MEET OUR TEAM

Dr. Claudia Listopad, Ph.D., GISPP

President and Principal Scientist

Claudia Listopad | LinkedIn

Dr. Claudia Listopad has 22 years of specialized experience in geospatial project management, remote sensing, and statistical analyses for resolving a multitude of environmental problems. As a trained marine biologist, ecologist, and conservation biologist, Dr. Listopad worked in the private consulting world for over eight years prior to founding Applied Ecology, Inc. Claudia Listopad has combined geospatial analyses and ENVI remote sensing skills with over six years of in-depth use of LiDAR for water resources and ecological studies. Her interest focuses on the application of cutting-edge remote sensing technology and advanced modeling to conservation and natural resource management.

Dr. Listopad specializes in the application of GIS, modeling, database development, statistical analyses, and remote sensing to complex data sets, particularly those related to stormwater, utilities, water resources, natural resources, and consumptive permitting. Since founding AEI, Dr. Listopad has provided stormwater, surface and groundwater quality monitoring, statistical analyses, and modeling services directly as a prime or subconsultant for Brevard County NRMD, City of Indian Harbour Beach, City of Cocoa Beach, City of Cape Canaveral, City of Titusville, City of Rockledge, and the US Air Force, among many others.

Dr. Listopad has been and is continuously involved in several projects funded by the State Legislature related to water quality of the Indian River Lagoon, including several groundwater source studies, which include large-scale monitoring, geospatial modeling, and statistical analyses. Additionally, she is actively involved in both the research and public consulting world for water resources. She presents at domestic and international conferences on a variety of ecological and remote sensing topics and participates in public workshops for water resources issues and their implementation.

William “Bill” Paton, B.S.

Vice President, Senior GIS Modeler and

Software Developer

Bill Paton | LinkedIn

Mr. Paton has 36 years of technical and project management experience in software design, implementation and integration for a multitude of purposes. Prior to joining AEI in 2012, he worked in the Defense Industry for over two decades, where he managed multimillion-dollar projects with several staff engineers. He has extensive experience in estimating large-scale software design estimates, planning and meeting milestones, designing and meeting requirements, and integrating the final product. Projects have ranged from real-time detection and identification of targets using compact 3-D laser radar (LADAR) to custom watershed loading models for TMDL implementation, groundwater modeling, and web application development.

Typical tasks include custom toolsets for ArcGIS users to streamline repetitive and complex tasks, and custom applications to enhance data analysis needs when dealing with large datasets. As a lead software team engineer with decades of federal project experience, Mr. Paton can independently define and design the requirements and software architecture, as well as implement and test these systems. Mr. Paton also specializes in database design and custom interfaces for the user, both on desktop and web platforms, as well as technical reporting (software documentation, test plans, and data analysis reports).

Mr. Paton is often involved in developing custom tools to increase the productivity of large-scale mapping efforts, reduce human error, and provide user-friendly validation tools, both in the office and field settings. He is the lead ArcGIS Online web application developer for Applied Ecology and uses a variety of programming and scripting skills to achieve custom functionality. He is also involved with water quality sampling and quality assurance, and is certified by the University of Florida’s DEP SOPs for Surface and Groundwater Sampling.

Dr. Leesa Souto, Ph.D.

Director of Operations

Leesa Souto | LinkedIn

Dr. Souto has been working for Florida’s water resources for over 30 years in many different capacities, providing her a comprehensive understanding of the complex environmental issues facing our state.

During her career, she has done water and soil chemistry testing and analysis; groundwater and surface water assessment and remediation; environmental education and behavior change; shoreline restoration and land management; policy support and advocacy; program design and evaluation; environmental and socio-ecological research; grants and contract administration; and business development and management. She has successfully administered over $15M in grant-funded environmental projects in her career and has managed successful nonprofit and for-profit businesses. She is an urban-ecology researcher and award-winning lecturer conducting and sharing actionable research to solve Florida’s water quality problems. Some of her accomplishments include initiating an international fishing line recycling program (MRRP, 2001), creating the Florida Water Resources Monitoring Council structure (2002-04), chairing Florida’s Stormwater Education Task Force (2001-2012), creating and distributing the Stormwater Education Toolkit (2003-04), launching the Cocoa Beach and Orlando Green Business Programs (2007-2011), producing the Indian River Lagoon Report Card (2017-2021) and conducting over one hundred charettes, assemblies, and conferences to reach consensus on critical issues.

