The Conservancy of Southwest Florida recently hosted the organization’s Annual Meeting at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center. During the meeting, Conservancy members elected Ken Krier as the new board chair along with seven new community and business leaders to serve four-year terms on the Board of Directors. Also during the annual meeting, the Conservancy honored outgoing board members for their service. The keynote address was presented by University of Florida professor, Jack Davis.
The seven new board members are William Boyajian, whose interest in environmental work began with the 2010 oil spill, and a world traveler who has seen firsthand the effects on countries by non-regulated industry and pollution; Phil Collins, grandson of Dellora and Lester Norris, founders of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, who has carried on the family tradition of philanthropic endeavors and preservation of the quality of life of the local community; Tom Moran, a 30-year resident of Naples who is passionate about the community where he is an active philanthropist and leader; Dave Rismiller, whose interest in environmental involvement was inspired by unsustainable development and protection of water quality for future generations; Sue Schulte, a major supporter and volunteer for the von Arx Wildlife Hospital; Sharon von Arx, an active supporter of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital through her time, leadership and philanthropy; and Karl Williams, a retired executive who has volunteered extensively at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and is president of the Volunteer Connection.
Davis, an author and editor of several books on Florida, presented from his award-winning biography “An Everglades Providence: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the American Environmental Century,” which won the gold medal in nonfiction from the Florida Book Awards. His speech highlighted the life and legacy of environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and how her work has impacted the Everglades.
The Annual Meeting also featured speeches from Lynn Slabaugh, outgoing chair of the Board of Directors, and Rob Moher, president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida regarding the organization’s accomplishments throughout the course of the past year, and provided an introduction for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s goals for 2016.
“There are three challenges facing the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this year: managing and shaping how growth unfolds in our region; protecting our water resources from a wide variety of threats including mining, development, new forms of oil drilling and agricultural pollution sources; and protecting our native wildlife, including our threatened and endangered species, to the best of our ability.” said Rob Moher, president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “There are unlimited opportunities for our organization and community to make a difference, and we look forward to another successful year, and thank our board members and supporters, past and present, for all of their contributions to making our environment a better place for generations to come.”
For more information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Board of Directors, or to learn more about its members, visit www.Conservancy.org/about/board.
About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida:
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a not-for-profit environmental protection organization with a 50 year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land wildlife and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Conservancy accomplishes this mission through the combined efforts of its experts in the areas of environmental science, policy, education and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, world-class Nature Center and von Arx Wildlife Hospital are headquartered in Naples, Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, south of the Naples Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road. Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how to support the quality of life in Southwest Florida www.conservancy.org.
