Cast your vote in the 2021 FTA Board of Directors Election As a member of the Florida Trail Association, you have the privilege of casting your vote in the 2021 Board of Directors election. You have a voice, and we want to hear it!
SEVERAL WAYS TO CAST YOUR VOTE!
By Mail: on page 11, there’s a paper copy of the ballot that can be mailed. Mail in ballots must be received by March 26, 2021.
Mail your ballot to: Florida Trail Association 1022 NW 2nd Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Electronically: There is now an option to vote online! Visit: www.floridatrail.org/about-us/ourboard/
Online voting will close March 26, 2021. The new Board of Directors will be announced at the FTA Annual Meeting April 3, 2021 This will be a virtual meeting and all members will be emailed a link to the event prior to the meeting. *You must be an FTA member in order to vote. Note, only one vote per membership. If you choose to submit your ballot by mail, you will not need to vote electronically. The Florida Trail Association Nominating Committee has verified all applicant qualifications. To learn more about the 2021 candidates, please read the bios below. If you wish to learn more about Board of Director duties and responsibilities, head to www.floridatrail.org.
President: David Waldrop David is a graduate of USF with a BS in Engineering Technology and is employed by the Lake Wales Charter School District. He has been a member of the Florida Trail Association since 2005, having joined after doing trail maintenance with members of the Heartland Chapter. He is a section leader for the Kissimmee River section of the FNST and the current President of the Board of Directors. 1st VP Governance and Administration: Deborah Schroth Deborah thanks Leslie Wheeler for enticing her to become a member of the North Florida TrailBlazers after an introduction to the FTA during the IDidAHike in and around the Goldhead State Park area of the FTA. Deborah has done trail maintenance work and volunteered for IDidAHike for several years, until being grounded by the Coronavirus protocols. She is proud to have a National Scenic Trail in Florida and knows the importance of managing this resource. She is a Florida public 28
Florida Trail Association
interest attorney interested in environmental matters with experience in both state and federal regulatory matters. For almost 25 years she has worked for non-profit law firms, gaining public advocacy skills, including legislative and administrative advocacy. Deborah has served on the Board of Directors of numerous non-profit organizations during her career and has served most recently as the FTA’s Secretary after serving as an at-large Board member. 4th VP Development and Outreach: Leslie Wheeler Leslie has been a member of Florida Trail Association ever since she went with the Western Gate Chapter on a field trip to Garcon Point and observed rare pitcher plants on her hands and knees. She has been an active member of the North Florida Trailblazers in Jacksonville since 2000. Her experiences as an FTA volunteer led her to become a Florida Master Naturalist, as the Florida Trail provides wonderful access to our natural places. Leslie has served on FTA’s Board for many years in various capacities, most recently as President. She is looking forward to working more to raise awareness and funds for FTA to support our mission. FloridaTrail.org
Leslie graduated from Millsaps College with a BS in Biology. She became a medical technologist and earned her Specialist in Blood Banking at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. She has a Master of Healthcare Administration from Tulane University. After a long career of managing transfusion services at Florida hospitals, she now works part time as a validation specialist for a healthcare software company. Secretary: Darryl Updegrove Darryl grew up in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in electrical engineering, he has spent the last 33 years working for the U.S. Government, first in Virginia, and now in Panama City, Florida. He received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Florida State University (FSU) in 1998, and Masters of Business Administration from FSU in 2012. He joined the Panhandle chapter of the FTA in 2016, and has since become co-chair, chair, director (current), activity leader, activity coordinator (current), and has a National Sawyer Certification Card. He enjoys cycling and hiking. He is active in his church, where he plays the electric bass for worship services.