Dr. Souto received a BS in Biological Sciences and Minor in Interdisciplinary Sciences from Florida State University and a Masters in Nonprofit Management and Doctorate in Conservation Biology from the University of Central Florida.

Andrea Bishop

Senior Environmental Compliance Manager

Andrea Bishop | LinkedIn

Andrea Bishop has 26 years of technical, project, and contract management experience in environmental compliance, pollution prevention, and restoration programs for the Department of Defense. Ms. Bishop has managed multimillion dollar environmental compliance and restoration projects and programs for multiple military installations (CONUS and overseas) in senior level positions and supervised staffs of 25+ scientists and engineers.  She has extensive experience in all aspects of environmental program and project management with proven aptitude to analyze/mesh environmental requirements with military mission requirements. In her leadership positions, she developed, initiated, and evaluated new procedures, policies, and internal controls to assess and resolve complex operational problems while ensuring environmental compliance.

Ms. Bishop’s most recent position was with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center as the Environmental Operational Chief for the Offutt Installation Support Section where she directly supervised 17 personnel and supported the environmental compliance and restoration programs regionally for 4 Air Force installations (Ellsworth, Grand Forks, Minot, and Offutt). In addition, Ms. Bishop served as the Deputy for the Midwest Branch Chief providing direct environmental compliance and restoration support for 18 Air Force installations and 10 Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) facilities. Ms. Bishop is also a proud military veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force as a Bioenvironmental Engineering Officer.

Catherine Soistman, P.E.

Principal Engineer

Catherine Soistman | LinkedIn

Catherine Soistman, P.E., is a principal engineer with 21 years of experience in the various phases of site remediation, including site investigation, feasibility studies, treatment system design and installation, in-situ chemical oxidation, operation, maintenance, and monitoring, optimization, and site closure. She also has experience in modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant fate and transport, underground storage tank (UST) closures, Phase I and II environmental site assessments (ESAs), asbestos abatement, building demolition, due diligence investigations, and landfill closure. Ms. Soistman performs assessment and cleanup of a variety of contaminants, including petroleum products, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals, and PFAS. Ms. Soistman has provided services to a variety of clients, including defense contractors, pharmaceutical companies, the federal government, state and local governments, and small businesses.

In the early stages of her career, Ms. Soistman was responsible for the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of remediation systems at Navy bases undergoing Base Closure and Realignment in northern California. For several years, she was the Project Manager on a continuing services contract for environmental services with Orange County, Florida. She has also provided several years of environmental site assessment and remediation services for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Kennedy Space Center.

As an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for more than 15 years on both the local and national levels, Cathy has won multiple awards, including Florida Section Young Engineer of the Year, Regional Outstanding Young Engineer in the Private Sector, Regional Outstanding Younger Member in Community Activities, and Nominee for E-Week Young Engineer of the Year. She is currently chair of the national ASCE Environmental Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Communications Council, and editor of the EWRI Currents newsletter, which is published nationally.

Michael Thompson, M.Sc.

Senior GIS Analyst

Michael Thompson | LinkedIn

Michael Thompson is an ecologist and geospatial analyst with professional experience in coastal and marine ecology, fisheries, coastal hazards, community risk and resiliency, spatial planning, and climate change. He received his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in Biology while focusing on terrestrial and marine ecology. After receiving his degree, he worked as an outdoor education instructor on Catalina Island in California, a dive master and rescue diver on the Turks and Caicos Islands, and a fisheries observer onboard commercial fishing vessels in Alaska. Due to a family illness, he eventually became President and Owner of a manufacturing corporation in Oregon before selling it and returning to graduate school.

