Board of Directors

Bios

Myrtle is a native Floridian, living in Pensacola and Tallahassee her entire life. She was reared in the country 12 miles west of Pensacola in the small community of Beulah where her love for the north Florida woods and upper Gulf coast began. There her concerns about natural preservation for wild life began. 

Myrtle has an undergraduate degree from FSU, a Masters from UWF and an almost PhD (ABD) from FSU. She spent her early career years teaching high school English in Pensacola and then moved to Tallahassee in 1976 to continue graduate work. Shortly thereafter she began a career in education policy and budget in the Executive Office of Governor Bob Graham. Charlie Reed, later State University System Chancellor was her first boss.  

During her time in education policy and budget she worked closely with the House, Senate, Department of Education as well as many other professional education organizations in developing and implementing the Governor’s education budget and policy priorities.  

Her love for untouched nature came to fruition in Pensacola, where she and  three other citizens mounted a successful effort to preserve three miles of Gulf front coast from  development.  

In Tallahassee Myrtle discovered the beauty and joy of the rivers by spending time canoeing, kayaking and biking the St Marks trail and spending time at Wakulla Springs. But, St Marks Wildlife Refuge really caught her eye. She once spent Thanksgiving day there hiking and picnicking. Myrtle loves the marshes and wildlife at St Marks, giving her an instant feeling of peace. She is retired and spends time walking, oil painting, reading for her book club, taking OLLI classes and volunteering with OLLI. Currently, she is owned by four cats, all rescues.

Catherine has been visiting St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge since the 1990’s and it is one of her favorite places. She is thrilled to work with a group dedicated to the preservation of this beautiful refuge while allowing visitors to experience their little piece of heaven.

Catherine is a civil engineer working in environmental management for the transportation sector. She has spent her career balancing the transportation needs of Florida with protecting the environment and considering the desires of the public.

Her other volunteer experiences have revolved around her child’s school, sports, and scouting activities. She was a Girl Scout Leader, volunteered with the Nature Conservancy, Lion’s Club, elementary school mentoring, etc. Catherine now has time and energy to devote to the Friends of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. She works in the Nature Store and supports education and special events.

Nancy’s connection with St. Marks NWR happened as soon as she planned her move to Florida in 1990 and her 1st year was spent volunteering with school groups along with her young daughter Hannah. As a Board member of the SMRA (predecessor to the Friends of St. Marks) for several years, her love for the refuge has grown through outreach, biking and hiking its trails, field trips, and fishing its waters. A Master’s degree in Science Education from Florida State University helped her make numerous nature connections in and around the community which helped further the science teaching in her classroom.   

Nancy would describe herself as an amateur birdwatcher, fisherwoman, gardener, and adventurer. Growing up in the Midwest (Peoria, Illinois), she spent most of her time in and around the Illinois River, creeks, and woods surrounding her neighborhood.  She was drawn to Silverton, Colorado as a 2nd grade teacher. Her love for the outdoors grew as she took her students on trips to Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, and the Denver Museum of Natural History.  

It was a summer Colorado Wildlife class at Keystone Science School that connected her with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and their Squawfish Endangered Fish program. After spending 10 days at a time (during her summer break) in the field collecting samples and doing research in Dinosaur National Monument at the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers, it was suggested that she try the Peregrine Falcon project as she spent all of her extra time birdwatching up the canyons. Nancy traveled the state surveying for eyries (Peregrine nesting sites) and collecting data on fledglings.  DDT was continuing to have a devastating effect on the eggs and helicoptering/hiking into remote areas to help with egg collection/banding was necessary. The Peregrine Falcon release in Denver was a part of the species recovery and as a Colorado Division of Wildlife employee, Nancy attended and tracked the young falcons throughout the downtown canyons of Denver for two summers.   

As a recently retired educator (1974-2019), she might be found serving at the Kearney Center through St. John’s Episcopal Church, taking various nature and travel related OLLI classes, supporting St. Francis Wildlife, and volunteering for the Audubon Eagle Watch and Second Harvest when she is not traveling.

Katasha lived in the Tampa area for 30 years and then moved to Wakulla County in 2015. She enjoys exploring “the real Florida” and came to find a deep appreciation for the Refuge during family trips to the area several years before fulfilling a goal of making Wakulla County home. 

Katasha holds a degree in Zoology from the University of Florida, completed additional undergraduate work at the University of South Florida, completed the Certified Public Manager program through Florida State University, and has participated in adult learning through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Her career has been focused on environmental permitting, compliance, and policy development for transportation projects. 

Volunteering was instilled in her from a young age, and over the last 20 years Katasha has supported both environmental and youth organizations in various capacities including leadership roles and public outreach positions. 

Through getting to know Refuge staff and Milkweed Initiative volunteers, Katasha has developed somewhat of an obsession in finding and documenting milkweed populations, including a population of “longleaf” milkweed in the Refuge and “aquatic” milkweed in Levy County. She has also participated in monarch field research. 

While Katasha enjoys many outdoor activities, she spends most of her time in the outdoors running, birding, taking pictures or hiking, either in Florida or anywhere adventure takes her.

Originally from New Hampshire, Rita lived in Boston, DC, West Virginia, and Missouri before settling in Tallahassee in 1989 with her husband, John Haines, and their dog and cat companions.  She has a background in advertising and printing, and in 2015 retired from FSU where she’d worked for 15 years producing training materials for an off-campus institute.

 After retirement, Rita volunteered at the Nature Store and with the Monarch Milkweed Initiative, ultimately becoming the Nature Store manager in 2017.  She has streamlined and automated the operations of the Store and turned it into an economic engine that benefits the St. Marks refuge.  This includes installing a point of sale / inventory system, developing online ordering via the web, and training a crew of volunteers who really keep the place running.  When not working, Rita loves being outdoors and learning about the native plants, birds and critters that share our space.

