The CLEO Institute

My Relationship with The CLEO Institute

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I first encountered The CLEO Institute at a conference hosted by the University of Miami. I remember the room, full of Floridians like me, desperate to understand why our world was changing. On stage stood the formidable Caroline Lewis, radiating vision and purpose, and the deadpan prophet of sea-level rise, Dr. Harold Wanless, known to many as “Dr. Doom.” The facts were chilling: rising seas, intensifying storms, communities in peril. But what I remember most is the feeling in that room: determination. Curiosity. A hunger to act.

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At the time, I was working in a field I loved, helping people plan for retirement. As an investment manager, I translated complexity into confidence. I helped people dream big and plan wisely. But when I understood that my beloved city, Miami, and the Everglades I cherished were at risk of vanishing beneath storm surge and rising tides, I knew I had to pivot. The world needed a different kind of translator.

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CLEO gave me my start as a climate speaker. From there, I dove headfirst into climate science courses at the University of Miami, and later, at the University of Florida after relocating to Gainesville as a climate migrant. CLEO didn’t just train me; it gave me permission to act. To speak. To build. And to keep learning.

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Today, through my small firm, Woodstork Wisdom, I serve as a creative partner to CLEO, designing and testing new programs that help everyday people tell their climate story with clarity, courage, and connection. I develop curriculum. I recruit and train speakers. I coach them to share not just the science (yes, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide that traps heat like a heavy blanket), but also the heartbreak, the hope, and the human urgency behind the headlines. We explore the damage: rising heat, disrupted seasons, flooding, and fire.  We focus on solutions: cleaner energy, restored ecosystems, and bold civic action.

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The name Woodstork Wisdom comes from the bird itself, an ancient wader who chooses carefully when and where to raise its young, depending on the health of its wetland home. It does not fish by sight, but by feel, its long bill sweeping muddy waters for life unseen. To me, it symbolizes balance, discernment, and resilience. It is a Florida native with a long view.

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What sustains me in this work is not just the science, or even the stories. It’s the people. The women of CLEO, Caroline, Olivia, Yoca, have modeled what it means to stay grounded, joyful, and composed in the face of terrifying truths. And now, when I train speakers, the most electric moments come not from data, but from human connection: the laugh that bubbles up, the moment someone finds their voice, the promise whispered at the end: “I’m ready. I’ve got my story. And I’m going to tell it.”​