Meet Our Team
John Hallman, Executive Director
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
John Hallman hails from a long line of Florida cattle ranchers spanning seven generations. With a rich family heritage rooted in cattle ranching, John's passion for preserving Florida’s working farms and ranches comes naturally.
John Hallman possesses extensive experience in legislative affairs in Tallahassee, where he has effectively nav
John Hallman hails from a long line of Florida cattle ranchers spanning seven generations. With a rich family heritage rooted in cattle ranching, John's passion for preserving Florida’s working farms and ranches comes naturally.
John Hallman possesses extensive experience in legislative affairs in Tallahassee, where he has effectively navigated the complexities of state government and public policy. With a robust background in advocacy and lobbying, he has built strong relationships with lawmakers and stakeholders, enabling him to influence key legislation across various sectors. John's strategic insights into the legislative process have been instrumental in shaping policies that address the needs of diverse communities. His ability to engage with both political and community leaders reflects his commitment to fostering collaboration and advancing significant legislative initiatives.
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
Danielle Snitker is a marketing and design strategist with a proven record of building creative campaigns that connect people to causes. Drawing on her background in small business consulting and grassroots advocacy,
Danielle specializes in shaping compelling messages that break through the noise of modern politics. She has worked on comm
Danielle Snitker is a marketing and design strategist with a proven record of building creative campaigns that connect people to causes. Drawing on her background in small business consulting and grassroots advocacy,
Danielle specializes in shaping compelling messages that break through the noise of modern politics. She has worked on community engagement initiatives, campaign branding, and voter education projects, blending sharp design with data-driven strategy.
Whether advancing craft beer legislation, developing statewide advocacy campaigns, or leading local outreach efforts, Danielle brings energy, creativity, and a passion for amplifying voices that matter.
Alex Snitker, Special Projects Director
Danielle Snitker, Director of Marketing
Alex Snitker, Special Projects Director
Alex, a former United States Marine, has founded several grassroots organizations. Some of his accolades include founding the Liberty First Network, a legislative advocacy group in Florida; co-authoring “The Neighborhood Project”, a book focused on organizing an effective activism strategy at the precinct level. Alex has consulted and managed numerous local and statewide campaigns in Florida.
About Us
Our Mission
Defending Rural Florida is a state-wide grassroots organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of Floridians who are concerned about the rapid decline of rural areas, farms, and ranches across the state. By uniting community members, advocates, and stakeholders, the organization works to promote sustainable agriculture, protect open spaces, and preserve the unique cultural heritage of Florida's rural landscapes. Through education, advocacy, and community engagement, Defending Rural Florida strives to create awareness and drive positive change, ensuring that the needs and concerns of rural citizens are heard and addressed in policy decisions at every level.
What We Do
We equip our members with the tools they need to defend rural Florida effectively. This includes clear, plain-language legislative and policy analysis so our members understand what proposed bills actually do, not just how they’re marketed. We break down complex legislation, identify loopholes and long-term impacts, and explain how state decisions affect local communities and private land.
Defending Rural Florida also provides hands-on training to help citizens take meaningful action. We teach members how to engage lawmakers, submit public comments, testify at hearings, and organize locally so rural voices are heard where decisions are made. Our goal is simple: informed citizens, coordinated action, and a future where rural Florida is preserved, not paved over.
How We protect rural florida
Protecting Rural Florida
The Florida Legislature is systematically dismantling growth management laws to benefit developers, often at the expense of rural communities, taxpayers, and natural resources. Defending Rural Florida exists to stop that.
We track and expose legislation that strips local governments of authority, accelerates sprawl onto agricultural lands, and shifts infrastructure and environmental costs onto existing residents. We provide plain-language bill analysis and direct action tools, so Floridians can push back before irreversible damage is done.
If a bill undermines local control, sacrifices farmland, ignores infrastructure limits, or threatens Florida’s water supply, we oppose it. Period.
Defending Rural Florida Candidate Questionnaire
To help voters clearly understand where candidates stand, we have our Defending Rural Florida Candidate Questionnaire. This tool will outline key issues facing rural communities, agricultural lands, and natural areas. Candidate responses will reveal who is genuinely committed to protecting Florida’s land, water, and heritage for generations to come.
As responses come in, we will publish them on DefendingRuralFlorida.org so voters can compare candidates and make informed decisions. The questionnaire will be open to candidates of any party—or no party at all—who are seeking to represent Floridians and the places we call home.
2026 Legislative Scorecard
Once the 2026 legislative session concludes, we will release a detailed Legislative Scorecard evaluating how lawmakers voted on the most critical bills affecting rural Florida, agricultural lands, and conservation.
This scorecard will provide a clear and factual record of who fought to protect our state’s land and heritage—and who sided with the special interests fueling rampant, irresponsible growth.
The Scorecard will be posted on our website, giving voters an easy way to see how their legislators performed.