Stearns Weaver Miller announced that Tina M. Ekblad, MPA, AICP* has joined its statewide Land Development, Zoning & Environmental group as a Director of Planning* in Tallahassee. Tina will work with our attorneys, planners and GIS specialists to further support and diversify the Firm’s preeminent planning services throughout Florida. She will regularly travel between the Tallahassee and Tampa offices, as well as focus on bolstering the Firm’s services on the Gulf Coast and throughout Florida’s panhandle.
Tina is a certified planner with over 15 years of experience in the private and public sectors. She provides clients with strategic guidance to efficiently navigate through a broad range of growth management, permitting and planning issues. Her practice is diverse, having worked on projects ranging from lot creation to large-scale planned developments and mining facilities. Tina is highly skilled in leveraging complex, unique property conditions and locations while maintaining and enhancing the public interest to secure entitlements. She has a particular proficiency for interlinking public natural resources and private property to establish distinct communities and non-residential development.
Tina is an influential leader with significant experience integrating teams across multiple disciplines. She also has strong relationships with key government staff and often facilitates discussions with community organizations to resolve complex land use and zoning matters. In addition, she regularly provides expert witness testimony to various advisory boards and elected officials across the state.
“Tina is multitalented,” said Reggie Bouthillier, Shareholder and Chair of the group. “Not only does she have top-notch technical knowledge and capabilities, she is also a solution-driven problem solver and master of communication. Tina understands the intricacies of how to balance government regulatory requirements with the needs of our clients to create win-win opportunities for projects.”
Prior to joining the Firm, Tina spent over 10 years with a Florida consulting firm where she served in several roles, including as Director of Planning and as President. During her tenure, she provided a wide range of planning services for several transformative projects throughout Southwest Florida and managed strategic operations for the firm’s Northwest Florida presence. Tina also worked as a planner for the Town of Fort Myers Beach and the Village of Wellington.
Stearns Weaver Miller is at the forefront in providing planning services, having recruited David Smith from Hillsborough County over 32 years ago. Kenneth Metcalf, AICP, Director of Planning and Development Services, with nearly 40 years of experience, has worked with Firm leadership since he joined in 2014 to grow and advance our industry-leading Planning and GIS team. Additionally, Cynthia Spidell joined the firm in 2020 and has over 23 years of experience in the public and private sectors. Using a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach, the Firm’s attorneys, planners, GIS and real estate analysts provide creative solutions to meet client needs efficiently and effectively.
Tina’s arrival is part of an ongoing strategic expansion of the Firm’s Land Development, Zoning & Environmental group. Last year, the group added six attorneys including Carl Eldred, Vinette Godelia, Amelia Savage, Susan Stephens, Felicia Kitzmiller and Erin Tilton. In addition, the group recently enhanced its in-house Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities with the addition of GIS Analyst Shawn Halphen, who will work alongside our GIS Director Christopher Smith to support all of the Firm’s practice areas. Click here to learn more about our group’s background and capabilities.
Contact Tina M. Ekblad, MPA, AICP*: tekblad@stearnsweaver.com | 850-354-7624
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About Stearns Weaver Miller
Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson is a full-service law firm with offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Tallahassee, and Coral Gables, Florida. We offer multidisciplinary solutions with a focus on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights, Corporate & Securities, Government & Administrative, Labor & Employment, Real Estate, Real Estate Finance, Commercial Finance and Loan Restructuring & Workouts, Land Development, Zoning & Environmental, Marital & Family Law and Tax.