He received his Master of Science Degree in Marine Resource Management from the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University, where his thesis focused on seafood traceability and product quality in the albacore tuna industry. His work as an ecologist and spatial analyst covers much of the U.S. coastal zone, where he has been integral in designing and implementing GIS analytical and predictive models to inform coastal zone management.

In addition to his scientific expertise, Mr. Thompson has over 10 years of business management and marketing experience, providing him with a unique and valuable perspective when it comes to working on critical natural resources and ecological issues. During his career he has worked and collaborated with a wide diversity of stakeholders including University scientists, non-governmental organizations, federal/state agencies, and business interests. These diverse experiences have provided him with the requisite knowledge and skill to tackle the most challenging of issues.

During his free time Michael enjoys spending time outdoors surfing, cycling, hiking, diving and playing the occasional game of golf.

Dr. Gary Zarillo, Ph.D., PG

Coastal Oceanographer and Principal Geologist

Gary Zarillo | LinkedIn

Dr. Zarillo has over 40 years of experience in coastal processes, marine geology, and physical oceanography. He has conducted more than 75 sand source projects ranging from reconnaissance to permit level field investigations of shallow marine sand bodies and upland sand and gravel deposits. Dr. Zarillo is experienced in combining the interpretations of acoustic sub-bottom data with core borings to develop three-dimensional (3D) lithologic models to quantify volumes of beach quality material. Dr. Zarillo has extensively published on the application of geologic models for identifying and quantifying sand and gravel resources. He has conducted applied and basic research on continental shelf sediment dynamics, tidal inlet hydraulics, dynamics of barrier island systems, sediment transport mechanics and the hydrodynamics of nearshore and estuarine environments. Dr. Zarillo also has extensive experience in the application of statistics and time-series analysis to environmental studies and the application of remote sensing methods in coastal and terrestrial environments.

Dr. Zarillo’s area of research interests are in the physical and sedimentary processes of estuarine, coastal, and continental shelf environments. Dr. Zarillo conducts studies of estuarine hydrodynamics and salinity regime, sediment dispersal from dredge spoil disposal sites, long-term wave climate, sand sources for beach nourishment, wave-driven sand transport on the barrier island shoreface and inlet sediment dynamics. Current research projects include: Hydrologic and Water Quality Model for Management and Forecasting within Brevard County Waters of the Indian River Lagoon for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (2014-2019); State of the Inlet: An Assessment of Inlet Morphologic Processes, Shoreline Changes Local Sediment Budget and Beach Fill for the Sebastian Inlet District; and Evaluating Cross-Shore Sediment Grain Size Distribution, Sediment Transport, and Morphological Evolution of Nearshore Placement Sites for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

Keith Brimmer

Sr. Field Technician

Keith Brimmer worked for Tampa Electric for 30 years. He started working in the power plant as a fuel handler and moved up to apprentice electrician during his time there. Mr. Brimmer left the electric company working with the distribution department as an electrical locator.

Mr. Brimmer then worked at Teco in a field engineer position designing lighting and distribution system.

After leaving Teco, Mr. Brimmer worked the next 17 years as a locator for several companies locating electric, cable and water.

Mr. Brimmer has more than 8 years of specific experience providing utility locating services for the City of Tampa. His expertise includes using the IRTHNET system and print reading for water systems. He is certified by NULCA and Utility Training Academy as a Professional Utility Locator.

Abdul Lotiff

SUE Field Technician

Abdul Lotiff | LinkedIn

Abdul Lotiff comes to Applied Ecology with over 8 years of field work and managing field operations. His field service background spans retail, residential, hospitality, healthcare, and industrial spaces. Abdul will assist with the City of Tampa Locating Services Contract as well as provide geospatial field services support for AEI’s west coast central Florida clients. 

