ANNUAL MEETING

Please join us for our Annual Membership Meeting to be held in-person and virtually at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Eaton Conservation Hall

In-person admission is currently sold out. The live-stream will broadcast on our Facebook.

Please join us at this business casual event as we highlight key steps forward in conservation for Southwest Florida and explore the challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

For inquiries, please contact Sarah Andrus, Membership & Annual Giving Specialist, at saraha@conservancy.org or (239) 231-7736, ext. 307.

2025 Slate of New Candidates for Election to a Four-Year Term

William (Bill) Byrnes

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William (Bill) Byrnes

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:

Board of Trustees – Elme Communities
Chairman of the Board – Capital Sources
Board of Directors – LoopNet
CEO - MUTUALdecision
Board of Directors – La Quinta
Chairman and Founding Member – BuzzMetrics
Board of Directors – Security Capital
Distinguished Professor of Finance – Georgetown
Managing Director – Alex Brown & Sons

EDUCATION:

JD – Georgetown University
MBA – University of Michigan
BSBA in Finance – Georgetown University

AFFILIATIONS:

Washington, D.C. Bar
CFA Society of Naples

PUBLICATIONS:

Evasive Species (2022) Fiction/Mystery Thriller
The Banker Spy (2012) Fiction/Mystery Thriller

2025 Slate of Candidates for Renewal to Another Four-Year Term

Nancy Anthony

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Nancy Anthony

EMPLOYER:
Chair of Fernwood Council LLC

EDUCATION:
Northwestern University, B.A. in Economics
DePaul University, Masters in Accounting
University of Illinois, CPA

AFFILIATIONS:

Pioneer Institute, Trustee
Hathaway Brown School, Trustee
Boston Children’s Hospital Trust Finance Committee
National Council of McLean Hospital
Head’s Council of the Roxbury Latin School, Trustee
The Massachusetts Historical Society, Overseer
Epiphany School of Dorchester, Overseer

BIO:
Nancy is Chair of Fernwood Council LLC, a family office, and serves as an independent trustee for another family. She has been in the investment management business
for 38 years. Nancy has been active with numerous educational, medical, and civic institutions in the Greater Boston area and other communities of importance to
her. Currently, she serves as a Trustee of Pioneer Institute and the Hathaway Brown School.

She practiced in tax before joining Fernwood in 1983, and prior to that, worked for Cutler Hammer (now Eaton Corp).

Leslie Frécon

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Leslie Frécon

EMPLOYMENT:
LFE Capital - Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer

EDUCATION:
MBA in Finance, UCLA
BA with Distinction, Stanford University

AFFILIATIONS:

Audit Committee Chair, The Ryland Group, NYSE
Advisory Boards of WomenVenture and Enterprising Women Magazine
Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable
Former Trustee and Executive Committee, Greater Twin Cities United Way
Former Trustee, MacPhail Center for Music, Breck School, and the Minnesota Opera

BIO:
Prior to founding LFE Capital, Leslie was senior vice president, corporate finance for General Mills, a global consumer foods company. In that position, she was responsible for the treasury, corporate development, and risk management functions. As a member of the senior executive team, she worked with operating management developing and executing growth strategies. Prior to joining General Mills, Leslie was a commercial loan officer with Bank of America in Los Angeles, managing banking relationships for manufacturing and agribusiness companies.

Leslie regularly speaks at business conferences and authors articles about growth equity investing and women in business. She has been featured in such publications as the New York Times, Enterprising Women, The Business Journal, and the Minneapolis StarTribune. She has received numerous awards, including “Director of the Year” from Women on Boards and “Outstanding Director” from Twin Cities Business.

She is married and has two children.

John R. Walter

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John R. Walter

EMPLOYER:

CEO, Ashlin Management Company

BIO:

John R. Walter is Chairman of Ashlin Management Company, a private investment and management services firm. He is the retired President and COO of AT&T Corporation, a position he held from 1996 to 1997, and retired Chairman and CEO of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a position he held from 1989 through 1996. Mr. Walter joined R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company in 1969 and held various positions during his career.

Mr. Walter has served as a Director of Manpower Inc. since 1998 and served as Non-Executive Chairman of the company from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Walter also serves as Director of ecoAmerica. He previously served on the boards of other companies, including Echo Global Logistics, VASCO Data Securities, Media Bank, LLC, Groupon, Deere & Company, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., AT&T Corporation, Target Corporation, and Jones Lang LaSalle. Mr. Walter was the founding Chairman of InnerWorkings, Inc. Mr. Walter also served as Chairman of SNP Corp. of Singapore and an Advisory Member of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Mr. Walter is on the Board of Trustees for Steppenwolf Theater, Northwestern University, and was previously a Director of NorthShore University Health System and Chairman Emeritus of the North Shore University Health System Foundation Board.

Mr. Walter was a Director of the African Wildlife Foundation, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management, and holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Thomas (Tom) Watkins

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Thomas (Tom) Watkins

EDUCATION:
William & Mary, B.A. Accounting

University of Chicago Booth School of Business M.B.A.

AFFILIATIONS:
Board of Visitors, William & Mary

Board of Directors, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Member, Royal Poinciana Golf Club

BIO:
Tom and his wife, Wendy, have been visiting Naples and Southwest Florida since the early 1990s and became Florida residents in 2016.

A former pharmaceutical and biotechnology company executive, Tom now serves on several corporate and non-profit boards. He and Wendy are strong supporters of the Conservancy’s mission.

They are particularly passionate about the challenges of ensuring clean water for all of the residents of Southwest Florida and the related issue of controlling the growth of development in our surrounding areas.

Tom and Wendy divide their time between Naples, Lake Forest, Illinois, and West Virginia.

For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be live-streamed.

Click here to fill out your proxy vote.

How You can help

Help protect our water, land and wildlife

Become a Member

Membership helps support our work and gets you free membership to the Nature Center and many other perks. Join today!

Donate

The majority of our funding comes from people like you who care about protecting our environment in Southwest Florida.

Volunteer

A variety of fun volunteer opportunities are available. Interact with a variety of people, learn new skills, and enhance and share your knowledge.

Science

Policy

Wildlife Hospital

Education

Science

Policy

Wildlife Hospital

Education

ANNUAL MEETING

Please join us for our Annual Membership Meeting to be held in-person and virtually at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Eaton Conservation Hall

In-person admission is currently sold out. The live-stream will broadcast on our Facebook.

Please join us at this business casual event as we highlight key steps forward in conservation for Southwest Florida and explore the challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

2025 Slate of New Candidates for Election to a Four-Year Term

William (Bill) Byrnes

2025 Slate of Candidates for Renewal to Another Four-Year Term

For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be live-streamed.

Click here to fill out your proxy vote.

How You can help

Help protect our water, land and wildlife

Become a Member

Donate

Volunteer

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Nature Center Hours

von arx Wildlife Hospital Hours

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