Stanley Kroh
Senior Manager of Land & Stewardship Programs
Tampa Electric Company
As senior manager of land and stewardship programs at Tampa Electric (TECO), Stanley Kroh has spent over 25 years overseeing one of the most innovative public-private conservation models in the attractions industry.
Located on 500 acres of waterfront land at Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station, the Florida Conservation and Technology Center (FCTC) combines heavy industry with world-class marine conservation and visitor attractions.
The institution builds on a phenomenon observed at TECO’s power station, where warm-water discharge created an artificial winter sanctuary for endangered manatees.
The company opened its Manatee Viewing Center in 1986. Since then, it has welcomed more than 10 million visitors.
Under Kroh’s guidance, TECO has continued to invest in the site, supported by a long-term partnership with The Florida Aquarium.
It now includes the Clean Energy Center, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center and the interactive Cownose Cove habitat, as well as the Aquarium’s remarkable Coral Conservation and Research Center, which reliably spawns 14 different species.
The FCTC also invests in habitat restoration. Kroh highlights a recently completed 5,500-foot living shoreline project, and TECO has cultivated three acres of seagrass to serve as a local food source for the wintering manatees.
One person who nominated Kroh says:
“By demonstrating how major industrial entities can actively partner with zoos and aquariums to protect threatened species and habitats, Stanley Kroh has established a groundbreaking blueprint for corporate-environmental collaboration, elevating the standard for sustainable attraction design and wildlife stewardship.”
Kroh holds a master’s degree in public health and is a registered environmental manager, certified environmental and safety compliance officer, and certified wetland resource manager.
