Brenda Defoe-Surprenant

Speaker/Panelist for: Resilience Leagues - Leveraging partnerships to build environmental health and equity.

Through a City of Cape Canaveral sustainability initiative, continue to identify issues and opportunities that could be mitigated through sustainable community planning.

Perform various planning related functions such as reviewing and updating existing ordinances to reflect changes in the environment and economy.

Prepared successful scope of work proposal to secure aide from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, resulting in the funding of a Community Planning Technical… Show more

Through a City of Cape Canaveral sustainability initiative, continue to identify issues and opportunities that could be mitigated through sustainable community planning.

Perform various planning related functions such as reviewing and updating existing ordinances to reflect changes in the environment and economy.

Prepared successful scope of work proposal to secure aide from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, resulting in the funding of a Community Planning Technical Assistance grant to develop a city-wide mobility plan.

Established goals and action items in order to develop a phased sustainability action plan with a focus on Climate Change and the City’s response and contribution to the world’s ecological concerns.

Examined and revised municipal codes for incorporation into the City’s Economic Opportunity Overlay District (EOOD) to create efficient and environmentally-friendly land uses consistent with sustainability. Show less

2021 American Planning Association, Florida Chapter Conference (Miami, FL)
Speaker/Panelist for: Statewide Regional Evacuation Study: Technologies for the Future
Tara McCue AICP, Brenda Surprenant, Beth Payne AICP, Jason Evans Ph.D.

The Statewide Regional Evacuation Study (SRES) is a collaboration amongst federal, state, regional and local partners as well as the private sector. The 2021 SRES provides community planners and emergency managers with updated data to guide future land… Show more

2021 American Planning Association, Florida Chapter Conference (Miami, FL)
Speaker/Panelist for: Statewide Regional Evacuation Study: Technologies for the Future
Tara McCue AICP, Brenda Surprenant, Beth Payne AICP, Jason Evans Ph.D.

The Statewide Regional Evacuation Study (SRES) is a collaboration amongst federal, state, regional and local partners as well as the private sector. The 2021 SRES provides community planners and emergency managers with updated data to guide future land use planning and operationalize emergency preparedness and response plans. Panelists will discuss the updated technology and GIS modeling developed to derive new data in the SRES including updated storm surge zones and behavioral analysis. Implementation of the data and resulting policies as they relate to the Coastal High Hazards Area, adaptation action areas, and community resiliency planning will be shared. Show less

Session three identified how community partners can work to support both livable and resilient environments. Presenters will identify municipal, departmental and broader coalition efforts to help your community thrive in the face of challenging conditions such as weather and COVID.

This webinar was an action item defined by peers in the business and economic development community that participate on the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative’s (R2C) economic resilience advisory committee. Since its founding in 2019, the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative has worked to empower communities in East Central Florida to advance resilience strategies that strengthen and protect the built infrastructure and natural environment, enhance health… Show more

This webinar was an action item defined by peers in the business and economic development community that participate on the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative’s (R2C) economic resilience advisory committee. Since its founding in 2019, the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative has worked to empower communities in East Central Florida to advance resilience strategies that strengthen and protect the built infrastructure and natural environment, enhance health and equity and ensure a thriving economy. The eight-county East Central Florida region faces challenges from shocks and stressors exacerbated by climate change, and our local government leaders are taking action toward mitigation and adaptation. Business leaders are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and climate action into planning for a prosperous economic future. This convening is an opportunity to share your success stories and inspire climate action. Show less

This action plan was developed over a multi-year step-by-step process starting in 2018 when the City was awarded a grant to develop its first ever Vulnerability Assessment. Funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through their Florida Resilient Coastlines Program — a NOAA approved program — the assessment created in conjunction with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council examines the impacts of sea-level rise and flooding in Cape Canaveral. The… Show more

This action plan was developed over a multi-year step-by-step process starting in 2018 when the City was awarded a grant to develop its first ever Vulnerability Assessment. Funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through their Florida Resilient Coastlines Program — a NOAA approved program — the assessment created in conjunction with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council examines the impacts of sea-level rise and flooding in Cape Canaveral. The report employs several models developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA to project possible sea-level rise scenarios and the respective impacts on the City. Timeframes evaluated as part of the assessment include 2040, 2070 and 2100. The report also models future sea-level rise and its effect on storm surge. Show less

Spearheaded the City’s $200,000 software conversion and served as project manager for the community development software modules in an effort to improve technology, efficiency, revenues, and delivery improved public services.

Guided the City of Cape Canaveral Presidential Streets Small Area Study to determine bicycle and pedestrian deficiencies through data integration from various sources.

Project manager in coordination with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC) on a $67,000 grant administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) through their Florida Resilient Coastlines Program (FRCP) to produce a vulnerability assessment for the City of Cape Canaveral.

Provided oversight for the City of Cape Canaveral website redesign for better search engine optimization (SEO), cybersecurity, ADA compatibility.

Assisted with comprehensive plan and land development code amendments to allow for the development of a solar energy field for community utility use.

GIS mapping of available parcels adjacent to Collier County landfill site. Process included labeling and numbering parcels for easy identification of potential vacant parcels to create a usable ‘desktop’ reference for Collier County Real Property in evaluating future acquisition.

Stantec was hired by the county library system to conduct a comprehensive community wide assessment of existing library services, programs, and facilities, while also aiding in the development of the library’s first long range master plan. The process included all ten of the libraries within the system. With nearly four million in-person and online visitors to the library annually, a series of public workshops, on site observations, round table group discussions, one-on-one interviews, and a… Show more

Stantec was hired by the county library system to conduct a comprehensive community wide assessment of existing library services, programs, and facilities, while also aiding in the development of the library’s first long range master plan. The process included all ten of the libraries within the system. With nearly four million in-person and online visitors to the library annually, a series of public workshops, on site observations, round table group discussions, one-on-one interviews, and a customized online survey distributed throughout Collier County were utilized in the visioning process to ensure extensive opportunity for community involvement. My role included review and analysis of survey data and working with the project manager to create the final summary report. Show less

Public meeting facilitation and report preparation. Worked alongside the project manager in setting up and conducting public engagement workshops to obtain public input. This information was then provided to Collier County Government in a report that formed the basis for a 5-year update to the Preserve Management Plan.

Provided planning support for application and entitlement of rural lands for sufficiency response to the Rural lands Town Plan criteria documents. This required an increasing familiarity with both local and state guidelines and requirements in analyzing project related impacts and the effectiveness of proposed solutions.