Ray Judah

Former Lee County Commissioner and current Coordinator, Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition

Ray Judah was born in the Cebu Islands, Philippines and he and his wife Kristen, have a 26 year old son Kallen who is a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. Commissioner Judah graduated from the California State University of Humboldt with a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Bachelor of Arts in Zoology.

As a former environmental land planner with the Lee County Department of Community Development and Lee County Commissioner (1988-2012) he remains a strong advocate for providing a balance between management of growth and responsible stewardship of our precious natural resources.

During his tenure on the Board of the Lee County Commission, Commissioner Judah championed the designation of the 96,000 acre Density Reduction Groundwater Resource Area of Southwest Florida, Co-founded the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Land Trust and spearheaded the effort to establish the Conservation 2020 program to protect our critical water resources, open space and wildlife habitat, assumed a leadership role in the efforts to protect the Caloosahatchee and coastal estuaries by advocating for restoration of the historic southern flow-way to the Everglades and responsible management of Lake Okeechobee, provided key contributions to the expansion of Southwest Florida International Airport and building of infrastructure including a myriad of roads, parks, utilities and libraries, championed the comprehensive Lee County Solid Waste Management Program including the Waste-To-Energy Facility that provides electrical power to over 40,000 homes and Recycling Program that exceeds the State minimum requirement of 30% waste volume reduction, served as liaison with federal, state, and local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to natural Resource issues and throughout his career he has written articles, commentaries and spoke on behalf of Land & Water issues effecting SWFL.

Because of his efforts to safeguard the environment, he has received numerous awards including: recipient of the Pathfinder Award for vision and leadership by the Urban Land Institute in 2003 and Everglades Coalition’s James D. Webb Award for making an outstanding contribution to the Everglades in 2011, Conservationist of the Year Florida Wildlife Federation in 2007 and the Florida Audubon Society in 1984 and 1996, champion of the Environment by Gulf Shore Life in 2003 and Committee of the Islands in 2007, awarded the 2001 Estero Community Coordinating Council “Most Outstanding Public Official”, received the 2003 Estero Chamber of Commerce “Person of the Year Award”, received the 1992 “Environmental Public Service Award” from Keep Lee County Beautiful, recipient of the 2012 Theodore Roosevelt Award for Resilience, Resolve, and Courage on Behalf of Florida’s Environment by Florida Audubon, selected as 125 Influential Locals by the Fort Myers News Press in 2009, selected as one of fifty most Powerful People on the Gulf Coast by Gulf Coast Business Review in 2011, selected as an Influential Leader All- Star by Gulf Shore Business in 2012, recipient of the 2013 Innovator of the Year by the Fort Myers Imaginarium Science Center.

A strong proponent of volunteer service to our community, Commissioner Judah is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Fort Myers, and served over the years as a judge of the Edison Regional Science Fair, Little League coach and Board of Directors of Bishop Verot High School.

Currently serving as Coordinator for the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition.