Jerry Wilkinson moved to the Florida Keys in 1947. The president of the Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys, Wilkinson is a mentor to Brad Bertelli, a member of the Florida Outdoors Writers Association and vice president of the Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys. In addition to the collaborative efforts of Wilkinson and Bertelli on Islamorada and Key Largo, Bertelli has published two books with the University Press of Florida.