By Kathryn True
With its state nonprofit status completed, Vashon Nature Center is excited to welcome its first board of directors (national 501 c3 status is expected by October 2018). The board, VNC staff, and their families celebrated this milestone last month with a picnic at Lisabeula Park. Bianca Perla knighted the new board members with Vashon Nature Center caps before the group called its first meeting to order— fittingly in the open air with a Bald Eagle presiding overhead and to the accompaniment of the Salish Sea.
The board elected officers and performed its first orders of business: They approved Jen Williams as president, Paul Kampmeier as secretary, and Kimi Healey as treasurer. Jeff Adams and Roxanne Lyons also lend their experience to round out this fabulous five. Learn more about our board members here. Vashon Nature Center also continues to have the support of our original incredible science advisory council which helps provide support and expertise on specific scientific and educational programs.
“We are so excited to be entering this new era as an organization—and to welcome a group with both incredible expertise and deep caring for the earth,” says Bianca Perla, director. “With these folks at the helm, we will be able to strengthen our citizen science efforts locally and pursue efforts to connect our island programs with wider efforts happening throughout the Salish Sea. We are excited to make Vashon Nature Center a central Salish Sea hub for nature research and education that will drive the changes needed to help our natural home thrive once again.”
Photo caption: Vashon Nature Center is excited about our first board of directors pictured here in our “outdoor office”– the shores of the Salish Sea (missing is Kimi Healey who was traveling at the time). Photo by Kathryn True