Laurel Nesbit is a lifelong resident of Alachua County. Laurel is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, currently on staff at the University of Florida Counseling and Wellness Center. In addition to her interest in preserving our natural resources, Laurel is active in local political circles and is a volunteer trainer at the Alachua County Crisis Center. Laurel joined the board of ACT in 2010.  

Kim Davidson, originally from Virginia, received a B.A. degree in Biology from Colgate University and a M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia where she subsequently completed an internship and residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology. She moved to Gainesville in 1989, for fellowship training at the University of Florida and then completed a residency in Family Medicine. She worked in private practice from 1994-2017, and since retirement has been assisting with the Family Practice residency program at North Florida Regional Medical Center. She holds a passion for the environment and wildlife photography, and can often be found exploring the natural areas of Florida. It is her hope and desire to see Florida protected and preserved for the generations ahead.

Long time board member and current Secretary Alison Blakeslee settled in North Florida after graduating from the University of Florida. A life-long private investigator, she owns her own Gainesville-based investigative agency, Fisher & Blakeslee, Inc., working primarily for attorneys in complex litigation. She was instrumental in gaining state approval for the Lake Santa Fe Florida Forever Project, designed to purchase and protect nearly 11,000 acres within the Santa Fe River watershed. In 2005 she received the Environmental Eagle Award for her lake conservation work. 

Creed "Trey" Greer previously served two years as President of the Board of Directors of Alachua Conservation Trust and has been a board member since February, 2010. Growing up in the flatwoods and on the barrier islands of panhandle Florida, he learned to appreciate the natural world. Living in Alachua County since 1979, he became convinced of the importance of advocating for conservation. At the University of Florida, Creed is Director of the University Writing Program, where he develops and teaches writing courses for the next generation of social scientists, anthropologists, engineers, and lawyers--those young people who will need to think clearly and speak well about the importance of saving our land and water.

Anne Barkdoll grew up climbing trees and playing in the woods around Hockessin, Delaware. She has an M.S. in Soil Science and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida. She is a biologist involved in land management with the Florida Park Service. Since 1991 she has served on various committees including: the Alachua County Environmental Protection Advisory Committee, the Citizen Advisory Committee to the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, and the Alachua County Land Conservation Board. She has been a member of the board of directors of Alachua Conservation Trust since 1992 and has served as secretary, president, and treasurer.

Bruce DeLaney grew up in Gainesville, obtained a degree in Biology from Emory University and returned to Gainesville where he has spent a 44 year career in real estate. For 31 years until retirement, he was Asst. VP for Real Estate for the University of Florida Foundation. In that role he oversaw many conservation land transactions, passing almost 15,000 acres of land gifts to UF into public ownership. When conservation monies dried up, he transitioned to making cities more attractive places to live as the best way to reduce urban sprawl. He spent the remainder of his career deeply involved with urban redevelopment, serving as founding chair of the College Park/University Heights Redevelopment Advisory Board, as well being deeply involved in Innovation Square, the University of Florida’s urban R&D Park.

Czerne Reid is an Instructional Associate Professor and Program Director for the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and affiliate faculty in the UF College of Journalism and Communications Department of Journalism. She earned a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry at Emory University, and a graduate certificate in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her bachelor's degree in chemistry is from the University of the West Indies, Mona, in her native Jamaica. Czerne teaches science journalism and leads graduate-level online courses and programs in psychiatry-related subject areas such as addiction and autism. She is also an independent science journalist, serving as a contributing editor for Science News, and publishing in National Geographic and other outlets. She co-chairs the education committee of the National Association of Science Writers and serves on the Committee on Science & Technology Engagement with the Public, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a member of the American Medical Writers Association, the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences and the Association of Health Care Journalists. Czerne serves on the UF Faculty Senate (starting Fall 2021), the University Curriculum Committee, the University Libraries Committee, and the UF Library Leadership Board.

Fred Cantrell is a graduate of the University of Florida's school of accounting, and he retired from UF as Associate Vice President for Business Affairs and served as the Director for the National Conference on College Cost Accounting. He initiated the process to achieve for UF campus-wide designation as an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary, making UF the first university nationally to earn this certification. He was involved in the establishment of UF's Office of Sustainability. He served as treasurer for Historic Gainesville, Inc., Thomas Center Associates and the House of Hope of Alachua County, Inc.

