Donald R. Deis, M.S., CEP                                       
  Atkins
  7406 Fullerton Street, Suite 350
  Jacksonville, Florida 32256
  (904) 363-8442
  [email protected]
  www.atkinsglobal.com

Donald R. Deis, M.S., CEP, has 35 years of experience in the environmental science field as a consultant to industry and government.  His areas of interest include environmental evaluation, assessment, and monitoring of marine, estuarine, and coastal projects; restoration of estuarine and marine ecosystems; impacts of oil and gas exploration, development, and transport; disaster response planning; Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) related to disasters; and environmental rules and regulation.  As a coastal ecologist, he has particular interest in hard bottom (reef) and seagrass habitats.  He has studied these habitats throughout Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and into the Caribbean.  He has extensive experience in the restoration of estuarine, coastal, and marine habitats and unique experience in seagrass and coral reef restoration.

Don has served on the board of the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals (FAEP) and has been active in several of the Florida Chapters of FAEP.  He is the current president of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals (ABCEP).  He has served on the board in several committee positions since 2009 including the Pre-CEP Committee and Membership Committee.  He also served on the Certification Review Board from 2000 to 2009.

At this point in my career and having raised three young adults, I am dedicated to bringing the next generation of environmental professionals into the field.  We have many complicated issues that need to be understood and addressed.  That is why I started the mentoring program for young people wanting to become certified environmental professionals.  We as current CEPs need to help these young people direct their passion into a clear and concise understanding of issues so that they can direct research and, eventually, policy in the right directions.  I also want the certification process for environmental professionals to be predictable and transparent.  We are working on that and will get there.