Dr. Joe Walsh

Position: Executive Director 

Appointing Authority: Board of Supervisors, Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation District

Phone: 813.347.6706

Email Address: walshjo@hcfl.gov

My name is Dr. Joe Walsh, and I am the current Executive Director for the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, headquartered in Plant City, Florida. The "Conservation District" is a State of Florida Special District, with a narrowly defined mission to help agricultural landowners and operators get help with better land design and management practices, all for the purpose of conserving the natural resources associated with each property.

Please note that our Mission involves only voluntary partnerships between property owners and our funding partners, and outreach and education relating natural resource values to sustainable agriculture practices.  In this regard, we are very much interested in promoting land conservation easement programs.

While there is an advocacy aspect to our mission, which includes promoting compatible land uses at the community level, the District’s Board Supervisors have no legal authority to approve, deny or intervene in land use planning changes, land development approvals, or lawfully permitted activities.

We will do everything we can to connect rural landowners with the appropriate government officials, whether it be to report disaster impacts, or to engage with land use zoning and development approval processes.  Our best relationships will help you identify opportunities to better manage your land for agriculture and other natural resources (wildlife and wetlands for instance) and grant dollars to support your goals.  We can be reached via our homepage at https://www.hillsboroughswcd.com/ via email soilandwater@hcfl.gov or by phone at (813) 707-1652.

 

Dawn Chancey

Dawn Chancey is the Hillsborough  Soil & Water Conservation District's Office Manager. She has called the Tampa area home since 1980, when she relocated from Toledo, Ohio. She is a proud graduate of Gaither High School. Since 2001, Dawn has lived in the Keysville/Lithia community, where she has remained actively involved in local agriculture and community organizations.

She has been married to her husband, Charlie, since 2002, and together they have a son, Morgan, who currently attends Warner University.

Dawn’s passion for agriculture began when her son started showing livestock at the age of eight. He began with swine and later showed cattle, participating in shows throughout the state of Florida. Through these experiences, Dawn developed a deep appreciation for the agricultural community and youth livestock programs.

She attends Bethany Baptist Church and has been actively involved in supporting youth agriculture programs, including assisting the Turkey Creek 4-H Club in past years. Dawn also enjoys being an active member of the Hillsborough County CattleWomen.

 

 

Kye Chapman

Kye Chapman (She/Her) is the Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation District's Conservation Technician.  Ms. Chapman joined the Conservation District staff on April 27th, 2026. The revival of this role, as a dedicated resource in Hillsborough County, improves the Conservation District’s capacity to support agricultural producers and green infrastructure managers in adding best management practices to their land use plans and operations.

Kye has professional experience in threatened and endangered species identification, native ecosystem management, and invasive plant species management.  She draws on past experiences with UF/IFAS’ Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm/Riverview, Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Division, and in the commercial nursery trade.  Kye has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida, with a focus on wetland ecology.

Kye is a Florida native, having been born in southeast Florida and raised in the Nature Coast region.  No matter what town her family lived in, Kye could always be found outside, whether it was showing lambs and growing vegetables with 4-H, exploring the pinewoods behind her house, or kayaking and fishing the salt marshes and islands of the Big Bend.  She enjoys growing many plants all over her yard, botanizing and birdwatching, and going on long hikes with her dog.

 

Christopher Saley

Christopher Saley is the Hillsborough  Soil & Water Conservation District's Land Conservation Specialist. He joined the team on September 14th, 2026. This position serves as the Conservation District’s subject matter expert on programs and best management practices (BMPs), engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders and assisting the Executive Director and Board in identifying and developing funding sources and delivering educational programs.

Saley has worked in several different fields before joining the Conservation District. He was a culinary professional working in high-volume restaurants in Central Florida. He also worked on a racehorse farm in Ocala, FL as a heavy equipment manager, where he was responsible not just for heavy equipment operation and management, but also the care and transportation for the animals. He also worked with the University of Florida's Recreation and Ecotourism lab where he was a drone operator, among other duties.

A Florida native, Christopher has lived in many different parts of the peninsula. He has a bachelor's degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from UF, specializing in Protected Areas Management, and a master's degree from UF specializing in Ecological Restoration. He has experience with prescribed fire, animal care, heavy equipment and chainsaw operation, restricted use pesticides, and a FAA part 107 remote pilot certificate.