Jen Lomberk is your Matanzas Riverkeeper. As a native Floridian, Lomberk has a lifelong personal connection with Florida’s natural areas and has dedicated her career to protecting them. Lomberk holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law with a certificate in Environmental & Land Use Law and Policy. As a Student Associate in the Conservation Clinic at UF Law, Lomberk worked on projects spanning a broad spectrum of environmental issues ranging from municipal beach regulation in the state of Florida to national park management in The Bahamas. After becoming a licensed attorney, Lomberk served as the Staff Attorney for Alachua Conservation Trust and the Director of Special Projects for the University of Florida Levin College of Law Conservation Clinic, focusing on the use of conservation easements to protect sea turtle nesting habitat. Lomberk took the helm as the Matanzas Riverkeeper in December of 2017 and currently serves as the Chair of the Waterkeepers Florida regional entity.

J. Silas Tanner is the Program Director for Matanzas Riverkeeper. Silas has loved and lived within the local watershed since 2001. In 2016, Silas graduated from the University of North Florida (UNF) with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, including a minor in Environmental Science, researching the effect of local shellfish harvesting practices on substrate availability within our local estuary. In 2019, Silas became a certified United States Coast Guard captain (OUPV Near Coastal), and then returned to school, graduating with a Master’s degree in Biology from UNF in 2022, researching novel in-situ chlorophyll fluorescence sensor technologies to better characterize the trophic health of our estuary. Silas is very passionate about protecting and representing our natural resources, with an extensive background in estuarine ecology and the importance of water quality within our local ecosystems. During his leisure time, he can be found on the water fishing or enjoying paddle-sports, and in the woods pursuing wild game or gathering native edible plants. “As a scientist, we must exercise due diligence to measure and understand the environmental variabilities around us in order to truly appreciate the beauty of our natural world.”