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TREE FOUNDATION, a non-profit charitable organization

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About

TREE Foundation’s mission is to support tree research, education, and exploration. TREE was founded in 2000 to encourage donors who care about environmental sustainability to fund the design and construction of a canopy walkway in Florida subtropical forests. In the years since, TREE has inspired treetop exploration and research around the world, positively impacting forest conservation and children’s engagement with nature

Margaret “Meg” Lowman Ph.D.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Margaret “Meg” Lowman Ph.D., known affectionately throughout the world as “Canopy Meg,” is a global pioneer in forest canopy ecology. She is one of the world’s foremost “arbornauts” — someone who explores and studies the vast forest canopies that make up what Meg has termed the Earth’s “eighth continent.” A tireless educator, strong advocate for girls, women, and minorities in science, Meg has published numerous books, is a sustainability advisor, contributes to boards, and speaks widely and frequently to diverse groups, schools, and international symposiums and conferences.

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Vanessa Wassenar​​

PRESIDENT

Vanessa Wassenar, CEO of Creating Resilient Schools, aims to create resilient schools and non-profits that are responsive to today’s competitive marketplace. She brings more than thirty-five years of educational executive and administrative experience and trusteeship in colleges, universities, independent schools, and various non-profit enterprises. Her extensive expertise includes financial analysis, modeling and planning, administrative triage, strategic and campus master planning, re/accreditation and self-study, and governance.

Soon after graduating from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, Vanessa worked at the University of California-San Diego for nearly 20 years in various capacities. As Director of Research Administration for two divisions at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, she managed contracts and logistics for coastal research oceanographers worldwide. As founding Director of the Office of Sports Facilities and Programs, she was responsible for about $90MM of facilities construction and the “out of classroom” programming for 14,000 students in five colleges.

Educational institutions she has served as a consultant include Brooklyn Friends School, Oliver Scholars, Bentley School, The Archer School for Girls, St. Johnsbury Academy, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Penn State University – Abington, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, and many others around the U.S.

From 2001 through 2003, Vanessa was also the Director of Resource Management and Strategic Planning at Emma Willard School. Prior to that role, she was Chief of Staff to the President of Bennington College.

Board

Robert Beck

Robert Beck

BOARD MEMBER

Robert Beck MD, MBA, joined the TREE Foundation board in 2022. He is earnestly concerned about climate change and the impact of man on the global inventory of forests. Dr. Beck seeks to strategize and implement sustainable solutions to these issues. A biology major in college, Dr. Beck’s career includes leading newborn intensive care services for Fairfax Neonatal Associates in Virginia as President (1997-2005) and Board Member (2006-2022).
Amy Berquist

Amy C. Berquist

BOARD MEMBER

As Vice-President for Conservation, Education and Sustainability for Lindblad Expeditions, Amy oversees Responsible Exploration programming and joint initiatives with National Geographic. Since 1999, her passion for experiential outdoor learning and mission-driven work have led her to the TREE Foundation. She has experience working in many of the countries in which TREE has or will have significant impact as we expand our canopy walkway “necklace.” Amy has a BA in Anthropology and English from the College of William and Mary and a Graduate certificate in Documentary Studies from the Salt Institute of Documentary Studies.
Michael Brown

Michael Brown

LEGAL COUNSEL / EX OFFICIO

Michael Brown, Esq., is the co-founder of the TREE Foundation and has been actively associated with TREE Foundation since creating its Articles of Incorporation in March 1999. Over the years, he has served TREE in various capacities as research associate, legal counsel, and board member. Now retired from his full-time legal practice, he remains a staunch advocate for trees, environmental justice, and social justice.
Geraldine Carroll TREE Foundation Board Member

Geraldine "Bean" Carroll

BOARD MEMBER

Geraldine “Bean” Carroll is the Chief Operating Officer of a medical practice in Middleburg, VA and the manager of a rental property portfolio with locations across the east coast. She has worked as a bookkeeper and office manager for many years and is a passionate environmental conservationist. Bean has served on several boards that focus on plant conservation and horticultural education including the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Center for Plant Conservation and most recently the Friends of the State Arboretum with the University of Virginia at Blandy. She has been a member of the Garden Club of America for over 25 years. Her primary focus with the GCA has been conservation and in the past has chaired GCA’s Zone XI’s conservation committee. Bean holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University in International Studies and a Graduate Certificate from Northwestern University in Accounting.
MICHAEL DEXTER

