We had a great time at our annual Membership Dinner held at the Apalachicola Center for History, Culture, and Art this past Saturday, March 29. Diane Alix, Holly Curry, Allison Goodson and Dan Tonsmeire provided the crowd with a series of updates on all of our key projects and initiatives, followed by a delicious traditional low country boil dinner provided by Loco Catering along with vegan paella made by Chris Watkins. The Von Wamps and Dabbit provided a lively musical performance for the event.
We would also like to welcome three new members to Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s board of directors! Chris Watkins, Danielle Davidson, and Linda Buchanan.
Chris Watkins is a poet and writer originally from Illinois where they lived next to the largest human-constructed “lake” in the state. After coming to Tallahassee to earn their PhD in ecopoetics, Chris got involved with Riverkeeper and has been on two Rivertreks, in 2023 and 2024 and has been a member of ARK’s Development Committee for the past year. They look forward to continuing to help in the protection of one of Florida’s–and, indeed, the world’s–great rivers.
Danielle grew up in nearby Gulf Breeze, FL where from a young age, her father taught her the ways of finding and catching fish. Now, Danielle has connected her dedication to conserving local fish habitats and all who call it home with the culture of the fly fishing community. She supports and leads local and national fly fishing organizations, is a steward of responsible angling and fly fishing education, and is one of the leading female voices in the rapidly growing community of fly anglers.
Linda Buchanan joined the board after a 45 year career in higher education, most recently having served as president of a small college in Georgia. She also served in the US Navy for 23 years as a reservist, retiring as a Captain. She is engaged with several local volunteer efforts, and also serves in the board of trustees of LaGrange College as well as the United Methodist Commission on Higher Education.
Thanks also to our 2025 Membership Dinner Sponsors John and Dodie Alber, Diane Alix, Holly Parker Curry, Craig Diamond, Allison Goodson, Susan Macken, Ivo Marcich, and Katie McCormick. Thanks to Valentina Webb and the whole team from the Apalachicola Center for History, Culture, and Art for providing access to their amazing venue. Special thanks to Mike Price and Tom Herzog for tending bar for us, John and Dodie Alber for bringing their fantastic brownies, Mary Balthrop and Susan Macken for bringing delicious treats, and to Billie Macken for all her help setting up for the event.
