Staff Spotlight: Bill Carlisle

Whether you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. More than 140 staff members staff and manage Hillsborough County's Conservation Parks and Nature Preserves, which are spread out throughout our county. This is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation parks and nature preserves thriving and beautiful for all to enjoy. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more!

Bill Carlisle is a CELM legend, with almost 28 years of experience in the department. We recently sat down with Bill to learn about how he got his start, how he spends his time outside of work, and the role he played in helping launch CELM's prescribed fire program.

Bill on a prescribed burn walking with a drip torch

Bill is a Florida native who was born in Tampa and raised in Riverview. He went to East Bay High School in Gibsonton and graduated in 1982. When Bill was 19, he joined the United States Air Force and served as an Airborne Arabic Linguist. In August of 1998, Bill joined Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department as a technician at Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve, where he managed exotic invasives in order to promote the biodiversity, health and sustainability of the land. At Cockroach Bay, Bill was able to participate in some prescribed burn operations and really enjoyed it, leading him to become CELM's first Prescribed Burn Coordinator. He spent seven years at Cockroach Bay Preserve before moving over to Bell Creek Nature Preserve for his new role.

Bill holding a snake

“I liked it, really liked it… got trained, became a burn boss, and really started getting into it. Our department director, who was, at the time, our division manager, saw that I like prescribed burning, and we needed somebody to help expand the program, so they created the position… Prescribed Burn Coordinator... And that's when I moved up from Cockroach Bay to Bell Creek”

While on burns, one of the biggest challenges Bill faces is the rapidly expanding Wildland-Urban Interface. “It's expanded incredibly fast over the past 25 years and it's just getting harder and harder to burn, because of encroaching houses and more and more traffic on the roads,” he says. While riding alongside Bill in the county work truck, he tells me stories about how when he was in Little League, he and his teammates used to run around in the intersection of Riverview Drive and State Road 301 collecting donations for their league. “Because 301 was a two-lane road with very little traffic on it, now it's six lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic", he explains.

Bill and a fellow wildland firefighter on a prescribed burn

When asked about his favorite part of prescribed burns, Bill said he most enjoys “seeing the regeneration after a burn… it's basically hitting the reset button, and just seeing the regrowth, especially areas that have been overgrown”. We force him to choose a favorite, and chose Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve as one of his favorite sites to conduct prescribed fire!

Given Bill's history with CELM, I was interested to see if he would share a historic story of the department that many people, even in the department, might not know, and he did not disappoint! He explained to me that “after a particularly bad fire season back in May of 2006, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Florida Forestry, and our department got together and came up with a plan to start an interdepartmental wildland firefighting training… And that started a really good cooperative effort between all of the agencies and eventually morphed its way into the annual aviation exercise”.

One of Bill's pictures from the Aviation Exercise

The annual aviation exercise he’s referring to is conducted in January every year and includes agencies such as the Florida Forest Service, Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Tampa Police Department, Florida Park Service, and the National Weather Service.

Bill and his wife, Debbie, at Steak N' Shake - a sentimental place for them!

When Bill isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his dog Sadie and wife Debbie, or as he refers to her, “Saint Debbie” (for putting up with him all these years!). During the wintertime, Bill, Debbie, and Sadie enjoy watching satellites out in their back pasture. He also is a great cook and will often bring amazing food to share with the office! His fan favorites are smoked pork, corn, and barbecue baked beans. Once in a while, on his days off, Bill brings Sadie to the office to say “Hi” to the crew! Along with his experience in Land Management, one of Bill’s ‘hidden talents’ is his photography skills. While out in the field and on prescribed fires, Bill has captured some amazing photographs, some of which might even be familiar! A couple of Bill’s pictures have been used for county outreach and education programs.

Sadie enjoying time outside with Bill

For example, in an CELM calendar from 2016, one of Bill's photos is featured for the month of June! If you've seen any of our outreach team folks at an event, such as the annual Prescribed Fire Fest, they were likely using Bill's pictures to educate the public on the process of prescribed burning. Not only does Bill take great pictures of fire, but he also has a large collection of wildlife, plants, and a bunch of others! Below are some for your viewing pleasure!

Bill has been an incredibly valued and influential member of the department over the last nearly 30 years. He helped shape the Prescribed Fire Program into what it is today, is always quick to share his knowledge with others, and gladly lends a helping hand to those who need it. We're so lucky to have him as a part of our CELM family! Next time you visit Bell Creek, be sure to say hello to Bill and thank him for his hard work and dedication to our precious natural resources.