Friends of Rookery Bay announces Board members

Friends of Rookery Bay announces six new board members who recently joined the non-profit organization. The Friends group supports the 40-year-old Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, whose 110,000 acres from downtown Naples through the Western Everglades encompass 40 percent of Collier County’s coastline.

The new board members are: Matt Flores, Esq. of Zampogna Flores, PLLC; Jim Fourqurean, professor of biology and the director of the Marine Education and Research Center in the Institute for Water and Environment at Florida International University; Dan High, general manager of Rose Marina; community leader Lois Selfon; Jim Shea, retired retail CEO; and Greg Tolley, professor of marine science and chair of the Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.

They join board president Tom Marquardt; vice president Charlie O’Connor; secretary Curt Witthoff; treasurer Tom Wagor of First Florida Integrity Bank; and directors Ray Carroll with Carroll & Carroll; Paul Tateo with Horizons Real Estate; and Milda Vaivada with Soiree Celebrations.

Friends of Rookery Bay supports environmental education, research projects and conservation activities at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve through fundraising, volunteerism and community outreach.