Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, Governing Board Member
Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch is a former high school teacher who taught English and German. For the past 18 years, she has practiced real estate and is currently a referral agent with the Life Style Realty Group. Thurlow-Lippisch is a longtime advocate for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, who publishes a blog sharing commentary about the impacts to the health of those waterways.
A former commissioner of the Town of Sewall’s Point, Thurlow-Lippisch also served as the town’s mayor. She is very active in environmental and community issues on the local, county and state level. She was appointed by Senate President Joe Negron to serve as commissioner for Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission. In 2018, she sponsored the bill to Prohibit Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling in Florida’s Territorial Seas that became part of Ballot Amendment 9 and overwhelmingly passed with over 68% of the voters.
Other key leadership positions include Chairing the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments and the Florida League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Legislative Committee. She also served as Vice-Chair of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and as an SFWMD Water Resource Advisory Commission alternate.
Thurlow-Lippisch grew up in Stuart and lives in Sewall’s Point with her husband, Dr. Ed Lippisch. She holds leadership roles in various organizations to bring awareness to preserving and protecting the environment. She currently serves as Board Member-at-large for the Florida Wildlife Federation, member of the Guardians of Martin County and the Rivers Coalition Inc. and as Volunteer Administrator of the River Kidz Organization.
Thurlow-Lippisch received a B.A. degree in Journalism and Communications and a B.A. degree in German from the University of Florida. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Development from the College of Education, University of West Florida.
Current Term: February 2019 - March 2022
Phone: (561) 682-6262
Email: jthurlowlippisch@sfwmd.gov
Areas Represented: St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties
Appointed By: Governor Ron DeSantis
Original Appointment: February 2019
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism & Communications, University of Florida, 1986
Bachelor of Arts, German, University of Florida, 1994
Master of Arts, Curriculum and Development, College of Education, University of West Florida, 1999
Graduate, Class XV, University of Florida IFAS Natural Resources Leadership Institute, 2016
Government and Leadership
Commissioner, Town of Sewall’s Point, 2008-2016
Town’s Mayor, July 2011- November 2012
Candidate, Martin County Commissioner District 1, 2016
Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, SFWMD Governing Board, February 2019
Appointed by Senate President, Joe Negron to serve as a commissioner for Florida's Constitution Revision Commission, (CRC) 2017-2018
Appointed by CRC Chairman, Carlos Beruff, to chair CRC General Provisions Committee
-Sponsored proposal 91, Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling in Florida’s Territorial Seas that was bundled with Commissioner Lisa Carlton’s proposal 65 Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces to become 2018 Ballot Amendment 9: passed at 68.92%.
Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments, Chair 2013
Florida League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Legislative Committee, Chair 2013
Appointed by SFWMD Governing Board Member Kevin Powers as WRAC Alternate 2013-2015
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Vice-Chair 2015-2016
Organizations
Florida Wildlife Federation, Board Member at Large, elected 2018, resigned June 2019, remain a member
The Guardians of Martin County 2018
Rivers Coalition Defense Fund 2011-resigned June 2019, remain a member
River Kidz Volunteer Administrator 2011-present
Treasured Lands Foundation, Board of Directors 2010-2012;
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, FAU, Board of Directors 2013-2016
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, FAU, Marine Mammal, volunteer 2011-2014
Realtors Association of Martin County, Board of Directors 2006-2007
Daughter of the American Revolution
Florida Blue Key, University of Florida
Delta Gamma Sorority, Gamma Theta
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Work Experience
-Taught German and English, International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Pensacola High School, Pensacola, 1994-1996;
-Taught English at Murray Middle School 1997; Stuart Middle School 1998-2000; German and English at -South Fork High School 2001
-Worked as Realtor, General Real Estate Sales, 2002-present. License, held now at Lifestyle Realty Group, Stuart, Florida, as a referral agent.
Publications
Indian River Lagoon Blog www.jacquithurlowlippish.com 2013-present; -tracks algae growth documenting toxic plumes from Lake Okeechobee and area canals using aerial photography and ground work; shares information with historic and political commentary
Awards
“Realtor of the Year” award from the Realtors Association of Martin County, 2007
“Wings Award” for advocacy of Marine Mammals of the Indian River Lagoon from the Pegasus Foundation, 2013
Everglades Coalition’s “John V. Kabler Award” for Grassroots Activism, 2015
“Conservation Award,” National Daughter of the American Revolution, Halpatiokee Chapter, Stuart, Florida, 2015
“Albert Tuttle Award” for Outstanding Volunteer Service/Indian River Lagoon, Marine Resources Council, Brevard County, 2016
“Burl Long Award,” University of Florida/IFAS Natural Resources Leadership Institute, Class XV. The award is a peer award, presented each year to the classmate who has shown the most growth and use of NRLI concepts and tools, incorporating conflict management and collaborative decision-making into their work and changed the most as a result of their NRLI experience, 2016
“Conservation Communicator of the Year Award,” Florida Wildlife Federation, 2017