Katie Berkey is certified by the Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law (CCLG), a distinction held by only 7% of the Florida Bar members. Board certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of competence, professionalism, and expertise and requires peer review, ongoing education, and a rigorous exam. The CCLG specialty encompasses the preparation of laws, ordinances, regulations, and legal instruments, as well as addressing legal issues of county, municipal, other local governments, special districts, agencies, or authorities, such as: land use and zoning, sunshine law, public records law, and sovereign immunity.

Katie is also a certified Professional Planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). AICP provides the only nationwide, independent verification of planners' qualifications. AICP-certified planners have demonstrated a commitment to high standards of professional practice and a mastery of theories and tools of planning through professional experience and a comprehensive exam. AICP-certified planners pledge to uphold high standards of practice, ethics, and professional conduct and to keep their skills sharp and up to date by continuously pursuing advanced professional education.

Katie is one of only a few practicing professionals to be certified by the Florida Bar in CCLG and be an AICP-certified planner.

Katie represents clients in zoning, land use, development, and planning matters, including: representing clients before city and county commissions, councils, and boards in hearings throughout Southwest Florida and around the state; environmental resource and water use permitting; local and state code compliance; and private and government contracting and negotiation.

Katie earned her Juris Doctor and Master of City and Regional Planning, with a specialization in Land Use and Environmental Planning/Law, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with pro bono distinction. She earned her Atrium Baccalaureatus degree in American Studies and Urban & Social Public Policy from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.