Mr. Lotiff’s experience started by doing on location rail car repair throughout the Midwest requiring compliance with the railroad high safety standards. This included the recovery and repair of wrecks as well as scrapping non-recoverable materials. The next transition in his career was into residential and commercial field work that included satellite and home technology installation followed by retail security and display service work. In the retail security space, he led the company’s largest in-house product creation to date with wireless system integration for protective hardware. His involvement began at prototype and ended in the system being deployed in 10 stores across the country changing the space in retail security as well as data collection for consumer electronic companies. 

This experience led to the formation of his own company, Lotiff Solutions. Projects under the Lotiff Solutions banner included the creation and deployment of a preventive maintenance program for a cryotherapy company, installation of remote power grid sensors, and Bitcoin ATM service work. 

With his extensive knowledge in a variety of systems, platforms, and applications, along with his technical and mechanical abilities, Abdul makes a great addition to our growing Applied Ecology team.

Danielle Huffner, M.S.

Environmental Scientist III

Danielle Huffner | LinkedIn

Danielle Huffner received her Master of Science Degree in Conservation Technology from Florida Institute of Technology. Her area of study was focused on understanding how to approach problems within the field of ecology and conservation biology based on various disciplines and through the application of new technologies. Her interests focus on the application of conservation technologies to improve the health of ecosystems while increasing public awareness.

Ms. Huffner specializes in data collection, database management, and statistical, ecological, and spatial analyses. She is heavily involved in several of Applied Ecology’s data management and database development projects, including the Indian River Lagoon Ecological Health Assessment, State of the Indian River Lagoon Web Application (SIRLAP), and the TBW’s Access-based Environmental Monitoring Permitting tracking database. Ms. Huffner has learned many of her organizational and data management skills while working as a research professional at Florida Institute of Technology, focusing on the reconstruction and enhancement of an existing neotropical pollen database. She has extended her skills into database development for various platforms, ArcGIS Online applications, statistical and spatial analyses, report development, as well as stakeholder engagement at Applied Ecology working on a variety of natural resource management projects.

Ms. Huffner is involved in various water quality monitoring projects such as the groundwater monitoring for the City of Rockledge, the county-wide groundwater monitoring project for Brevard County, surface water quality monitoring for the City of Indian Harbour Beach, and most recently the county-wide PFAS sampling for Brevard County. All of the aforementioned projects follow the strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) established by FDEP, in which Ms. Huffner has received her certification. Many of these projects involve water resource nutrient modeling using in-situ data, which Ms. Huffner performs load calculations and other various data analyses.

Kayleigh Douglass

Environmental Scientist III

Kayleigh Douglass | LinkedIn

Kayleigh Douglass graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with her Bachelor’s Degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology and has over five years of experience. Her interests include conservation initiatives, implementation of best management practices, and public outreach. Since joining Applied Ecology, she has continued to grow her skill set, expanding her mapping and spatial analysis capabilities, applying her analytical skills to public sector projects, and learning water quality collection SOPs. Ms. Douglass has completed the large infrastructure survey integration of dozens of facility types for the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and the CAD to database conversion in the web environment for the City of Indian Harbour Beach. She also has supported Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office with their GIS data infrastructure collection and management needs, most recently with the development of their catchment basin dataset and outfall inventories. Additionally, she has been providing support to the City of Cocoa Beach regarding their stormwater and wastewater infrastructure datasets through the creation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents for field data collection, reviewing existing data, creation of new data layers, performing field data collection, and BMAP support.

Ms. Douglass is the lead environmental field technician for all water quality sampling projects, including surface water sampling for the City of Indian Harbour Beach and groundwater and stormwater sampling for the City of Rockledge. She is involved in site assessment efforts for remediation, environmental dredging projects, and is highly trained in emergent contaminant sampling. She is highly involved in the site prioritization analyses and modeling for a recently initiated large-scale groundwater study in Brevard County. This State-funded project addresses the need to provide a priority plan to identify the critical areas where groundwater contamination is most likely impacting the Indian River Lagoon. She is also involved in the public outreach component of the project, by training and engaging citizen scientists throughout the 3-year long project.

Andrew Kamerosky, M.S.

