TAS Elections at May 7 General Meeting

By Will Laurie, Nominating Committee Chair

We will hold the election of Tampa Audubon Officers and Directors at the May 7 membership meeting. Members can vote either in person or on Zoom. Please plan to attend and vote! The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate of candidates endorsed by the TAS Board of Directors for the following positions:

PRESIDENT:  Jessica Parrish

Jessica joined the Board of Directors in June 2021 and became Vice President in 2023. Currently serving as Chair of both our Membership & Tabling Committees, coordinating speakers outside of TAS, and volunteering as a docent at the Lettuce Lake Park Joel Jackson Nature Center. Before getting involved with TAS, Jessica obtained a B.S. in Biology at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI, and worked on conservation programs with piping plovers in Cape Cod, and golden‐cheeked warblers in Texas.

Statement: With Ann stepping down as President, it is natural for people to look to the Vice President to take up the mantle. So it is no surprise that the question I have been asked more than once is, “Are you sure you want to be President?”  

I joined Tampa Audubon Society four years ago, right in the middle of the pandemic. Like many people, that time slowed life down enough for me to really reflect. I found myself asking, “What am I doing with my life? Is this how I want to contribute?”

My path had always pointed toward the environment. After earning my biology degree, I hoped to build a career around that passion. But the Great Recession pushed me in a different direction, and I ended up in Corporate America instead.

The pandemic gave me space to rethink things and to imagine how I could rebuild a sense of community with the environment at the center. That is when Tampa Audubon Society came into my life. I joined, got involved quickly, became a Board Member, and two years later stepped into the Vice President role.

People often point out that I take on a lot. And they are right, because this is where my passion leads me. I believe deeply in the community we are creating together. A community of people who care about the world around us and who want to protect the places where we live and explore.

A community that sees the world through our feathered friends, the birds we chase, admire, and welcome into our yards. We know that when a place is healthy for birds, it is healthy for us too. So yes, I am sure.

I would be honored to serve as President of Tampa Audubon Society. I want to continue the work we have started, strengthen the community we are building, and I would love for you to join me on that journey.

VICE PRESIDENT:  Mic McCarty 

Mic’s lifelong interest in birds, nature and the environment led him to pursue birding as a personal passion. He is a retired Army pilot and middle school teacher, bringing discipline and a spirit of exploration to his educational work.

Mic teaches aviation to youngsters at the Destiny Aviation summer camps at the Sun-n-Fun. Mic is the Field Trip Coordinator for Tampa Audubon and regularly leads bird walks where he shares his enthusiasm for nature. He participates in bird surveys and leads the Fred and Ida Schultz Preserve survey. Mic participates in Christmas Bird Counts, Nestwatch, and Bluebird Trails, contributing valuable data to conservation efforts and helping protect native bird populations for future generations. 

Statement: In addition to my longstanding passion for birds and the environment, I believe serving as Vice President of Tampa Audubon would allow me to further support our mission of education, conservation, and community engagement.

My 13 years as a TAS member have given me a deep appreciation for our organization’s impact and a strong desire to contribute more substantially to its continued growth and success.

Drawing on my experience as a military officer, teacher, and network manager, I am confident I can help foster collaboration among our members, strengthen our outreach initiatives, and advance our conservation goals. I am excited about the opportunity to work alongside dedicated individuals who share my enthusiasm for protecting native bird populations and inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.

Together, I know we can achieve even greater things for Tampa Audubon and the communities we serve.

SECRETARY:  Will Laurie

Will was appointed to the Board in January, 2024, to fill a vacant position. Will became interested in birds in 2022 after getting into wildlife photography while focusing on alligators. Since learning what the common birds in their area were, they wanted to become as involved as they could with helping birds. They began with simple birding, moving to helping with Christmas Bird Counts, Eagle Watch, and Colony Watch volunteering.

Statement: I’m running for this position on the board because the responsibilities aligns with what I like to do most in organizations. In my career I have focused on managing assets in the pharmaceutical industry with precise organization skills and setting up meetings for managing physicians, while also taking minutes for said meetings.

It’s been an incredible pleasure serving as a Director for the last two years and I feel like I am ready for a jump up as it were. I have served as the Chair of the Nominating Committee and also as the Coordinator for the Colony Watch program, along with Project Burr-O in the past. I love working with this team and am really looking forward to continuing to do so in a new role!

TREASURER:  Michelle Hoffman Wrobel 

Michelle has been our Treasurer since 2017 and Webmaster since 2018. A Hillsborough County native, she is the Operations Manager for her husband's thriving CPA practice in Brandon.

Prior to that, she was an environmental scientist and wetland biologist for many years, and holds graduate degrees from the University of Guam, where she studied island karst, and the University of South Florida, where she studied waterbird diversity in urban freshwater ponds. She enjoys watching birds using the feeders outside her office window in Brandon as she works.

DIRECTOR:  Sherry Keller 

Sherry served as Secretary for the Board of Directors from 2010 to 2020. A Florida native, she grew up in Hillsborough County, and graduated from USF as a Geography major. For the last several years, her main focus with Tampa Audubon has been helping to monitor and maintain the Bluebird Trail at Flatwoods Park. She also helps with tabling events. bird counts, and leads the occasional field trip.

DIRECTOR:  Lucy Polak 

Lucy joined TAS in 2016 and the Board of Directors in July 2018. She has served on the TAS Membership and Nominating Committees. Lucy also owns and manages Wild Birds Unlimited in Tampa. She began feeding backyard birds with her parents as a child.

DIRECTOR:  Logan Lane  

Logan has been a member of Tampa Audubon since 2015.  He was born and raised in Tampa, where he currently resides. He attended Furman University and Stetson University College of Law.  Logan works as in-house counsel for a financial services firm. Logan has served on the TAS Board since May 2023, and has volunteered as a field trip leader. In addition to watching the birds in his backyard, he enjoys exploring the region’s nature preserves. 

DIRECTOR:  Sandy Townsend 

Sandy joined TAS in 2005 and has been on the Board of Directors since May 2019. She has served as secretary since June 2020.  She also serves as our newsletter editor. She decided not to run for another term as secretary, but would like to continue serving on the board and plans to continue as newsletter editor. Sandy became interested in birds when she started hanging feeders outside her window to brighten her view, and soon discovered a love of bird photography.