Please join us for refreshments at our Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.

Bailey Homestead Preserve Pavilion

1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

5:00 - Refreshments

5:30 - Presidential Greetings - Anne Nobles

CEO Comments - James Evans

Treasurer’s Report - John Raho

Legacy Society Inductions - Cheryl Giattini and James Evans 

SCCF “Ding” Darling Brush of Excellence Environmental Art Program - Sandy Gross

Recognition of Outgoing Trustees – Anne Nobles and James Evans

Nominating Committee Report/Introduction of Nominees - Laura Shaffer

Bob was born and raised in Northern Minnesota and has spent a lifetime enjoying the outdoors, resulting in a great appreciation for wildlife, natural ecosystems, and the importance of conservation. Bob attended the University of Minnesota and received a bachelor's degree in Accounting as well as a master's degree in Finance. He also obtained his CPA certification.

Bob retired in 2022 from ALLETTE, Inc. as Senior VP/CFO. At ALLETTE, he is proud to have helped establish and execute a strategy that successfully positioned the $3.2 billion market cap company as a leader in the renewable/clean energy sector. In addition to his senior finance roles and experience at ALLETTE, Bob also held a multitude of CEO/President roles at various new business growth ventures. He also has a depth of experience in the area of risk management and business development, including acquisitions, divestitures, and partnerships.

Bob and his wife, Nancy, have been active in efforts to help preserve sensitive watershed areas in central Minnesota. One such project included establishing a community task force to stop a proposed housing development on approximately 200 acres of sensitive wetlands on one of Minnesota’s most pristine lakes. After almost six years, they helped to successfully secure and protect that property and it is now one of the largest public Aquatic Management Areas in the state.

Bob came to know Sanibel after attending annual Board meetings as an executive in the late 1990s at the Sundial Resort. Bob and Nancy were able to explore Sanibel and they fell in love with the island and were impressed with the unique and successful approach and commitment to conservation. Bob and Nancy’s dream came true when they were able to purchase a retirement home on Sanibel in 2020.  Bob joined the Finance Committee of SCCF in the first half of 2023.

Scott has been visiting Sanibel and Captiva his entire life. His earliest memories are of summer vacations spent on the islands with his parents and grandparents where they enjoyed beachcombing, swimming, and exploring the natural landscape of the islands. He has since carried on those traditions with his own family, spending many holidays and summers on the islands. Scott and his wife, Amanda, live in Lubbock, Texas, and visit Sanibel for extended periods typically in the summer. All three of his children, Alexander, Culley, and Anna Katherine have been heavily involved in Sanibel Sea School for many years.

Scott attended the University of Oklahoma, receiving a B.S. in Zoology in 1995 with the intention of going into wildlife management in graduate school. Scott received his Juris Doctor from Texas Tech School of Law in 2003. Scott has over 27 years managing family business interests as well as holding a number of positions in ExL Petroleum, headquartered in Midland, Texas, before retiring in 2022. Scott continues to practice law and manage commercial interests in Texas and Florida. Scott has served several organizations as a Board Member and was a Board Trustee for Trinity School of Midland from 2013-2019.

Scott has been involved in several conservation organizations both locally in his home state of Texas as well as being involved in supporting SCCF and the Sanibel Sea School for many years. Scott can often be found on the trails of Sanibel photographing wildlife and enjoying the natural beauty of the islands. Scott also enjoys boating and fishing with his family, road cycling, riding his Harley Davidson, and travelling the country in the family RV.

Scott Hendershot is a retired sales executive with over 25 years of experience managing national accounts for a global pharmaceutical manufacturer. In this role, he led multi-functional teams responsible for strategic planning, supply chain management, and patient care programs supporting retail and hospital pharmacies nationwide. He graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in Economics and Psychology.

Scott and his wife Yuka have been visiting the islands of Sanibel and Captiva from Ohio for the past 15 years and consider Southwest Florida their second home. Sanibel Sea School has been an integral part of their island experience making them more connected to the local community and influencing their daughter, Abby, to start a career in Environmental Education after graduating from The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University. The educational approach and stewardship lessons taught at Sanibel Sea School have had a lasting impact on Scott’s family and will help guide his service as a Trustee at SCCF.

Since his retirement, he has been actively involved with several organizations and most recently was a member of the inaugural Parent and Family Council at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. During his visits to Sanibel, Scott enjoys kayaking the east end canals, participating with Ocean Tribe Paddlers, photography, and shelling with his wife.

Sanibel artist and former NBC-2 news anchor Rachel Pierce paints modern, fantastical original art in oil and acrylic reflecting the natural beauty and abundant wildlife found only in tropical Southwest Florida. A lifelong artist, Rachel grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and it was her 19-year career in TV journalism that first brought her to Fort Myers.

In 2020, Rachel decided to step away from the anchor desk to pursue her first dream – becoming a full-time artist. She quickly established a following with her live-streamed painting sessions and online store, and after various pop-up shops and live-painting presentations throughout Southwest Florida, Rachel made her debut exhibition with “Ocean Treasures” at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in December 2020. She had the distinct honor of being the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge 2021 Artist in Residence, and soon after, Rachel, her husband, and their four children made the move to Sanibel Island.

The Rachel Pierce Art Gallery opened in January of 2022 at 1571 Periwinkle Way, and just several months later, Hurricane Ian swept through Southwest Florida. Rachel’s home, gallery, and off-island storage were all flooded, destroying much of her family’s belongings, original paintings, and merchandise inventory.

In the wake of the hurricane, Rachel found hope and inspiration in the iconic Sanibel Lighthouse and opened the outdoor space surrounding her gallery to host various island businesses and organizations, 17 in total, in an “Outdoor Gallery & Island Market.”

Outside of painting, Rachel enjoys giving back to a community that she says has given her so much. Rachel is a volunteer in the children’s area at her Fort Myers church, Riverside, has served on numerous non-profit boards, and currently sits on the Charitable Foundation of the Islands board. Rachel is also a member of the Sanibel Kiwanis Club, the PTA, and the Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association. In partnership with SCCF, Rachel recently designed the S.E.A Water Cans.

As General Counsel for Great Prairie Risk Solutions, Kate provides risk management consultation, litigation management, and outside counsel services for the clients of Great Prairie Risk Solutions, a firm located near Chicago, Illinois. In 2011, Kate established and currently manages Great Prairie’s Florida office located in Sanibel, Florida.

Kate is honored to be adjunct faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University in the Legal Studies Department teaching a variety of courses. She previously taught at the University of Illinois - Chicago and Oakton Community College.

In 2015, Kate created On Island, a unique shop and brand that expresses the connection visitors and residents have to Sanibel and Captiva islands. She designs all the tee shirts and developed a large social media following.

Kate has a long history of non-profit work but currently serves on the Board of the Island Water Association and the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. She is also the Vice President and Chair of Advocacy of the Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva. Zonta is an international organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. Kate is a supporter of SCCF and is connected to Coastal Wildlife Sea Turtle Research.

Kate has been an attorney since 1995. She started her legal career as a criminal prosecutor in Chicago and after worked in a law firm doing commercial litigation. She then served as in-house counsel for a national non-profit organization. She has been in her current position since 2008.

She earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois - Chicago Law School.