Our Team
W.A.R. is a small all-volunteer organization led and supported by a team of dedicated residents interested in preserving the quality of their Lower Withlacoochee River environment and lifestyle.
Board Members
From the start, W.A.R. has been driven by the deep commitment of its members. Like any small grassroots organization, over the years many individuals have gone the extra mile, bringing leadership and administrative effectiveness to the organization by serving on our Board of Directors.
Dan Hilliard, Acting President
The position of President is currently open. Let us know if you are interested in joining the board.
Dave Huffman, Director
Dave worked for 22 years as a marine surveyor, certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS), and specializing in yachts and small craft. Prior to that, he worked as the general manager of the Riverbend Marina, a full-service boat yard in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He also has nearly two decades of experience as a professional captain. He was employed as a captain of Virgin Islands charter yachts, Gulf of Mexico oil-field work boats, and private yachts operating in and between the U.S east and west coasts, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Central America. He was also employed as the first officer on a 2800 ton Oil Spill Recovery vessel. Dave has been licensed as a captain by the US Coast Guard since 1979, earning a 1600/3000 Ton All-Oceans USCG Masters License.
Shaina Berlant, Treasurer
Master's in Library and Information Science, University of South Florida. BA in History w/a Minor Environmental Science and Policy, University of South Florida I have lived in Florida my whole life. I have never lived anywhere else. I was a Girl Scout from the age of 5 until I was 15 years old (Brownie – Junior). I love cleaning up outdoor areas and helping people. I have always loved being outdoors, camping, and admiring outdoor spaces. I volunteered every year for the Baynanza Earth Day cleanup from the time I could walk until I moved out of Miami. I grew up with my mother telling me that we should always respect and love our outdoor spaces because if we don’t, then we will eventually lose them. I moved near the Withlacoochee River in 2025. I love this beautiful area, and I am excited to explore more in the future. I am disappointed that it has been damaged, and I hope we can work together to improve this wonderful resource.
Ursula Schwuttke, Director
Dr. Ursula Schwuttke began her career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., where she pioneered new software technology automating mission operations for, among others, the Voyager grand tour of the solar system, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, and the Cassini mission to Saturn. After 12 years at JPL, she raised $15 million in three rounds of venture capital to launch a private software company she led as CEO and Vice Chairman for seven years. In 2004, she was able to apply that experience to her passion for the environment by providing business development expertise to a start-up wind energy company. Today. as director of educational outreach at Florida’s Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), she is responsible for educational outreach and youth STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)  programs. Her interest in informal science learning compliments her commitment to community involvement. Prior to relocating to Florida, Ursula launched the nonprofit organization Partners in Algebra Achievement, which sets up long-term relationships between at-risk students and members of the local professional community for tutoring and mentoring. Ursula graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.
May 2023
Dave Huffman, Director
Dave worked for 22 years as a marine surveyor, certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS), and specializing in yachts and small craft. Prior to that, he worked as the general manager of the Riverbend Marina, a full-service boat yard in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He also has nearly two decades of experience as a Professional Captain. He was employed as a captain of Virgin Islands charter yachts, Gulf of Mexico oil-field work boats, and private yachts operating in and between the U.S east and west coasts, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Central America. He was also employed as the first officer on a 2800 ton Oil Spill Recovery vessel. Dave has been licensed as a captain by the US Coast Guard since 1979, earning a 1600/3000 Ton All-Oceans USCG Masters License. ​ He has spent extensive time working and cruising on a variety of vessels, accumulating an estimated 200,000 miles at sea, including transatlantic passages (in both directions) and Panama canal transits. Dave continues to log cruising miles annually and is a certified diver, a light aircraft pilot, and owns both power and sail boats. Dave is a volunteer with the American Belgian Malinois Club’s rescue association, providing foster care for homeless and needy dogs. He has lived on the Lower Withlacoochee River for over ten years, and during this time he has come to care deeply about restoring this river.