Weather influences how people live, build, and plan in Florida. Stephen Cheatham developed an early interest in how things hold up by taking objects apart, learning through hands-on work, and observing how heavy rain affected land and structures. He studied engineering with attention to structural systems and environmental factors, emphasizing that building requires asking what a structure will face over time. After graduation, he worked on coastal development projects involving developers, contractors, and planners. The experience showed that long-term risks are frequently handled as short-term problems, especially where speed and cost dominate decisions.
""I've always been more interested in how things hold up than how they look," Cheatham says. Early Life in Northern Florida Stephen Cheatham grew up in northern Florida. His childhood was simple and hands-on. He spent time outdoors, surrounded by open land and water. He was the kind of kid who took things apart just to see how they worked. Small engines. Tools. Anything he could get his hands on. "I learned more by doing than by being told," he says."
""It's not just about putting something up. It's about asking what it will face over time," he says. After graduation, Cheatham worked with firms involved in coastal development across Florida. These were large projects. They involved many moving parts-developers, contractors, planners. The work gave him a clear view of the industry. It also raised concerns."
""I started to see how often long-term risks were treated as short-term problems," he explains. In fast-growing areas, speed and cost often take priority. B"
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