Friends Adds New Board Members
PRESS RELEASE | March 16 | Kahlifah Powell and John Lyons have joined the Board of Directors of Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. In addition, changes to the volunteer Board include the appointment of Tammy Donnelly as the Secretary and the retirement of Curtis Penn who becomes a member of the Friends Honorary Advisory Board.
The Board of Directors of Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is responsible for the government of the organization and officer positions are assigned based on bylaws. The members of the Board who all volunteer their time and expertise, are Audrey Penn (Chair), Rare Boulon (Vice Chair), Tammy Donnelly (Secretary), Lani Clark (Treasurer), John Fuller, Julice Holder, Dr. Paul Jobsis, Shikima Jones-Sprauve, John Lyons, Adonis Morton, Kahlifah Powell (Young Professional), Miles Stair, and Dr. Kim Waddell. The Board meets monthly, requires a seven-member quorum and holds an annual meeting.
Kahlifah Powell joins as the Young Professional Board Chair serving to support the mission of Friends of Virgin Islands National Park and create more engagement among younger generations. She replaces Lila Uzzell who recently joined the Friends staff as the Trails Program Manager. A native St. Johnian, Kalifah is currently pursuing a Professional Science Masters degree in the Masters in Marine and Environmental Science program at the University of the Virgin Islands. She is passionate about creating a coral-based curriculum for high school students to bridge the gap between the science community and the youth of the Virgin Islands to educate and bring awareness towards a dying ecosystem that not only benefits marine life but also us on land.
John Lyons is a retired anti-trust lawyer with experience serving on several non-profit, planning and civic boards in Maryland. He and his wife, Kathy, first visited the Virgin Islands National Park in 1986 and now own a home on St. John. They are long time supporters of Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park, the St. John School for the Arts, the St. John Community Association, and the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and its Our Lady of Charity Homeless Shelter in John’s Folly.
