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Jennifer Valenstein I Owner

Jennifer Valenstein is a founding member and owner of Brightwater Strategies Group, where she specializes in education, healthcare, and environmental policy, as well as providing political polling and research services. Prior to forming Brightwater Strategies Group with her husband Noah, Jen owned and operated Campaign Facts, LLC, and Voter Opinions, LLC, working with political campaigns throughout the Southeast. Jen’s legal, political, and policy background allows her to provide strategic counsel for clients looking to inform their policy and political campaigns with sound data and analysis.  

Jen’s legal career spans the public and private sectors. Working as an attorney for the Florida House of Representatives, Jen focused on education policy, drafting both K-12 and higher education policy. She has also provided education policy guidance to clients such as Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. In her private sector practice, Jen worked with Amundsen and Smith, as well as William Woodyard, P.A., focusing on certificate of need certification for hospices, administrative and environmental law, and litigation.

Jen graduated from Florida State University College of Law, and received her Bachelor’s degree, with high honors, from Florida State University’s College of Business with a focus on Multinational Business. Her passion for multi-national business is still seen in her love of Italian and Spanish languages and travel. She is a leader in Tallahassee’s non-profit community, focusing on providing services to underrepresented communities, and currently serves as Vice President of Lutheran Social Services of North Florida. She resides in Tallahassee with her husband and business partner, Noah, daughter, Ava and two black labs, Ella and Hobo.

Noah Valenstein I Managing Partner

Noah Valenstein is a founding partner in the consulting firm Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, where he provides strategic guidance, lobbying, and external affairs services to both the non-profit and private sectors. Noah’s years of service in high-profile public positions, as well as serving clients in the private sector, provide him with a unique perspective to assist clients in Florida. His work with national environmental associations, strong Washington D.C. relationships, and past leadership positions on the United States Coral Reef Task Force, the United States Everglades Task Force, and the Environmental Council of the States, allow him to advise national and international clients as well. In addition to his work with Brightwater Strategies Group, Noah currently serves as a Presidential Fellow for The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University, a Trustee for The Nature Conservancy’s Florida Chapter, a Trustee for the Fairchild Botanic Garden, a board member for The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and a gubernatorial appointment to the board for the Florida Communities Trust and the Biscayne Bay Commission.

Prior to joining Brightwater Strategies Group, Noah served as both the Secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the state’s Chief Resilience Officer. Appointed in 2017, Noah was the first DEP secretary to serve two consecutive governors. He was unanimously confirmed by Florida’s bipartisan Cabinet, illustrating the respect he has earned from both sides of the aisle. During his tenure as secretary of DEP, Noah worked to champion and advocate for water quality improvements, Everglades and springs restoration, coastal resiliency, and conservation of Florida’s prized properties. With Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Noah aided efforts to secure record funding from the Florida Legislature for Everglades restoration and protection of water resources as part of the largest environmental budget in the state’s history. He also worked to ensure the unanimous support and passage of the Clean Waterways Act.

As only the second Chief Resilience Officer in Florida’s history, Noah led the creation of the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection at DEP, the development of the agency’s resilience grant program, and assisted with securing record funding for climate change and resilience initiatives in Florida.

Prior to his service as Secretary, Noah cultivated more than 15 years of public service experience, beginning by working closely with both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. Later, working in the Executive Office of the Governor, Noah was responsible for building successful platforms for multiple environmental initiatives. He then served as executive director of the Suwannee River Water Management District, where he oversaw the protection and conservation of water and land resources across 15 counties. During Noah’s time serving the state’s legislative and executive branches, he aided former Speaker of the House Marco Rubio and former Governor Rick Scott, both of whom are now sitting U.S. senators.

Noah graduated from the Florida State University College of Law and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, where he graduated with honors. 

Leslie Reed I Partner

Leslie Reed is a partner in the consulting firm Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, where she provides strategic guidance, lobbying, and external affairs services to both the non-profit and private sectors. Leslie’s background in management of complex procurements and budget issues makes her uniquely situated to assist clients with navigating Florida’s maze of regulations. In addition to environmental policy, her regulatory work with the Florida Public Service Commission allows her to provide insight and guidance on energy, climate change, and other utility related issues in Florida and beyond.  

Prior to joining Brightwater Strategies, Leslie served as the Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the second highest position within the agency, where she oversaw the agency’s administrative, financial and legislative activities. In addition to overseeing the operations of the agency, Leslie directly managed the Agency’s divisions of information technology, legislative affairs, and office of intergovernmental affairs.

During her time at DEP, Leslie was appointed as Florida’s representative on the RESTORE Council by Governor Rick Scott, and then reappointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. In this capacity she: managed Deepwater Horizon issues for the state, Co-chaired the RESTORE council, and; worked with leading officials from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as federal agency leadership from EPA, DOI, USDA, the Army, Coast Guard, and NOAA. She also served as Chair of Florida’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council. 

Prior to working at DEP, Leslie was employed at both the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Public Service Commission. At SRWMD, she managed planning initiatives including the agency’s strategic planning initiative and Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan. While working for the Public Service Commission, Leslie assisted with need determinations for investor-owned electric companies, carrier-to-carrier telecom issues, and other matters. This legal work built on her prior experience with the State’s Office of Public Counsel.

Leslie graduated with honors from the Florida State University College of Law, and received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from Virginia Tech. She resides in Tallahassee with her husband, Mike, daughter Louisa, and three dogs, Matix, Duke and Jack.