Ryan Gilbert is a Natural Resources Project Manager at ESE Partners, where he specializes in wetland delineations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permitting, and ecological resource assessments throughout the Gulf Coast and southern United States. His professional work integrates applied environmental science with regulatory compliance to promote sustainable development and effective resource management. Mr. Gilbert has led and contributed to numerous projects involving USACE permitting, living shoreline research, and habitat assessments for protected species. He also conducted his master’s thesis on the ecological function of living shorelines, advancing the understanding of their role in coastal resilience and habitat enhancement, and has presented at national conferences on nature-based solutions and living shoreline techniques. He holds dual Master of Science degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Management from the University of Houston Clear Lake, and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University. 

Jim Dobberstine currently serves as a faculty member in Environmental Science at Lee College, where he leads multiple grant-funded research projects aimed at providing practical skills development for students in the sciences studying coastal wetlands, habitat restoration, and environmental pollutants. He has more the 35 years of professional experiences in the fields of education, coastal habitat functional assessment, and aquatic toxicology. Jim holds M.S. degrees in Environmental Science-Biology and Environmental Management from the University of Houston - Clear Lake, and numerous professional certifications including Wetland Delineation (Texas A&M), Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement (Clemson), and Management Development (North Carolina State), among others. He currently serves as the President of the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals and as Treasurer for the South Central Chapter of SETAC, and served previously as an Independent External Panel Reviewer (Environmental Law Compliance and Biological  Resources) for USACE civil infrastructure projects with the Noblis Center for Sustainability and the Analysis, Management, and Planning Institute.