Suzee Bailey

Authors

Suzee Bailey
Arturo Espinosa, Florida International University

Files

Description

In this interview, Suzee Bailey, the founder of Resident’s for Resilience, talks about where she grew up, how her parents influenced her, and the main goals of her organization. She grew up around lakes and was always fascinated by water. Later, she moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She was paddle boarding in this area after a major sewer spillage, and she contracted MRSA from being exposed to the contaminated water. This moment marked the beginning of her water advocacy efforts. She is most concerned with bridging the information gap, making sure that residents are aware of water contamination so that they can take preventative measures to prevent infection. She is also interested in proposing water restoration efforts such as bringing back native oyster species which can filter the water, or mangrove panels which can serve as storm walls. She also expressed concern about the housing situation in South Florida, and the need to elevate certain areas to avoid them being underwater in the near future.

Publication Date

3-5-2024

Publisher

Florida International University

City

North Miami, Florida

Keywords

Florida International University, Residents for Resilience, Waterways, Big Sugar, Oysters, Insurance, rising sea level, Fort Lauderdale resident, MRSA, Miami Waterkeeper, Bacteria, Flood Mitigation, Information Gap, Journalism

Disciplines

Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Comments

Biography:

Suzee Bailey was born and grew up in a small town in Southern Illinois, where she lived with her parents. Her father was a dentist, and her mother was an advocate. Mrs. Bailey, learned from her parent’s the importance of giving back to the community and speaking up for those who did not have a voice. Eventually, she moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where became the founder of Resident’s for Resilience, and has used her background in television and journalism to tackle the pressing issues that our community is facing, such as, rising sea level, clean safe drinking water, flood mitigation, flooding, South Florida’s crumbling water infrastructure and water contamination. Mrs. Bailey, is passionate about informing the residents of South Florida about these important issues for them to be able to do something about it.

Recommended Citation

Bailey, Suzee and Espinosa, Arturo, "Suzee Bailey" (2024). Beneath the Surface: Oral Histories of South Florida’s Waters. 10.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/waterkeeper/10