Tampa’s sustainability and resilience officer announces departure; interim named

Whit Ramer, Tampa’s sustainability and resilience officer, told the City Council on March 27 that he will be leaving the position and introduced Kayla Caselli as interim lead for the office.

“We've done some remarkable things in my tenure including significant federal and state grant money for resilient infrastructure projects,” Ramer told council members and the public. Ramer highlighted work such as the city’s vulnerability assessment, the Green Team AmeriCorps program and efforts to secure state-required resilience planning. He added, “I love the city of Tampa, and I'm not going far. I’ll be staying here with my family and look forward to seeing you guys around town.”

Kayla Caselli, introduced as interim sustainability and resilience officer, said the office will continue to coordinate across departments and implement existing plans. “We're just here to help coordinate that and set the continue the course that we're on,” Caselli said. She thanked Ramer for establishing the program’s foundation and noted the office’s limited staff but wide partnerships across city departments.

Council members praised Ramer’s work, recalling grant-funded projects, heat-study grants and the Green Team’s neighborhood activities. Several members described Ramer as a “thought leader” and thanked him for his service. Maniscalco said the city has “a lot of traction in place to keep the city moving forward.”

The council did not take a formal employment or budget action on March 27; Ramer’s remarks were presented as an administrative update and council members welcomed Caselli’s interim role.