U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Teammates Sweep ECISMA Honors for Everglades Invasive Species Work

DAVIE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District received top recognition at this year’s Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) Summit, where two district employees received the only awards presented during the annual gathering of Everglades invasive species professionals.

Jon Lane, Invasive Species Management Branch chief, received the ECISMA Lifetime Achievement Award, while Jessica Spencer, a district biologist that works for Lane, was named ECISMA Partner of the Year. The awards highlight the district’s long-standing commitment to invasive species management across the Everglades.

Lifetime Achievement LeRoy Rodgers, ECISMA co-chair and administrator of the Vegetation Management Section at the South Florida Water Management District, said the Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for ECISMA partners who have made a significant and lasting impact on invasive species management in the Everglades region. The award is not given every year.

“We created this award to recognize exceptional individuals who dedicated their career to protecting Florida’s native species and ecosystems,” Rodgers said. “It is reserved for individuals with a long career and demonstrated impact toward invasive species management.”

He said only three Lifetime Achievement Awards have been presented since the honor was established. Lane said one of the accomplishments he is most proud of is helping launch ECISMA more than 20 years ago. “Starting ECISMA with other invasive species professionals across federal and state agencies, based on a similar group out in Yellowstone, is something I’m very proud of,” Lane said. “We used that as a model to create ECISMA here in Florida back 20-plus years ago, and it’s still going strong.”

He said watching the organization continue to grow has been just as meaningful. “Watching the next iteration of invasive biologists and enthusiasts continue building upon the foundation that we set when ECISMA was created is very rewarding,” Lane said.

Lane said the recognition was especially meaningful because it came from his peers. “Having your peers that you respect the most think that highly of you is quite overwhelming and it means more than words can express,” he said. “Being recognized for work I have done is an honor.”

Rodgers said Lane was deserving of the award because of his long record of advocacy for native ecosystems and his role in shaping invasive species management efforts in South Florida. He said Lane has been a frequent and persuasive voice on the importance of invasive species management to Everglades restoration, has worked on invasive species issues since the beginning of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and has served on multiple task forces and committees.

Rodgers also noted that Lane was involved in planning and operations for the CERP Biological Control Program and helped organize the first Everglades Invasive Species Summit in 2004.

As one of the original members of the team that formed ECISMA, Lane also helped shape the cooperative’s foundation. Rodgers said Lane helped draft the ECISMA memorandum of understanding, develop the steering committee structure, bring invasive fishes into active discussion, and work with USACE leadership to draft GM-062, the guidance memorandum outlining expectations for invasive species management in CERP.

Rodgers described Lane as a strategist and change-maker and said Lane cares deeply about the mission.

Partner of the Year Spencer received ECISMA’s Partner of the Year Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has gone above and beyond and had a positive impact on ECISMA over the past year, although the award sometimes reflects a longer period of service.

Rodgers said the award selection is made by ECISMA’s two co-chairs, himself and Dennis Giardina of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Spencer said the recognition meant a great deal to her. “I was flattered,” she said. “I don’t live in South Florida, so I don’t get to participate in many of the outreach events or volunteer workdays, but I do my best to participate as I am able. It was an honor to be recognized by some of the most passionate invasive species managers in the state.”

She was recognized for organizing the Summit poster session for many years, providing helpful input on the Summit Planning Subcommittee and consistently serving as a USACE representative on the ECISMA Steering Committee. Rodgers said she is known among her peers as a problem-solving partner with strong ideas and a collaborative approach.

“Jessica is recognized by her interagency peers as a champion for invasive species management in Florida,” Rodgers said. “She is a public servant with a true passion for protecting Florida’s wildlife and native plant species from the impacts of invasive species. She is always present and ready to assist or take the lead if necessary to move our group’s mission forward.”

Spencer said ECISMA reflects what makes invasive species work effective. “ECISMA is a model of the collaborative effort it takes to effectively manage invasive species across the landscape,” she said. “The members of ECISMA are passionate about science and are in this line of work because they care about the Everglades and our native flora and fauna.”

She said the cooperation and energy of the group keep her motivated. “Working on invasive species management can be overwhelming, especially in Florida,” Spencer said. “But being surrounded by creative, enthusiastic partners is what recharges my soul.”

When asked what she is most proud of, Spencer pointed to ECISMA’s growth. “Watching the organization grow over the years and knowing that USACE was at the table when it all started makes me proud,” she said.

For anyone new to the field, Spencer offered simple advice: “Come to the ECISMA Summit. There are so many interesting topics covering almost any taxa, and the speakers have so many stories to tell. It will show you how many different tracks you could take to support this work, whether it is tracking pythons through the swamp, using detector dogs to locate conehead termites or developing the next new smart trap.”

Together, Lane’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Spencer’s Partner of the Year recognition reflect the depth and continuity of Jacksonville District’s contributions to invasive species management in the Everglades. From early policy and program development to current coordination and event leadership, their work underscores USACE’s role as a trusted partner in protecting Florida’s native ecosystems and advancing collaborative restoration.