Michael Dexter

BOARD MEMBER

Michael Dexter joined the board in 2019 and is a conservationist with a wealth of experience working on environmental policy at the international, national, and local levels. A former student of Meg Lowman’s, he can personally attest to the importance and impact that tree research, exploration, and education have on inspiring the next generation of conservationists.
elizabeth-moore

Elizabeth Moore

BOARD MEMBER

Elizabeth Moore is a Sarasota conservationist and philanthropist. From 2020 through 2023, she served as TREE’s board president. Moore is well-known in southwest Florida conservation and philanthropic circles as a woman fiercely devoted to not just championing but also personally funding initiatives that protect the planet and provide education about the environment, particularly for youth.
Dan Moriarty board member

Dan Moriarty

SECRETARY

Dan lives in Sarasota with his wife and dog, and he has called many places home. He was born and raised overseas in Africa and Latin America, worked internationally, and spends part of each year in Spain.

Dan’s professional background includes international development, global health supply chain, capacity building, leadership development, and organizational development.

Currently, Dan provides consulting services focused on information design, and participates actively in an inter-disciplinary collaborative focused on relational coordination and AI. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (El Salvador, Municipal Development) and is fluent in Spanish.

His undergraduate and graduate degrees include international relations, and organizational psychology and leadership, while he also studied horticulture, forestry, botany, and Spanish.

His love of Sarasota’s natural beauty inspired him to join Tree Foundation’s community building efforts, where he shares his experience in service of tree research, education, and exploration.

He finds inspiration through nature and people, seeking connection through each. In his free time, Dan enjoys gardening and exercising outdoors. He is an avid reader of non-fiction, cognitive science, and philosophy.

Megan Pendell

BOARD MEMBER

Megan is an interdisciplinary sustainability leader and cross-pollinator of people, planet, and purpose. She weaves together science, storytelling, and stewardship to cultivate resilient ecosystems and thriving communities. With a passion for environmental conservation, regenerative practices, and community care, Megan thrives at the nexus of nature and human connection, supporting the work of wild and worldly transformation. She has roots in local government, nonprofit, research, and grassroots organizations, including experience as Chair of the Board of Directors of Trees for the Triangle and now as Chief Philanthropy Officer.

Michael R. Pender, Jr.

CAVANAUGH & COMPANY TREASURER

Michael R. Pender, Jr., is a Sarasota-based CPA, and has been an organizing director for several Gulf Coast banks. He has experience in all phases of public accounting, including auditing, tax, financial planning, business advisory services, as well as fraud and forensic accounting. In addition to his work and support for the TREE Foundation, he has spent much of the last 40 years, serving his community on the boards of local, state and national nonprofit organizations.
Laura Peters

Laura Peters

BOARD MEMBER

As a long-time supporter of TREE Foundation Laura Peters is excited to play a part in the organization as it grows and excels in its mission for tree research, education and exploration. Laura’s love and appreciation for the environment is reflected by her commitment to causes that preserve our natural world.

DC Randle

BOARD MEMBER

DC Randle is a career K-12 science educator, who has mentored and inspired many students of diversity. Randle teamed up with TREE president Lowman to co-host the Jason Project in the rain forests of Belize. They have since partnered on long-term research with citizen scientists in the Peruvian Amazon. Randle also taught incarcerated students and has served on a number of national education boards, including TREE.
Alemayehu Wassie

Alemayehu Wassie

BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Alemayehu Wassie Eshete is the CEO of ORDA (Organization for Restoration of Degraded Areas) in northern Ethiopia, and one of the country’s top forest conservation biologists. He and Dr. Lowman have partnered for over a decade to conserve Ethiopia’s last remaining forests, which are called church forests and surround the Orthodox churches.
Alan member of tree foundation

Alan Winston

ADVOCACY COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Alan Winston is from Elmira , N.Y. and as a former teacher taught CanopyMeg in 9th grade. He is retiring this year from Morgan Stanley and looks forward to Co-Chairing the Tree Foundations new Advocacy Committee. Alan volunteers as a trustee on the Tanglewood Nature Center board of directors in Chemung County and as a trustee on the Corning Community College Regional Board of Directors.

Science Advisory Board

Meg Lowman

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TREE FOUNDATION

Pamela Montero, PhD is the Director of Education at the TREE Foundation. She is a conservation professional and interdisciplinary ecologist with over 17 years of experience advancing community-led initiatives in Latin America. Dr. Montero specializes in researching the relationships between conservation and tourism, social capital, protected area conservation strategies linked to sustainable development, striving for global sustainability goals, and community-based tourism. She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida and brings deep expertise in strategic facilitation, technical writing, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL). Throughout her career, she has