Community Forum: Protecting Our Coasts, Our Businesses, Our Communities
The Gulf Coast’s $100 billion a year tourism industry took a major hit as a result of the BP oil disaster. Sales at restaurants and hotels are way down. Thousands are out of work. Watermen wonder if crabs and oysters will ever come back. Tourists have deserted resort areas. The impacts will be felt for many years to come.
On Tuesday, September 14th, business owners from the Gulf Coast will explain how their businesses and industries have been affected by the catastrophe and how we in Virginia can protect our lucrative coastal economy and treasured environment from the risk of oil spills occurring off our coast.
Join us for a community forum, “Protecting Our Coasts, Our Businesses, Our Communities“, 7:00-8:30pm at the Virginia Aquarium IMAX Theater, 717 General Booth Blvd. in Virginia Beach. The forum is free and open to the public. Click here to RSVP (not required but appreciated).
Bios for two of our speakers (pictured above):
Captain Daniel C. Kipnis (left) is a Miami native, a fishing enthusiast and also the president of Florida Billfish, Inc. He is the chairman of the Economic, Health and Social Committee of the Miami-Dade County Climate Change Advisory Task Force, a board member of Florida Wildlife Federation and a member of the Biscayne Bay Restoration Coordination Team. He is also involved in fisheries management issues on a state, federal, and international level.
Chris Sehman (right) is a restaurant owner with restaurants in Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Destin. He is on the Board of Directors of Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of Emerald Coast Foundation. His restaurant, Helen Back Café, was named one of Esquire Magazine’s “Best Bars in America” in 2009. Chris graduated from Old Dominion University.
For more information contact: Eileen Levandoski (757) 277-8537, eileen.levandoski@sierraclub.org.
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