provided to The Santiva Chronicle
On Monday, April 27, the Committee of the Islands (COTI) and SanCap Resilience will welcome Ashlee Painter, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Sanibel, for a discussion on “The State of Resilience on Sanibel.”
The 6:30 p.m. presentation will take place at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel. The general public is welcome to attend. The program is free, but registration is required. To register, click here.
COTI members are invited to attend a members-only reception from 5:45-6:15 to meet the presenter and our new Board of Directors. Refreshments will be served.
As we approach the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Ian, there are several questions that remain on the minds of many on Sanibel and Captiva. How well prepared is our community for future storms? What is being done to address the causes and impacts of climate change to make our community safer and align our actions with Sanibel’s long-held focus on sustainability?
In this important program, Ms. Painter will address these questions, describing what has been accomplished in the city to date and laying out a vision of where we can go from here.
Ms. Painter was hired into her new role as Chief Resilience Officer in July of 2025. Her officer position serves as the city’s lead in establishing practical and actionable strategies to improve Sanibel’s resilience to environmental threats and challenges, such as rising sea levels, hurricanes, and other climate-related impacts, and increasing the city’s sustainable practices, including the use of renewable energy.
She was previously with the City of Oldsmar, where she served as the Environmental Management Supervisor, supervising the Sustainability Coordinator, Environmental Specialist, and the Utility Operations Coordinator. Painter was responsible for writing and managing resilience and public works grants. She also served as the project manager for resilience and stormwater projects.
She majored in Biological Sciences at Clemson University, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and has earned graduate degrees in Marine Biology at James Cook University and Coastal Sustainability at the University of South Florida. She has over 20 years of experience working in environmental conservation and education – domestically and internationally.
In this program, she will address:
· What is resilience?
· Resilient Roots – where we started
· Major and minor disruptors – hurricanes, pandemics, power outages, etc.
· What has been done since 2020
· Where are we going and how you can be involved?
There will be ample time for audience questions and discussion. Please join us for this important event.