Islamorada's Alexis Alba appointed to Florida Wildlife Alert board seat

An Islamorada businessman has been tapped for a South Florida board seat that can help decide how anonymous wildlife crime tips turn into arrests, citations and cash rewards in the Keys and south Miami-Dade. Alexis Alba was appointed to the Florida Wildlife Alert Reward Association’s south-region seat, a role recommended by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Lt. Col. Alfredo Escanio and Col. Alberto Maza.

The appointment matters because Wildlife Alert is one of the main channels Monroe County residents can use to report fishing, boating, wildlife and environmental violations. FWC says tips can be made anonymously by phone at 888-404-FWCC, by cell phone with #FWC, or online, and can qualify for rewards of up to $1,000 when the information leads to an arrest or citation.

The association behind the program is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit created in 1979. FWC materials say its 13-member board meets at least quarterly, sets reward criteria and includes at least one member from each of the agency’s six geographic regions, along with representatives from the Florida Audubon Society, Florida Wildlife Federation and Unified Sportsmen of Florida. The program is funded primarily through court-ordered fines, with private charitable donations adding to the reward pool.

For Monroe County, the seat gives the Florida Keys and the southern edge of Miami-Dade a direct voice in a system that depends on local reporting. Monroe is part of FWC’s South Region enforcement structure, with coverage tied to the South Region B office in Miami, making a Keys-based board member relevant to how wildlife crime complaints are handled across the area. In practical terms, the board role does not change the hotline itself, but it can influence reward criteria, support for investigations and how aggressively the program reaches people who see poaching, illegal take or other environmental violations.

Alba’s background fits that regional focus. He founded TCB Boat Sales, and state business records show TCB Boat Sales and Service LLC was incorporated in Florida on Feb. 2, 2021, with a principal address in Tavernier. Before entering the marine business, Alba held senior leadership roles in hospitality, including work as a managing director, general manager and director of operations at resort and hotel properties in South Florida and the Florida Keys. He also holds a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner credential.

The stakes are especially high in a county where the water is the economy and the landscape. FWC describes the Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area as home to more than 40 rare and protected species, underscoring why the agency relies on local tipsters as much as officers and investigators. For Monroe County, Alba’s appointment adds a local name to a board tied directly to how wildlife crime is reported, rewarded and pursued.