Environmental Scientist III

Andrew Kamerosky | LinkedIn

Andrew Kamerosky has 10 years of academic research in the fields of environmental management, geospatial analysis, and remote sensing in Florida. His work has focused on the use of interdisciplinary approaches to informing collaborative efforts in addressing emerging environmental issues. His interest focuses on the application of satellite remote sensing to enhance wetland and water resource management.

Mr. Kamerosky specializes in the application of GIS, ecological, and hydrological methods. He has extensive training and experience in multidisciplinary data collection, geostatistical analysis, multivariate statistics, conceptual modeling, geodatabase development, and remote sensing of aquatic and terrestrial surfaces. He has applied many of these skills through graduate-level research on the Indian River Lagoon, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades. Additionally, Mr. Kamerosky is involved with providing guidance and advice to emerging environmental leaders through the National Wildlife Federation’s EcoLeaders program.

Mr. Kamerosky has been pivotal in initiating an innovative 15-month study of water quality parameters and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) using European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel satellite imagery and drone-based hyperspectral imaging in the Indian River Lagoon for Brevard County. The study will optimize early detection of HABs, determine HAB associations with nutrient concentrations and other parameters, such as benthic type and proximity to canals and point and groundwater discharges, and will provide the tools for managing water resources in estuaries.

Ashley Parks, M.S.

Environmental Scientist III

Ashley Parks| LinkedIn

Ashley Parks received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science from Eckerd College and received her Master of Science degree in Chemical Oceanography from the University of South Florida. Her 15 years of professional experience has been focused on studying relationships between water quality and harmful algal blooms to determine mitigation and management strategies for improved water quality conditions and overall ecosystem health.

Ms. Parks specializes in field data collection, laboratory nutrient analyses, data quality assurance and analysis, and the deployment of in situ water quality monitoring sensors. She started her career with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute where she studied the effects of nutrient dynamics in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on Florida Red Tide and other harmful algae species. Her studies included research on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on nutrients and phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico. In the past 9 years, as part of the St. Johns River Water Management District, she focused her career on the application of continuous water quality monitoring and seagrass assessments for ecosystem restoration. At AEI, Ms. Parks will continue to expand her skillset in applied ecological and water resource studies, including providing data quality assurance, sensor implementation and integration, plan development, and informing management decisions based on data analyses.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys SCUBA diving, paddle sports, camping, hiking, and spending time with her two children.

Cody Burns, M.S.

Environmental Scientist II

Cody Burns | LinkedIn

Cody Burns graduated from Flagler College with his Bachelor’s Degree in Coastal Environmental Science and minored in both Mathematics and Business. He has also completed his Master’s Degree in Marine Science from Jacksonville University where he focused on isotopic biogeochemistry in the Savannah River. He received a research experience for undergraduates (REU) opportunity at Old Dominion University (ODU) where he worked with personnel on projects from ODU, NASA, and NOAA. He has fieldwork experience in soil collection and analysis, marine biological survey, data management, gopher tortoise survey, surface water quality collection and analysis, mapping shoreline stabilization, and monitoring/surveying local species present within Florida’s waterways. Mr. Burns has also assisted with research and worked with OCEARCH. He is a published co-author of “ High Carbon Accumulation Rates in Sediment Adjacent to Constructed Oyster Reefs, Northeast Florida, USA”. His research focused on the determination if the sediment adjacent to constructed oyster reefs are a source of a carbon sink.

Mr. Burns has over two years of  professional, ecological experience including wetland delineation, gopher tortoise survey and relocation, sea turtle monitoring, Florida Scrub-Jay monitoring, and fishery assessment and capture. Mr. Burns has over four years of GIS experience and spatial analysis, where he created and maintained the GIS database for his past company. He is self taught in MATLAB from his time at Old Dominion University.

Additionally, Mr. Burns has been involved in community outreach programs raising awareness for various scientific challenges. His interests include conservation biology, public outreach, and environmental awareness.

