Conservation Florida Welcomes Two New Members to Growing Team

Photo by Adam Strang Bass.

Conservation Florida hired Cristi McKee Conrad and Tessa Skiles to increase reach and impact across the state

Tallahassee, Fla. (April 3, 2023) - Conservation Florida, a leader in statewide land conservation, welcomes the newly hired Cristi McKee Conrad, Communications Associate, and Tessa Skiles, Programs Coordinator, to assist in the organization's mission to save land that supports Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, wildlife corridors, family farms and ranches, and nature-based recreation. Conrad and Skiles add depth to Conservation Florida's ever-expanding team, and will strengthen the land conservancy's reach, capabilities, and expertise.

Cristi McKee Conrad

As Communications Associate, Cristi McKee Conrad will help conduct organization-wide communications and public relations efforts while managing multimedia projects aimed to increase brand awareness for our mission-driven organization.

Cristi has been a Tallahassee resident for 15 years, and has been working in the communications field for 8. She is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in English-Editing, Writing and Media. An award-winning journalist, she previously worked for the CBS Affiliate for North Florida and South Georgia, WCTV Eyewitness News, as a breaking news Digital Producer, The Tally Wire, a lifestyle news site as its Editor in Chief, and Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy as a Communications Coordinator. Currently during her free time, she is the head reporter for The Bradfordville Bugle, a monthly newspaper in Tallahassee.

Growing up under the oaks in the Red Hills, Cristi spent a lot of her time outside with her family, traveling to local and state parks around the area to explore, bird watch, and hike. Today, life doesn’t look much different, and she spends most of her free time outside, going on hikes with her husband and two dogs - a black mouth cur mix and a Boykin spaniel - cooking and baking, gardening, and doing waterfowl and wildlife photography.

"I am so very excited to do my part in protecting wild Florida as part of the Conservation Florida team," Cristi said. "It's a real privilege to be allowed to work alongside such a wide variety of talented, likeminded individuals, and I'm thrilled to be doing something I love, for the state that I love."

Tessa Skiles

As Programs Coordinator, Tessa Skiles will focus on expanding the organization's educational and nature-based outreach programs aimed to engage local communities with wild Florida.

Daughter of the late National Geographic Explorer and filmmaker, Wes Skiles, Tessa was surrounded from a young age by explorers and environmental advocates - even writing and starring in her first conservation documentary at eight years old. As her career began, Tessa served as the media and outreach director for the Florida Springs Institute, leading the way with a spirit of collaboration that grew into new relationships with several large organizations throughout Florida. Her development of retreats and educational programs made a lasting impact, cultivating a new generation of conservation advocates around the state.

Tessa has worked behind the scenes with several for-profit and non-profit organizations planning events, assisting with media outreach, and branding. Collaborating with individual creatives, Tessa has continued advocating for Florida’s freshwater springs as a conservation photographer, media producer, and documentary filmmaker. Tessa’s passions also include foraging mushrooms, freediving, fossil hunting, hiking, cave diving, and gardening.

“I’ve been working to protect wild Florida my entire life. Along the way, I’ve learned there are many avenues one can take to protect our planet. Conservation Florida’s approach is unique in the way it creates the immediate and lasting impact that Florida so desperately needs," Tessa said. “It's a privilege to work with a team of conservationists as passionate as myself, and I look forward to directing all of my energy to furthering our message to save wild Florida.”

Join us in welcoming our newest Conservation Florida teammates by making a donation today!

About Conservation Florida:

Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land conservancy working to conserve Florida’s water, wildlife, wild places, and protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, wildlife corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy, and nature-based recreation. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has prioritized strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat.