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. Read More

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.

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.

Carmela French joined the TREE Board in 2022. She is a legal recruiter for EarthJustice DC, and talent management consultant. She holds a BA in Conservation Biology from New College of Florida, and was a leader and Chair for the DC Chapter of the Climate Reality Project from 2017-2019.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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).

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.

Honorary Chairman of the Board

• Thomas Lovejoy, Ph.D.

Director of Education

• Dr. Pamela Montero Alvarez

Exploration Chair

• Dan Bennett

Research Associates (non-voting)

• Dr. Anthony Ambrose
• Wendy Baxter
• Dr. Soubadra Devy
• Snousha Glaude
• Melanie Herrera
• Bhaskar Krishnamurthy
• Worku Mulat
• Dr. Natalie Tara Schmitt
• Bryson Voirin

Board Chair Emeritus

• Robert A. Richardson

Webmaster

• David Martin