Howard Jelks is a Gainesville native, but spent his formative years in Sarasota, Florida. His parents cultivated his love of nature through local outings and foreign expeditions. Howard did his undergraduate studies in biological sciences at Florida State University, before coming to the University of Florida for his master's. He has been a fish biologist with the U.S. Department of Interior since 1992 and specializes in the ecology and population monitoring of imperiled fishes, but also works on nonindigenous species and even marine taxa. He enjoys many outdoor activities like cycling and boating with his wife Lisa. Howard joined the board of ACT in 2000 and served as its President for three years.

Mary Jane Angelo is a Professor of Law, Director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program, and Alumni Research Scholar at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She is also Affiliate Faculty in both the University of Florida School of Natural Resources and Water Institute. She received her B.S., with High Honors, in biological sciences from Rutgers University, and both her M.S., in Entomology, and J.D., with Honors, from the University of Florida. She has published extensively on a variety of environmental law topics including pesticide law, endangered species law, water and wetlands law, sustainable agriculture, the regulation of genetically modified organisms, and the relationship between law and science. Prior to joining academia, Professor Angelo practiced as an environmental lawyer for many years. She served in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Administrator and Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., and as Senior Assistant General Counsel for the St. Johns River Water Management District in Florida.

Michael Castine was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. A graduate of Florida State University and the University of Florida, he worked on the Hogtown Creek Greenway land acquisition project for Alachua Conservation Trust in its early years. He has been a land use planning consultant and now works in the Alachua County Growth Management Department as a Comprehensive Planner. He has been a member of the ACT board since 1996, serving as president from 2000 to 2004. In addition to his service with ACT, he is a member of the Board of Directors of ACT's sister organization, Historic Haile Homestead.

Muthusami Kumaran is the Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management & Community Organizations, Department of Family, Youth & Community Sciences, IFAS, University of Florida. Kumaran was born and raised in a small town in Southern India. He moved to the USA in 1993. He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Urban & Public Affairs. His teaching, research and service works revolve around organizational capacity building for nonprofits in the US and NGOs around the world. He has presented in several international environmental conferences including IUCN's World Conservation Congress. He serves on the Global Environmental Advisory Committee, Jeju, South Korea. He is a life-long nature lover and a huge fan of US National Parks. He has visited and stayed-in 22 National Parks, and has the life-time ambition to visit all the 59 Parks with his family. He has camped in several states and in Canada. His daughter Janani, a born tree-hugger, had her first camping at the Red River Gorge, Kentucky, when she was 3 months old.

Pegeen Hanrahan is a Professional Engineer and Principal of Community and Conservation Solutions, LLC. She served as Gainesville’s Mayor from 2004-2010, and as City Commissioner from 1996-2002, leaving office both times as a result of term limits. Pegeen has over 25 years of experience in environmental remediation, grant writing, land conservation, and local government finance. Pegeen was ACT’s Executive Director from 1990-2003, and has been on the board for 13 years. She served as Campaign Manager for a statewide citizens’ initiative, Florida’s Water and Land Legacy (FWLL) and Deputy Manager for Amendment 1 to provide sustained funding for land and water conservation and ecosystem management. This effort passed with 75% voter approval on the 2014 ballot. She has worked on eight successful bond, sales tax or property tax campaigns for Florida local governments for the Trust for Public Land. On ballot measure campaigns Pegeen has worked on, the overall win rate is 85%. Pegeen was named the winner of Florida Audubon’s “Women in Conservation” award in 2013. She holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees from the University of Florida in Environmental Engineering, and a B.A. in Sociology.

Peter NeSmith is a seventh generation Floridian, born and raised in Gainesville. A graduate of the University of Florida, he has a Bachelors of Science in botany. He has worked as a conservation biologist and plant ecologist with Water & Air, Research, Inc. since 1990. Peter has been a member of the board of directors for Alachua Conservation Trust since 2003 and a director at large on the state board of the Florida Native Plant Society from 2003-2007. He is a professional wetland scientist with the Society of Wetland Scientists and a certified prescribed fire burn boss.