Three women serving in various capacities with nonprofit headquartered at Bay Preserve
In late October, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, which is based in Osprey, announced the newest members of its team: Brooke Langston, director of land protection; Shalla Ashworth, director of philanthropy; and Sarah Rubin, youth education manager.
These three have joined the not-for-profit land trust in support of the trust’s “urgent mission to protect Southwest Florida’s land and water for the benefit of people and nature,” a news release points out.
Langston earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of California-Santa Barbara, the release says. Before joining the Conservation Foundation’s staff, she spent nearly a decade with Sarasota County Government and 17 years with the National Audubon Society, first at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples and then in California, working in environmental education and coastal restoration, the release continues.
Overseeing the Foundation’s land protection and stewardship team, Langston works with landowners and other members of the community “to protect and improve the critical lands and imperiled habitats essential to the well being of our region,” the release says.
Ashworth, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in museum studies from Oklahoma University, began her career as the assistant director of the Old Capitol Museum on the University of Iowa campus, the release notes. She was promoted to the position of director in May 2006; in that capacity, the release adds, “she oversaw educational outreach programs, fundraising activities, collections management, and historic preservation of a National Historic Landmark.”
Ashworth “brings years of nonprofit experience,” including, most recently, her service as director of development for The Salvation Army Area Command in Fort Myers, the release points out.
Leading the Conservation Foundation’s philanthropy team, she “works to secure the funds necessary to fulfill the organization’s mission and ensure donors are connected to the opportunities best suited for their individual philanthropic goals,” the release explains.
Rubin earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Salisbury University, the release continues. Having been an environmental educator for more than 21 years, Rubin is focused on “sharing the wonders of our natural world,” the release says. “She is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation, a Project Wild facilitator, an open water SSI diver, and a twice-published scientific author,” the release points out.
The newest member of the Foundation’s education and outreach team, Rubin has worked in zoos, aquariums and parks across the country, enabling her “to provide incredible nature-based experiences for the diverse youth of Southwest Florida,” the release says.