Barbara Falsey, President

Barbara Falsey graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in English Literature and from New York University with an MA and PhD. in Sociology.  A native of Brooklyn, New York, she taught at Hunter College and New York University before becoming the Director of Education Research at the Community Service Society of New York, the oldest social service, research and advocacy organization in the country.   She and her husband (Sid Reichman) relocated to South Florida in 1992.  Barbara worked for Miami Dade County from 1992 to 2009, first in the Planning Department, where she served as Chief of the Community Planning Section and then in the Department of Park and Recreation, where she was Chief of the Planning and Research Section.  In these roles, she maintained a commitment to community involvement in planning and a dedication to improving the public realm. She is a member of the American Planning Association and the Gold Coast Chapter of APA.   Barbara has been a member of the Urban Environment League for a number of years and as President of the Board is looking forward to assuring that UEL remains a strong voice for public participation in all aspects of planning and the environment in South Florida.

Greg Bush, Vice-President – Policy

Gregory Bush is the Director of the Institute for Public History at the University of Miami and Associate Professor of History. He joined the faculty of the University in 1983 after completing his Ph.D. Degree in American History from Columbia University. Prior to that he received his MA degree from George Washington University and his BA from Colgate University. Professor Bush is the author of Lord of Attention: Gerald Stanley Lee and the Crowd Metaphor in Industrializing America (1991, University of Massachusetts Press) and co-author with Arva Moore Parks of Miami: The American Crossroads (1997, Prentice Hall).  25,000 copies of this last book were donated to the Miami-Dade Public Schools (along with a Teacher’s Guide) to be used in social science and American History courses.  It won the Tebeau Prize in 1997 for best book in Florida History from the Florida Historical Society.

Concerned about civic involvement and the loss of public space along Miami’s waterfront Bush worked with others to create the Urban Environment League in 1996 and subsequently served as its President from 1998-2002. He is now Vice President for policy. As President of the UEL, Bush helped initiate the idea of creating a Civil Rights Park on Virginia Key in 1999 and played a leading role in other issues including saving the Miami Circle and preserving open space in Bicentennial Park on the waterfront. He wrote the legislation and served as Chair of the City’s Parks Advisory Board, 1999-2001.  He also wrote the legislation and served as Vice Chair for the city’s Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee charged in 1999-2001 with redesigning the future of the park.

For several years, Bush was been involved in initiating the Florida Community Studies Consortium with local history/social science and science teachers, including a civil rights archive with teachers at Turner Tech High School. He has completed numerous oral history interviews across Miami-Dade County and is preparing several volumes for publication, including a history of Virginia Key Beach.

Finally, Bush has initiated a project called Nature Links for LifeLong Learning, a project for developmentally delayed young adults that can be viewed at www.naturelinks.net

Anthony Garcia, Vice-President – Programs & Events

A South Florida native, Tony is co-Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative, specializing in urban design, smart growth and active transport planning. Tony graduated from New York University in 2002 with a B.A. in Urban Planning and Architecture Studies, and went on to get his Masters from the University of Miami School of Architecture.  He is also currently working toward becoming a registered architect. He has been involved in many exciting projects throughout Miami and all over the country, including completing the first LEED certified historic home in Florida.Tony enjoys hiking and observing the native ecosystems of South Florida, pushing his friends and family to restore habitats and go native. He is on the Board of Directors of the Green Mobility Network, and Vice-President of the Urban Environment League.  It is his hope that through his work he is able to positively influence how Miami grows. 

Jennifer Garcia, Vice-President – Fundraising & Membership

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Jennifer Garcia is currently a senior at Florida International University (FIU), where she will graduate this fall with a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geology and a specialization in Resource Management/Policy. Since 2009, Ms. Garcia has served as our youngest Board Member and has helped the UEL create awareness on restoring Virginia Key.  Currently Ms. Garcia is in Washington DC participating in a 16-week internship with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water’s Water Security Division.

Frank Rollason, Treasurer

Born in 1945 and raised and schooled in Miami – graduate of Miami High and FIU College of Engineering.  Served two years in the US Army with one tour in Viet Nam.  Married Fran in 1967 and we have two children – our son Jeff who lives in Bayside and our daughter Nikki who lives in the Design District.  I worked for the City of Miami for approximately 40 years primarily in the Fire Department where I attained the rank of Deputy Fire Chief; headed up the HART Team (Hurricane Andrew Recovery Team) for the entire City and held the positions of Director of the GSA Department, Director of the Risk Management Department, Director of the Building Department, and then as Assistant City Manager under Carlos Gimenez.  Ended my career with the City as the Director of the City’s three Community Redevelopment Agencies.  In 2006, I made an unsuccessful run for City of Miami Commissioner in District 2.  Currently employed by the architectural and engineering firm of Rodriguez and Quiroga Architects Chartered located in Coral Gables.  Member of Board of Directors for the Belle Meade HOA, Belle Meade representative for Miami Neighborhoods United and current Treasurer for UEL.

Ernie Martin, Secretary

Dr. Ernest Martin is the former Director of Miami-Dade County’s Department of Community and Economic Development, a position he held for over 18 years, until his retirement. He currently is president of the Miami Supportive Housing Corporation, a director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the South Florida Advisory Board for the Trust for Public Land, and the Urban Environment League.

Ernie lives in the Spring Garden Historic District on the Miami River and is past president of the Spring Garden Civic Association. He serves on the City of Miami Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board as well as the City’s Brownfield Advisory Board, and he is a member of the Allapattah-Civic Center Empowerment Zone Assembly. He is also a member of the Miami River Commission, a State mandated advisory committee, to coordinate clean up and revitalization of the River. He graduated from the University of California and holds post graduate degrees from the University of Oregon and Nova Southeastern University.

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