With equal sadness and excitement, CEJ would like to announce our current Director, Traci Deen, is transitioning into a new role as Executive Director of the Conservation Trust for Florida. There, she will be overseeing state-wide land conservation efforts to protect Florida’s wild and working lands. Please join us in congratulating her as she enters this new and exciting chapter!
Margaret Stewart, CEJ’s Associate Director, has accepted a promotion to serve as CEJ’s Director. She has been with CEJ since early 2016, has her J.D., her LL.M, and a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management. She currently serves on the Executive Committee and as Legal Chair for the Florida Springs Council. She is on the Board of the Orange County League of Women Voters and serves as the Natural Resources Chair. She’s a member of the Florida Bar, the Central Florida Women Lawyers Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and is a member of the Environmental & Land Use Law and Public Interest Law sections of the Florida Bar.
In her time at CEJ, she has created educational forums throughout the United States and abroad, worked with the team in the generation of strategic partnerships, assisted with CEJ communications, including social and print media, and oversaw the well-being of the Center in many ways. Margaret is responsible for the identification and application of grants and other fundraising initiatives that have supported the Center’s continued work. She also serves as the key Advisor to three law students that work with the Center as Earth Law & Policy Fellows.
While in law school herself, Margaret earned her Environmental & Earth Law Honors Certificate, served as Secretary of the Environmental Law Society, Senior Editor of the Environmental & Earth Law Journal, and worked two semesters in the Environmental and Earth Law Clinic. There, her research focused mainly on the Public Trust Doctrine’s application in Florida and issues regarding fracking. She was awarded the Charles A. Modica Student Mentor Award in recognition for her care and compassion on mentoring fellow students, an acknowledgment she takes great pride in. As an Honors Board member of the Moot Court team, Margaret argued in the Pace National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, advancing to the semifinals in 2015.
We have no doubt that she will excel in this role, and will continue to bring her passion for environmental protection to the table as she leads the CEJ team. We will be hiring an Associate Director to fill her position in the near future.
We are confident that CEJ will remain strong and healthy as we transition into our new roles, due in no small part to our Advisory Board, our incredible staff, and the support of Barry University.
Thank you all,
The CEJ Staff