Sandy Walters is a nationally respected environmental and planning executive whose career spans more than thirty-five years at the intersection of science, regulation, community engagement, and strategic leadership. As the Founder, President, and CEO of Eco Legacy Solutions, LLC, she has built a reputation for guiding organizations through complex environmental and regulatory landscapes while aligning economic objectives with lasting environmental and community benefit. Her work is defined by a steady, principled approach to leadership and an unwavering commitment to helping people, institutions, and ecosystems thrive together.
Sandy’s professional journey began with a deep grounding in science and policy. Educated at the University of California, Davis, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Behavior and Marine Biology, and later at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where she completed a Master’s degree in Marine Affairs, she developed an early appreciation for the relationship between natural systems and human decision-making. Her graduate research, which informed oil spill response planning across Florida and beyond, foreshadowed a career focused on translating technical knowledge into practical, real-world solutions.
Her early professional years were spent in public service and research, including work as an environmental programs manager at the South Florida Regional Planning Council. In that role, Sandy managed regionally significant environmental initiatives and began shaping the collaborative leadership style that would define her career. She worked closely with local governments, state agencies, and federal partners to address land use, coastal protection, and infrastructure planning in some of Florida’s most environmentally sensitive regions. These formative experiences established her credibility as both a technical expert and a trusted facilitator among diverse stakeholders.
Entrepreneurship soon became a defining chapter of Sandy’s career. In the mid-1980s and 1990s, she founded and led multiple ventures, including an environmental and planning consulting firm and later a regional newspaper and media services company. These endeavors sharpened her understanding of business operations, communications, and the importance of public trust. Her ability to integrate environmental science with clear messaging and community outreach proved invaluable as development pressures increased across Florida’s coastal and urban regions.
In 1996, Sandy founded Sandra Walters Consultants, Inc. (SWC), which she led for twenty-five years. Under her leadership, SWC grew into a highly respected environmental, ecological, planning, and communications firm serving public- and private-sector clients throughout South Florida. Sandy oversaw complex projects ranging from single-family developments to major infrastructure initiatives, including airports, ports, marinas, highways, and regional water management systems. Her firm became known for its ability to successfully permit challenging projects by emphasizing early coordination, rigorous data collection, and thoughtful avoidance and mitigation strategies.
Throughout this period, Sandy emerged as a leading expert witness in environmental and land use matters. She provided testimony in more than twenty administrative hearings and court proceedings, offering clear, fact-based analysis on wetlands, submerged lands, protected species, and regulatory authority. Her credibility with judges, regulators, and opposing counsel alike reflected not only her technical expertise but also her reputation for integrity and balanced judgment. Time and again, her work helped resolve contentious disputes and move stalled projects forward.
Sandy’s influence extended well beyond consulting. She was appointed by three Florida governors to the South Florida Regional Planning Council, where she served for sixteen years and chaired the council twice. She also served as President of the Florida Regional Council Association and as a gubernatorial appointee to Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council, overseeing the purchase and management of state conservation lands with an annual budget exceeding $100 million. These roles reinforced her understanding of governance, public accountability, and long-term stewardship at the highest levels of decision-making.
In 2022, Sandy joined Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), a national leader in large-scale habitat restoration and water quality improvement, as Coastal Group Lead. In this senior role, she helped expand RES’s presence in Florida, acquired major public-sector contracts, and provided quality assurance and expert witness services on complex restoration and infrastructure projects. Her work further demonstrated her ability to operate effectively within large, multi-state organizations while maintaining a focus on practical outcomes and environmental performance.
In 2024, Sandy launched Eco Legacy Solutions, LLC, bringing her career full circle. The firm was founded with a clear mission: to enrich environmental practice within legal, engineering, manufacturing, and development sectors, and to guide corporations in implementing projects that create measurable environmental and community legacies. Through Eco Legacy, Sandy focuses on expert witness support, accelerated permitting through regulatory and community alignment, and strategic facilitation that helps organizations reduce risk, protect reputation, and enhance long-term enterprise value.
Today, Sandy remains deeply engaged in professional service and thought leadership. She serves on EPA Water Quality Steering Committee and Technical and Communications Advisory Committees for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and is a frequent speaker at regional and statewide conferences on stormwater, coastal habitats, permitting, and environmental communication. While she has chosen to prioritize building and leading organizations over formal publications in recent decades, her influence is reflected in the policies shaped, projects delivered, and professionals mentored throughout her career.
At her core, Sandy Walters is motivated by a desire to give back and to apply her experience where it can have the greatest impact. She is particularly drawn to working with founder-led, family-owned, and operationally intensive companies that want to grow responsibly. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes collaboration over confrontation, clarity over complexity, and long-term value over short-term gain. Through every chapter of her career, Sandy has demonstrated that environmental stewardship and economic success are not competing goals, but mutually reinforcing ones when guided by thoughtful leadership.
Character:
Sandy exemplifies integrity in every aspect of her work, consistently grounding decisions in factual accuracy and principled judgment. She approaches complex issues with humility and balance, making her a trusted advisor to clients, agencies, and communities. Her steady leadership inspires confidence, even in the most challenging regulatory or public environments.
Knowledge:
With more than 35 years of experience across marine science, environmental regulation, and land use planning, Sandy brings unmatched technical depth to her work. She integrates science, policy, and real-world application to develop forward-thinking strategies that stand up to scrutiny. Her expertise is continually reinforced by ongoing service on federal and state committees and her extensive record of expert witness credibility.
Strategic:
Sandy excels at transforming environmental complexity into clear, actionable pathways that reduce risk and strengthen long-term outcomes. She anticipates challenges before they arise, helping organizations make decisions that avoid costly missteps. Her ability to align engineering, legal, regulatory, and community perspectives demonstrates a strategic lens shaped by decades of multidisciplinary leadership.
Communication:
Communicating with clarity, empathy, and authority, ensuring that technical concepts are accessible to all audiences. She fosters trust through transparent, respectful dialogue—whether speaking to agencies, communities, or boards. Her communication approach consistently diffuses tension, builds consensus, and creates space for productive, collaborative solutions.
