We are shocked and heartbroken by the passing of Jessica Bibza, who was tragically killed this past Saturday when she was struck by a vehicle while riding her bike in Tampa. Jessica was an accomplished triathlete and was training for the upcoming Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

Jessica was instrumental in helping to establish the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program. When Jessica moved to Pensacola in 2013 to advocate for Gulf restoration on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, she quickly became ingrained in the local environmental community and served on the Bay Area Resource Council (BARC) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the predecessor organization to the Estuary Program. As a BARC TAC member, Jessica served as one of the lead contributors to the EPA grant proposal to transition the BARC into the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program.

Between 2018 and 2022, Jessica served as Chairwoman of the Estuary Program Technical Committee and helped navigate establishment of the Technical Committee, Program office, and Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) development. In 2020, with the support of NWF, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and the Estuary Program, Jessica led the charge to establish the Panhandle Manatee Program to raise awareness of the presence of manatees in local waterways, educate boaters on best practices, and report manatee sightings through the Manatee Sighting Network.

Jessica was a friend to many across the Gulf Coast, myself included. Jessica and I enjoyed a close friendship over the years, and I’m grateful the two of us had the opportunity to get together over lunch just two weeks ago in St. Pete.

Jessica was a truly bright light to all that knew her, and her contributions to our community and the Gulf Coast as a whole will be felt for years to come. In the coming months, we will announce how we intend to honor Jessica’s memory and incredible contributions to our community. In the meantime, we intend to channel all of Jessica’s positive energy.

On behalf of the entire Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program team, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Todd and all of Jessica’s family and friends.

Respectfully,

Matt

RIDE LIKE JESSICA

This Sunday we ride with Bike Pensacola in honor of our dear friend Jessica Bibza.  Jessica was a frequent participant in Bike Pensacola Slow Rides and was a vibrant part of the Pensacola community during her years here.

While we won't ride as fast or far as Jessica, who was a champion athlete, we will ride a leisurely pace along part of the Pensacola waterfront and stop to sit on the grass overlooking the Bay at Maritime Park. Since Jessica was a water person, it seems right to gather along the Bayfront. We'll share stories and honor our dear friend, and we invite you to bring food or beverage to snack-on while there. For those not riding you are invited to join us on the lawn on the southwest side of the Wahoos Stadium.

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