A Webinar Series Addressing Heat-Related Health Risks – Sophia Lamb, Emory University

Rapid Water Quality Testing as a Resilience Strategy in a Changing Environment - Asli Aslan, PhD, Georgia Southern University

Research

Ballroom A (Patricia Yager)

Interannual Variability of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Skidaway River Estuary- Mallory Mintz, University of Georgia

Restored Oyster Reefs Change Shoreline Morphology and Salt Marsh Area - Zach Czoer, 

Georgia Southern University

Spatial Patterns of Wetlands Soil Carbon Stocks Across the Georgia Coast – Nikki Zhang, University of Georgia

Assessing Resiliency of the Marshes and Beaches of Georgia – Clark Alexander PhD, University of Georgia

State Efforts 2

Ballroom B (Jan Mackinnon)

A Look at Emission Reduction Measures in Georgia and How They Can Help the Environment, Economy, and Communities - Anna Aponte, GA DNR Environmental Protection Division

2-D Modeling Project in Georgia - Joseph Martinenza, GA DNR Environmental Protection Division

If we Build it, they will Come - Tim Keyes, GA DNR Wildlife Resources Division

Funding Assistance: Hazard Mitigation Assistance - Stephen Clark, Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security

Resiliency in the Age of Data Centers - Tim Echols, Public Service Commission

GDOT’s Road to Resilience - Drew Martin, Georgia Department of Transportation