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Newsroom . 2008 Board of Directors
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2008 Annual Meeting - Friends Board elects new officers and Board members.
Bottom row (from left to right): Roxann Hanson, Allison Pappas (Treasurer), Lisa Ostberg (President), Ricky Pires. Back Row (from left to right): Tom Murray, John Gibson, West McCann (Secretary) and Bob Erbstein (Vice President). Missing from the picture are Brian Call and Jeff Carter.
Lisa Ostberg, President joined the Friends of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and its Board in early 2007. Her education includes studies in Chemical Engineering, Computer Programming and Psychology at several universities. She has worked in the insurance industry since 1980, conducting both market and marketing research studies ranging from product and strategic analysis to all aspects of competitive intelligence for both insurance trade associations and major insurance carriers. Lisa has been self-employed since 1998 as a research consultant and continues to work primarily in the insurance industry, although occasionally she conducts golf consumer studies for other clients. She first moved to south Florida in third grade and has seen first-hand many of the effects of over-development on Florida and its native creatures, and hopes to make a small difference by working to preserve the endangered, vulnerable, and regal Florida panther as well as the wilderness it requires and shares with other threatened or endangered species. Lisa served for several years as a Docent at the Palm Beach Zoo and since moving to the Naples area has become involved with the Friends' group. When not working, her passions are travel and nature photography (cats in particular, large and small). Her family includes three fairly domesticated Siamese cats, who are known "technically" as LOSC3, LOSC4, and LOSC5, but who sometimes respond to the names Elmo, Tawny and Pumpkin.
West McCann, CFA is the Managing Director of the Naples Fifth Avenue office of Northern Trust Bank. West joined Northern Trust in 2001 and has 27 years of diverse investment management experience. He is responsible for the daily operations and new business development of the Naples Fifth Avenue office and oversees a staff of 20 trust, investment, and banking professionals. Recognized as an innovative thought leader, he previously held the position of portfolio manager and team leader with Northern Trust in Southwest Florida. West is a graduate of Georgia State University with a BBA as a Finance major and is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is a member of the CFA Institute and Investment Management Consultant Association. An avid outdoorsman promoting the conservation and charitable needs of Collier County, West serves as a volunteer board member for the United Way, Audubon of Florida, Naples Community Hospital Planned Giving Committee, and Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge. West and his wife Julie reside in Naples with their two sons, West and Will.
Tom Murray left the position as Board President after the January 28 annual meeting and assumed the role of Executive Director on February 1, 2008. In this capacity he will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Friends. Prior to moving to Naples in 2001, Tom served as Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic states with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, Regional Manager for the Northeast states for a multi-lateral chamber of commerce, international trade consultant with the Delaware River Port Authority, and executive director of an international trade association in Philadelphia. In these capacities, Tom traveled extensively through the Middle East. He received a B.S. in Marketing from LaSalle University and a Masters in Public Administration from Penn State.
Roxann Hanson possesses twenty years experience in the Twin Cities area with companies ranging in size from large (The Pillsbury Company) to entrepreneurial (Hanson Design, Inc.). Her career accomplishments were concentrated in the areas of Corporate Employee Communications, Compensation and Benefits, Employment, Strategic Planning, and Accounting. She has served on boards for the following organizations: Preco Inc., Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, St. Croix Valley Employer's Association, Hudson Golf Club, and Hanson Design, Inc. Educational background includes an MA in Industrial Relations, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota and a BS in Psychology (minors in Math and Chemistry) from the University of Arizona.
John L. Gibson is a graduate of the University of Georgia System with a degree in Human Resources Management. During the Vietnam War he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served two tours in Vietnam. Chief Gibson retired from the Navy, after a distinguished career, having served twenty-four years. In 1991 John joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a computer specialist working with databases for the Fire Program. As his second career progressed he was assigned, under the IT Department of Region 4, the territory of the State of Florida. His responsibilities included all computer hardware, software and networks at twenty-eight National Wildlife Refuges. Retiring from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in March 2006, he settled in southwest Florida with his wife of thirty-five years, Maggie. After retirement John and Maggie joined the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge and have donated many hours of service to the cause. John is currently serving as the Friends Newsletter Editor and Database Manager.
Allison Pappas is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Business. After graduation, Allison moved to Massachusetts to pursue a career in magazine editing and publishing. In 2002, Allison changed careers and ventured into banking. In 2004, she relocated from Massachusetts to Naples where she currently is employed with Branch Banking & Trust as a Financial Center Leader. Allison joined the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge group in March 2007 because she loves her two domestic kitties and wants to help save Florida Panthers. She is currently serving as the Friends' Treasurer.
