Michael R. Thomas, Principal

Experience

Mr. Thomas has over 15 years of experience in technical, staff, and managerial roles in both government and private sector environments. His experience includes the areas of wetland delineation, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permitting, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), plant and wildlife surveys, Universal Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM), and project management. He has provided project management and GIS support for basin management action plan (BMAP) and total maximum daily load (TMDL) initiatives.

Background

Michael was born in Jacksonville, Florida.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Jacksonville University, where he majored in Environmental Science.  During his educational career, he interned two years with the USACE Regulatory Division.  He also spent over five years with the City of Jacksonville in the Environmental Resource Management department. At the City, Mr. Thomas was responsible for modification and implementation of the quarterly ambient water tributary monitoring program. He designed, implemented, and maintained a GIS for the program that interacts with a database of nearly a quarter-million entries.

He frequently acted as lead scientist, supervising a technical crew during aquatic and marine sampling events while operating the city’s research vessel, participated on the interdisciplinary technical advisory committee (TAC) for the lower St. Johns River Basin, and served as an occasional speaker and presenter during meetings of the TAC. He also represented the city’s interest during several public hearings and spoke in front of volunteer and citizen groups regarding issues concerning the city’s water monitoring programs. Additionally, he performed threatened and endangered species surveys, plant community assessments, and botanical inventories in support of the multi-parcel Jacksonville Preservation project. 

Mr. Thomas also worked over ten years in private environmental consulting, including duties as a senior scientist responsible for managing all aspects of environmental projects for a diverse client base. He brings valuable experience in wetland delineation and a broad base of resource permitting.  He has performed wildlife surveys and extensive delineation for several Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) and has been instrumental in permitting complex, multi-phase developments.  Mr. Thomas’ interests include forensic delineation of disturbed sites and permitting of projects with unique ecological issues. In addition, he has served on the delineation committee of a national environmental consulting firm.

Education

·     Jacksonville University, B.S. (1996, Environmental Science)  

       § Tri-Beta, Biology Honor Society

       § Intern, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

 

Professional

 

·     Vice President, Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, Northeast Chapter

·     Certified Erosion and Sedimentation Control Inspector, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

 

Project Experience Highlights

 

·     Hillsborough Basin BMAP Study- field operations, project management and GIS support

·     Jacksonville National Cemetery, Veterans Administration- wetland delineation and wildlife survey leader

·     Thomas Creek DRI- Pecan Park Road extension, delineation leader

·     Palencia- wetland delineation

·     Kangaroo, 103^rd Street and Shindler Drive- project manager, wetland delineation leader, SJRWMD and USACE permits

·     Preservation Project site selection, City of Jacksonville- preliminary site assessments, listed species inventories

·     Pro-Metal Processing, Houston, TX- NPDES permit renewal

environmental mapping solutions, llc, 2009