Thomas O’Neil Estes  Director, Environmental Permitting and Conservation

Since joining The St. Joe Company in 2002, Thomas has assisted and led the environmental permitting process and conservation initiatives for the company. From 2002 to 2004 he helped design The St. Joe Ecosystem Management Agreement along with an interagency team, the results of which contribute over 28,000 acres towards conservation and restoration within both the Choctawhatchee and St. Andrews watershed. He has also planned, permitted and managed the Breakfast Point and Devils Swamp Mitigation Banks, totaling 8,000 acres under restoration.

Prior to joining St. Joe, Thomas was a Project Manager for Ecological Resource Consultants in Panama City Beach. He was also a Project Biologist for the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and Biologist for The Nature Conservancy Camp Shelby field office. In these positions he worked on listed species ecology, management and research. Thomas has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Thomas is a member of The Society for Ecological Restoration and the Society of Wetland Scientists. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from Florida State University.