James Evans

James oversees operations and is responsible for carrying out SCCF’s mission to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. He has more than 25 years of experience working in South Florida ecosystems with expertise in water quality, environmental policy, marine biology, estuarine ecology, and environmental restoration.

James holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Florida Gulf Coast University.

James served as SCCF’s Environmental Policy Director before becoming CEO in January 2022. His career includes more than 20 years of service with the City of Sanibel, where he spent seven years as Director of Natural Resources overseeing land conservation, ecosystem restoration, habitat management, environmental planning/code enforcement, water quality, and water policy efforts.

He is the recipient of the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce 2022 Citizen of the Year and was named Gulfshore Life‘s Man of Year in 2024 for his work on conservation, water quality and coastal resilience.

James is a proud veteran and lives with his wife Amber and son Benjamin in Fort Myers.