Jared Brown

Environmental Scientist

Jared Brown | LinkedIn

Jared Brown graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and has over four years of environmental work experience. His experience includes vegetation monitoring and surveys, endangered species surveys, gopher tortoise relocation, wetland delineation, environmental assessment report writing, and GIS mapping. Jared is also an FWC certified gopher tortoise agent and certified Type 2 wildland firefighter.

During his junior year of college, Jared was offered a job as a biologist for the largest environmental consulting firm in the state of Florida. Since then, he has become even more interested in the science of our environment and how it relates to projects within the state.

In his free time, Jared enjoys playing soccer, hiking, and botanizing. 

Laura Thompson, M.S.

Environmental Scientist

Laura Thompson | LinkedIn

Laura graduated with a B.S. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina with an emphasis in chemical oceanography, and later received a M.S. in Oceanography & Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University. Laura brings to AEI experience in field sampling operations, water quality, and sediment biogeochemistry.

Early in her career while pursuing her bachelor’s degree, she assisted on her first research publication investigating phytoplankton community composition effects from exposure to the chemical compound triclosan. After graduation, she interned with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Charleston, SC, supporting scientists in their 2016 Oil Spill Shoreline Cleaner Project and monitoring the greenhouse mesocosm experiment. After, she began her master’s degree in Baton Rouge, LA and studied sediment biogeochemistry in the northern Gulf of Mexico, spending multiple trips at sea to investigate benthic nutrient cycling within recently dredged sand pits. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Florida and began working with FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute where she served as a Water Quality Technician for the Indian River Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors (IRLON). There she was responsible for field operations and maintaining continuous monitoring water quality instruments throughout the IRL and St. Lucie Estuary.

Laura brings these experiences with her to AEI and excited to continue to work on projects involving water quality, stormwater, HABs, and ecotoxicology projects in the Indian River Lagoon and tributary water bodies. In her free time, she enjoys SCUBA diving, sustainable gardening, cooking, and practicing yoga.

Cindy Whitten

Environmental Scientist

Cindy Whitten graduated from University of Central Florida with a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a focus on plants, and marine biology. She also achieved a certificate in GIS. During her time at UCF, she worked in the Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Laboratory as a field researcher and restoration technician where she assisted in restoring declining oyster reefs and shoreline stabilization. She assisted in monitoring oyster recruits on restoration reef material and previously restored shorelines. Mrs. Whitten was also involved in identifying, collecting data, and researching seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon due to its decline in the lagoon, and globally. Additionally, she interned at Brevard County and assisted in Stormwater GIS.

Her interests include oysters, mangroves, stormwater, water quality, harmful algae blooms, public outreach, ecosystem services species, ecosystem restoration, and studying anthropogenic factors on the environment.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, and her two sons, oyster gardening for Restore Our Shores, being outdoors, boating, motorcycles, art, and researching ancestry and history.

Rachel Scime, M.S.

GIS Technician

Rachel Scime | LinkedIn

Rachel graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Biomedical Sciences. After graduating from UCF, she started a career as a high school biology teacher in Orlando. While teaching she began a Master of Science from Florida Atlantic University in Geosciences with a focus in GIS and Remote Sensing. Rachel has completed her graduate certificate in GIS and earned her master’s degree and graduate certificate in Remote Sensing in December 2022.

Rachel comes to Applied Ecology as a GIS Technician to further expand our Geospatial Service line and assist with our water resources, remote sensing, and ecological applications. In her free time, Rachel enjoys baking and playing indoor and beach volleyball.

Michelle Penny

Sr. Executive Administrative Assistant

Michelle Penny | LinkedIn

Michelle Penny graduated from Denver Business College with a dual Associates Degree in Office Administration and Accounting. Ms. Penny has over 25 years of experience assisting office personnel in a variety of industries. Currently, Ms. Penny assists the Vice President with accounting, payroll, new project setup, website development, light HR duties, and many other administrative tasks. She is extremely organized, detail-oriented, and enjoys using her creative abilities to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

In her off time, Ms. Penny teaches Dance Fitness, enjoys spending time at the beach and with her two grandbabies.

Interested in joining our team? Head over to our Careers Page to see our current open opportunities!