Announcing new officers and board members
Conservation Florida Welcomes Three New Members to its Board of Directors and Elects New Officers to Serve on its Executive Committee
"We are beyond grateful to have passionate and knowledgeable board members and allies who give so much to our organization because they believe in the importance of the work we are doing to protect Florida’s wild places,” said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida.
We are excited to welcome Courtney Barnard, Kipp Frohlich, and Matt Pearce to our board of directors. They represent each of our three key regions: Everglades Headwaters, Northwest Florida, and Central Florida and bring a diversity of skills to our team. We are lucky to have them as resources for land protection and advocates for conservation in Florida.
New Board Members
Courtney Barnard
Courtney serves as the director of government affairs in Florida for Verizon. Her areas of focus include local government relations and community engagement. Courtney has over a decade of experience working in public policy and grassroots engagement in Florida. Prior to her role with Verizon, Courtney previously worked in housing advocacy with the Florida Realtor Association and Florida Apartment Association. Outside of work, she volunteers locally and is a lifetime member of Leadership Florida.
Courtney received her master’s in political science, international studies track at the University of Central Florida and her bachelor’s in politics and international relations at Scripps College in Claremont, CA. She also holds a certificate in public policy from the University of Washington, Jackson School of International Relations.
Courtney is a native of California, but has lived in Central Florida for a decade. She is passionate about her local community and loves having nature on her doorstep. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, stand up paddle boarding, yoga, baking, and reading.
"I'm proud to serve as a board member of Conservation Florida and to support their work to protect the beauty of wild Florida for generations to come,” said Courtney. “Conservation Florida is a leader statewide working to permanently protect our natural lands and species."
Kipp Frohlich
Kipp grew up in Treasure Island, Florida and always dreamed of working in the conservation profession. He received a bachelor’s in biology from Furman University and a master’s in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida. For 35 years, Kipp fulfilled his childhood dream of working for numerous agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Department of Natural Resources, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He joined the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission when it was created in 1999 and retired as director of habitat and species conservation in 2020. Kipp and his wife Leslie reside in Tallahassee and love spending time outdoors camping, fishing, hiking, and traveling. They are thankful that their two grown children have a deep love of nature and outdoor pursuits.
“After a career of protecting some of Florida’s most iconic wildlife, I am thrilled to be able to help Conservation Florida with their mission of saving the unique habitats that support our state’s rich biodiversity,” said Kipp. “Given the current population of Florida and its projected growth, it’s essential that we conserve more land now, for wildlife, people, and our future.”
Matt Pearce
Matt is a Florida native and 7th generation cattle rancher who is passionate about protecting habitat for ranching and wildlife. He owns and operates Pearce Cattle Company, a family-owned cow/calf operation with locations throughout South Florida and Central Georgia. He has served on the Florida Cattlemen’s Association Board for 10 years and is the immediate past president. His goal is to serve the industry and assist in successfully passing down the ranching lifestyle to the next generation.
“I’m excited to serve on Conservation Florida’s board of directors and work to preserve the wild Florida that I grew up with. I want my kids and grandkids to experience the Florida I’ve always known, and learn from it the same love, appreciation, and conservation mindset – for the future of Florida,” said Matt.
New Executive Committee
Conservation Florida’s board of directors has elected a new slate to serve its executive committee – President, KC Nayfield; Vice President, Neil Asma; Treasurer, John Regenfuss; Secretary, Mike Forrester. This team of longtime conservationists is committed to protecting Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations, and Conservation Florida is thrilled to have such knowledgeable and passionate volunteers leading its board of directors.
KC Nayfield, President
KC is a Florida native. He spent his veterinary career as a surgeon to pets and exotic animals in Crystal River. He built a practice there over three decades, and as an independent veterinarian, he gained tremendous small business expertise. He is regionally known as a skillful and ethical surgeon. KC and his wife, MaryBeth, brought their two children up to cherish the great outdoors. MaryBeth has been a public health nurse in Citrus County for her entire career. The family are lifelong sailors, explorers and wildlife fans.
Neil Asma, Vice President
Neil is a third generation Floridian from Winter Garden, where he is the Vice President of Toole’s Ace Hardware, an organization of eleven Ace Hardware stores in Central Florda. He received his BA in English from Washington & Lee University, and MBA from Rollins College.
Neil learned to love nature backpacking and camping with the Boy Scouts of America, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. He and his wife Sarah are passionate about ensuring their daughter will grow up with the same chance to love natural Florida.
John Regenfuss, Treasurer
In the early part of his career he specialized in turning around financial and/or administratively distressed academic departments. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy from St. Francis Seminary and a MBA with emphasis in Human Resources and Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management. He also holds a Yellow belt from Six Sigma. John has a long history of serving his community. In addition to being a Lions Club member since 1988, he has served on the boards of many organizations including the Curative Rehabilitation Center, Moraine Symphony Orchestra, Port Washington Fish Day, Rehabilitation Facilities of Wisconsin, Mukwonago School Board, and Big Bend Police Commission. His hobbies are running, bicycling, camping, fishing, kayaking, gardening and tinkering.
Mike Forrester, Secretary
Mike was born in Orlando and grew up in Osceola County. His great-grandfather was a steamboat captain on the Kissimmee River in the late 1800's. His grandfather introduced him to Florida history, while he and his dad traveled the state, visiting many of Florida’s iconic sites and historic locations.
Mike has been a freelance producer and cameraman for The Weather Channel, National Geographic, Bloomberg, CNN and other networks. He is President of Orlando Webcasts which produces live, online corporate meetings, town halls and conferences.
He spends his free time visiting state parks and conservation areas, learning more about our state's fragile ecosystem, and has become endeared to the Florida Scrub-Jay. His concern for the loss of Florida's wildlife corridors and natural habitats led him to become active with Conservation Florida.
As Conservation Florida continues to grow, so does the hope for a future where vital and vibrant Florida land is protected forever. Our organization relies on volunteers, such as these dedicated board members, to support our work throughout the state. We invite you to donate, volunteer, or join our efforts to protect more of Florida’s special places. Email info@conserveflorida.org to get involved.
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is an accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources, and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
