Newly elected (March Ard, Dewey Blaylock, and Shannon Lynch) and continuing Friends Directors introduced themselves with a brief background statement at the Board of Directors Meeting on January 16, 2016, held immediately following the Annual Membership Meeting.
These are our Board members for this year:
o Dusty Alford’s business on Reid Avenue in Port St. Joe is “I Fix Computers.” Is he handy to have around, or what? Dusty has often helped with setting up and troubleshooting computers and internet for Friends. Unfortunately, he and his wife plan to move away from this area sometime in May. We’ll miss him as a Friends member and Director.
o March Ard is a retired cell biologist who taught medical school and community college in Mississippi before moving here last year. She volunteers at the Buffer Preserve and works on Friends’ email communications.
o Dewey Blaylock is a N.W. Florida native, a marine biologist and computer science entrepreneur, educated in applied mathematics. In 2002 he and his wife Patti built and opened the Sunset Coastal Grill in Port St. Joe, which they continue to run.
o Sandra Chafin is the Buffer’s administrative assistant. She began as a volunteer and became indispensable. She is a native of Port St. Joe, a former director of the Chamber of Commerce, and a retired school teacher with 29 years of teaching to her credit. She and Sonny have three grown daughters and a few really cute grandchildren who visit often.
o Sonny Chafin, Sandra’s husband, is also a Port St. Joe native and former PSJ High School football star. After a time in the Navy, he had a career in the timber industry. He volunteers at the Buffer nearly every day! Sonny is a continuing Friends Director.
o Gene Cox’s career was in helping troubled young people. He and his wife ran a residential camp for youth in Texas. They also lived for 16 years in France. He has had some interesting experiences.
o John Ehrman is a retired civil engineer. He and his wife, Penny Weining, have helped with many projects for Friends since they moved here six years ago. John is the Board’s outgoing president (serving until July), and he has done a super job!
o Lillian Hughes and her husband split their time between their home on the St. Joseph Peninsula and their original home in Thomasville, GA. Their daughter, a marine ecologist, has studied the seagrass ecology in St. Joseph Bay; she now lives with her husband in Boston, MA. They have another daughter, an occupational therapist, and a son who is an Air Force colonel. Lillian is a Turtle Patrol volunteer, an Eagle Watcher, and contributes a lot of hard work to Friends’ projects.
o Shannon Lynch is educated in geology and is interested in the geology and archaeology of this area. She volunteers with the Turtle Patrol. We appreciate her willingness to take on this new volunteer job as a Friends Director.
o Jeff Ross has remarkable computer and tech skills, and he is a big help to Friends and to the Buffer Preserve. He has recently overseen the installation of the new webcam in the observation tower at the Buffer Preserve. See the Observation Tower Webcam article in this Newsletter!
o Dylan Shoemaker is the manager of St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve. Originally from Ohio, he has a B.S. in Natural Biology, with further education in Fish and Wildlife. Dylan worked for the Florida Park Service before coming to the Buffer three years ago. His wife Melissa works for St. Andrews State Park.
o Nancy Thomson grew up in the piney woods of Clay County Florida, fishing, camping and enjoying the outdoors with her family. She retired after 33 years as teacher, guidance counselor and project manager in the public school system. Later she worked for a social service agency and at the Florida Department of Education, then moved to the peninsula full time in 2010. Nancy volunteers with turtle patrol.
o Lynda White worked for Audubon Florida. She was the Eagle Watch Coordinator, and she helped rehabilitate injured eagles for release back into the wild. She presented a terrific talk about bald eagles at the Buffer Visitor Center in January and again in March. Lynda and her husband Jim have three children and four grandchildren living in Tallahassee. Lynda is our incoming Board president!