As the 40th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School approaches, hosts Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews sit down with two pioneers of Florida’s environmental community—Steve Lewis and Terry Lewis, founding partners of Lewis, Longman & Walker—for a conversation reflecting on the people, partnerships, and policies that have helped shape Florida’s environmental landscape for decades.
The conversation explores the founding of LLW, the firm’s commitment to collaboration and mentorship, and how those principles helped build one of Florida’s premier environmental and governmental law practices. Steve and Terry also revisit the early days of Florida’s environmental regulatory framework, discussing how landmark legislation, evolving growth management laws, and the creation of modern environmental agencies transformed the practice of environmental law. Along the way, they share firsthand perspectives on how government, private industry, and environmental professionals learned to work together through decades of change.
Looking back on the origins of the Environmental Permitting Summer School, they recall how the conference grew from a small educational program into Florida’s premier gathering for environmental professionals. More than just technical sessions, they explain how Summer School became the place where regulators, consultants, attorneys, engineers, scientists, and industry leaders built relationships, exchanged ideas, and helped shape environmental policy outside the classroom.
Filled with stories, perspective, and a few memorable behind-the-scenes moments, this episode offers a unique look at two careers that helped define Florida’s environmental profession—and why the 40th anniversary of Environmental Permitting Summer School is such a milestone for the industry.
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A huge thank you goes out to Bagels and Biscuits for giving permission to use their music for the podcast.
This episode is a production of The Florida Specifier. Audio production and editing is by Karl Sorne and Dave Barfield at Lonely Fox Studios.
A special shout out goes to our very own Jamie Sheehan, Tracy Kistler and Meg Quap Holley for keeping us organized and moving forward.