Growing up as a native Floridian, I spent many summer days pedaling my bike to swim and snorkel at Silver Springs. It was 25 cents to swim and 25 cents to rent a mask and snorkel! I spent many summer days collecting return bottles for my summer adventures at Silver Springs!! Juniper Springs, Salt Springs, and Silver Glen springs were some of my stomping grounds as a youth. My family pulled up stakes from Florida and we moved to Fairfax County, Virginia in the 1960’s. The saying “Virginia is for Lovers” is so true as I remember the beauty and the majesty of the Virginia mountains in the Shenandoah National Park. As a high school kid, and with my parent’s blessings, my best friend and I would pack enough food and supplies to spend three weeks hiking and camping in the Shenandoah National Park. What fond memories!!

I graduated from high school in 1971 and entered Virginia Tech the next year majoring in biology, pre-med. A career change was made while going to Virginia Tech and graphic design and illustration ended up being my calling. I loved every minute working as an illustrator in the private sector before serving the citizens of the State of Florida for 25 years as a graphic designer/illustrator. Finished my career working as a staff chaplain for the State of Florida - Florida Department of Corrections. The most fun and exciting job I ever had was working with inmates in Florida’s state correctional institutions. It was so fulfilling lifting up another soul letting them know how special they are in the eyes of God!

I love the out of doors! Hiking and “finding new areas” in the woods (“finding new areas” meant I got lost in the woods and new ground was discovered as I was finding my way out of the swamp bottoms or piney woods!) I love to fish and launch my gheenue at the Aucilla River boat landing to find new areas to redfish! Been lost a dozen times in the myriad of bayous but I always made it out to Apalachee Bay and when I could see the St Marks lighthouse way off in the distance I knew I could find my way home!!

I love our precious refuge! There are many more sunrises left in my life to explore and fish and enjoy each and every day to its fullest! Wishing you many more years of sunshine, happiness, and fellowshiping with the ones you love. Introduce your kids and grandkids to the “out of doors”. It may be the best decision you ever made for the choices they will have to make in their lives.

Terry is the Refuge Manager of St. Marks and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuges and the Deputy Project Leader of the USFWS North Florida Complex.

She is a 1983 Wildlife Management graduate of Auburn University. She started her career as a temporary biological technician at Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama in 1983. She has worked as the assistant refuge manager at St. Vincent NWR (FL), Washita NWR (OK), Optima NWR (OK), and Mingo NWR (MO). She moved back to St. Vincent NWR in Apalachicola, FL in 1999 as the project leader. She moved to her current positon of Refuge Manager of St. Marks and St Vincent and Deputy Project Leader of the North Florida Complex at St. Marks NWR in July 2005. In her Current position she is responsible for managing for Longleaf Pine, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, and Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders. St. Vincent, which she also oversees, is utilized by sea turtles and red wolves. Both refuges have active public use programs.

Allison was born and raised in Raleigh, NC.  Her love of the outdoors started when her dad took her on a sailboat at age two.  After graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994 with a BS in pharmacy she moved to Tallahassee in 1995.  She loved the birding, kayaking and fishing at St. Mark’s refuge. 

Allison became a volunteer in the visitor center on weekends while still working and more of a regular after retiring in 2013 until the COVID pause.  She also helped out with student field trips to St. Vincent Island introducing the students to shorebirds.  Allison still works part time when it does not interfere with traveling or her new love of pickle ball.  She looks forward to spending more time on the refuge improving her birding skills and fishing for the illusive redfish.

Growing up in California and Virginia, I camped with my family at national and local parks during our vacations and we took advantage of the “ranger programs” offered – I especially remember the “tide pool zoo” song we learned at the campfire program at Maine’s Acadia National Park! My parents thought being a ranger would be the perfect career for me. I had no idea how that could be accomplished and instead thought that becoming a wildlife field biologist was the profession for me.

My interest in the outdoors led to a degree in Wildlife Biology from Florida State University, with a minor in Psychology and Chemistry. I was selected as a Student Trainee in Fisheries and Wildlife for the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service while in college and inventoried striped bass on the wild Apalachicola River, and helped with prescribed burning and longleaf pine restoration on beautiful St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. As part of a red-winged blackbird research project, I raised young fledglings Ozzie and Harriet, in my college apartment. Wildlife intrigued me, but sharing what I learned with others really excited me.

Upon graduation in 1979, an amazing opportunity awaited me as I took the Park Ranger position at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge! The program was in its infancy, so I was given free rein (no money of course) to create the visitor services program. The amazing natural resources of the 70,000 acre refuge – marshes, sweeping estuary, fragrant pine forests, crystal clear springs and creeks, and abundant wildlife, attracted visitors in many ways. People were enthusiastic to volunteer in 1985 to help and the program really took off! The Friends of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge followed in 1987. I was invited to travel across the country to work with other refuges, helping review Friends’ and visitor services programs. I enjoyed sharing my passion for nature through the international environmental education program, Project Learning Tree. For over 30 years, I have taught both formal and informal educators how we are all interwoven with trees, water, air, wildlife, and soil.

Retired since 2020, I am most concerned about the “nature deficit disorder” coined by Richard Louv, regarding several generations of American children who are not connected to nature. It is not merely a lack of concern for environmental stewardship, it is now a matter of mental and physical health. I remain strongly committed to engaging all ages in a need for nature. I love hiking, wildlife watching, wild plants, spending time with my family and friends and volunteering for the refuge, 4-H, Reading Pals and Project Learning Tree!