Storm floods, amplified by sea level rise, will soon pose the greatest threat to the security of families and businesses in Atlantic and Gulf coastal cities. If children are not safe or parents can’t work after a storm, city populations drop rapidly. Sea level rise will stop further capital investment for recovery. Steadily and purposefully upgrading commercial assets—in addition to public infrastructure improvements—can reverse this threat and make coastal cities better investments than they’ve ever been.
Mel J. Meinhardt is the Founder of Flood Shield, a National network of former naval officers working together to counter the threat of coastal flooding amplified by sea level rise. He also works in strategy development and implementation, having served in senior strategy roles with firms including Tyco Fire and Security (ADT, SimplexGrinnell, Sensormatic), Westinghouse Electronics, and Watkins Johnson.
Previously, Meinhardt served as an engineering officer aboard U.S. Navy submarines in the Arctic, then as a strategic analyst and technology manager for the Central Intelligence Agency. He was also a founding member of the Navy’s strategic doctrine think thank.
Meinhardt is a national trustee of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and president of the Greater Miami Chapter U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. He serves as a resilience committee member for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, on the Sea Level Rise Task Force for the American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter, the non-structural flood proofing committee for the American Society of Floodplain Managers, coastal committee for the Florida Floodplain Managers Association, and is a member of the Innovative Infrastructure and Robust Recovery Work Groups for Resilient Greater Miami and the Beaches.
Meinhardt received his B.S. in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and obtained his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. He holds a professional engineering licenses, among several other professional licenses and patents, and is a certified floodplain manager.
