Staff & Board
Meet the local, hardworking citizens at the helm of Florida Bay Forever.
Executive Director – NOW HIRING
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Board of Directors
VIVIAN MORRISON – CHAIR
Vivian Morrison is an Islamorada resident and nonprofit consultant with extensive experience in community engagement and fundraising. She has previously served as Director of Outreach for the Everglades Foundation and the Director of Community Relations for the University of Miami. Vivian has served on a wide range nonprofit boards and special event committees working with local, regional and national organizations. She lived in Puerto Rico for 15 years and speaks Spanish fluently.
JON TAINOW – TREASURER
Born and raised in Northern New Jersey, Jon is a railroad transportation professional with more than 38 years of experience. He is also a life long fishing enthusiast and advocate who has has volunteered and advised with the American Littoral Society, NY/NJ Baykeeper and the Waterkeeper Alliance. After retiring from Amtrak in 2011, Jon moved to Islamorada and has dedicated his time and effort to preserving the beauty of Florida Bay.
CAROLYN WIGHTMAN
Carolyn Wightman joined the board of directors in June 2022. She has been a resident and homeowner in the Florida Keys since the 1970’s. Carolyn connected with the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean after graduating from Stanford University in California and then living in the South Pacific islands of Tonga while with the Peace Corps. Married to legendary backcountry guide Captain Eddie Wightman, the waters of Florida Bay are part of the family. She says there’s hardly a blade of seagrass in Florida Bay that Eddie doesn’t know intimately, and their son Topher, also a captain, has grown up with salt water in his veins. As an entrepreneur and business owner, she’s an active educator and supporter of protecting our fragile environment. She has been a Take Stock in Children Mentor since 2010 and is a supporter of Friends of the Pool, the Fighting Manatees swim group, and the Saving Alligator Lighthouse Project. For several years she has served as Chairperson of the Parks & Recreation Committee for the Village of Islamorada.
John “Jay” Lentini
A full-time Keys resident since 2006, he is originally from Boston but went to college in Sarasota and spent 32 years in the Atlanta area. He owned an off-the grid and later on-the-grid home in No Name Key from 2001-2019 and was instrumental in bringing power, sewers and water to the island. He now lives in Islamorada with his wife, Nancy. He still enjoys an active career as a fire investigation consultant, operating as Scientific Fire Analysis, LLC. He has years of experience as a thought leader in the forensic science profession, chairing standards development agencies for fire investigations, analytical chemistry, and co-ordination of various forensic science disciplines. He has a lifelong interest in environmental protection and hopes to use his organizational skills to advance the cause of bringing more clean water for the bay.
Staff
Maggy Pollicino
Education & Outreach Coordinator
Maggy hails from Long Island where she grew up going to nature camp and catching frogs on the local trails. She graduated with a degree in Sustainability Studies and moved to New Hampshire where she spent a few years doing environmental and wildlife education, trail maintenance, invasive species removal, and collecting water quality data. After moving to the Keys to work with birds, she also began volunteering as a diver with the Department of Environmental Protection, Florida State Parks, and coral restoration organizations. Maggy is excited to continue to help folks foster relationships with the nature in their own backyards with Florida Bay Forever. When Maggy isn’t on the trails or in the water, you can find her making bagels or walking dogs!
Cody McDaniel
Eco Center Store Manager
Cody was born and raised in Blunt, South Dakota. After graduating from college he taught high school History and Marketing for over 20 years. Cody also has an extensive background in management, merchandising, and sales promotion.
Cody has been full time in Islamorada for just a few years but has coming down for long and short stays for nearly 40 years. He looks forward to keeping the store stocked and appealing to our visitors and continuing with the variety of educational opportunities provided by Florida Bay Forever.