The event is set for Sunday, March 30, at The Yards in Ponte Vedra Beach
Jacksonville, Fla., March 3, 2025 – North Florida Land Trust will honor some important people dedicated to conservation at the upcoming Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration on Sunday, March 30, at The Yards in Ponte Vedra Beach. Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, Florida Senator Jennifer Bradley, Florida House Representative Sam Garrison, Jack Thornton, and Keith and Suzanne Langenberg will be awarded for their work as environmental stewards.
“All of our award winners this year have played a big part in saving and preserving Florida’s natural spaces, and we greatly appreciate all of their efforts,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “We could not do what we do without the support of people like Paul Renner, Jennifer Bradley, Sam Garrison, the dedication to conservation from landowners like Jack Thornton, and the stewardship of the land from those like Keith and Suzanne Langenberg. We appreciate all of their dedication to the mission of protecting natural spaces because it is now or never.”
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who served as the leader of the House from 2022-2024, will be presented with the Conservation Legacy Award. The NFLT Partner of the Year Award will be given to Florida Senator Jennifer Bradley and Florida House of Representative Sam Garrison, and the Volunteer of the Year Award will be bestowed on Keith and Suzanne Langenberg for their work as NFLT’s Bogey Creek Preserve stewards.
The Charlie Commander Land Conservation Award will be given to Jack Thornton. Thornton and his family donated nearly 400 acres on Amelia Island to NFLT to forever preserve the land near Egan’s Creek and Fort Clinch State Park, now named the Thornton Family Preserve. Thornton is the second recipient of this award, which was established last year in honor of Charlie Commander, who passed away in 2023. Commander left behind an enduring legacy and lifelong dedication to conservation. The award was created to recognize other visionary landowners dedicated to protecting and preserving the North Florida landscape.
NFLT’s Annual Meeting and Award Celebration brings the community together to reflect on the work of the nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to protecting natural landscapes and to celebrate conservation milestones achieved in its 25th anniversary year. The event will begin at noon and includes a Mimosa reception, brunch, and a program.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, an American anthropologist, former college president, and museum director. She has received many awards and accolades throughout her impressive career, including the National Humanities Medal in 2021 by the National Endowment for the Humanities (https://www.neh.gov/award/johnnetta-b-cole), which she received for her work to advance the American understanding of Black culture and racial inclusion. Dr. Cole’s family also has a notable legacy. Her great-grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, founded American Beach on Amelia Island, which was established in 1935 to give African Americans access to a beach during segregation.
Tickets for the event and sponsorship opportunities are available. For information on sponsoring NFLT’s Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration or to purchase an individual ticket, visit nflt.org/2025/01/01/2025-nflt-annual-meeting-sunday-march-30/ or contact Lee Anderson Louy at LAndersonLouy@NFLT.org or Brenda Lynch at [BLynch@NFLT.org]BLynch@NFLT.org.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life by protecting North Florida's irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org.