Biography

Laurilee is a fifth generation Floridian and lifelong Brevard County resident with an unshakable commitment to the natural resources of central Florida, including the Indian River Lagoon.  She is the co-owner of Dixie Crossroads, a southern seafood restaurant in Titusville, FL with international name recognition and a menu that features locally caught seafood.  Laurilee is an avid naturalist with a pragmatic eye to the sustainable use of natural resources.  She recognizes both the aesthetic and environmental value of habitats and wildlife, while understanding the need for sustainable use of those resources.  Through her business, as well as her personal life, Laurilee is an important advocate for the promotion, protection, and use of our natural resources in a responsible manner.  Laurilee is the driving force behind the highly successful Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, one of the nation’s top events of its type. She is the 2017 President of the Space Coast Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and a member of the FRLA State Board, as well as a board member of the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, Merritt Island Wildlife Association, U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation and the Brevard Nature Alliance; a member of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Selection and Management Committee and the Deepwater Shrimp Advisory Panel for the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council.  She is a recognized constituent in both Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. where she is a regular proponent for the restaurant industry and the U.S. commercial fishing industry.