Tag: conservation

Meet Our Donors: Joel and Rosemary McElhannon

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Worth the Drive: Fifteen Years of Family Visits to Jekyll

The drive from home in Athens, Georgia, to Jekyll Island is nearly three hundred miles for the McElhannon family—usually a full five hours in the car. But once Joel and Rosemary and their daughters, Maryn and Cora, reach the shores of Jekyll Island, the road trip becomes just a distant memory. The family hears the soft waves of the Atlantic, smells the distinct salty air, and sees the shimmering sand around them. Time on Jekyll is always worth the effort of the trip.

For the McElhannons, a visit to Jekyll Island means they’re coming back to a place where so many happy life memories and moments unfolded and where so many more are ready to be created. 

It All Started at the Chapel

Though not Jekyll natives, the McElhannons started their life together on this pristine island when Joel proposed to Rosemary in August 2008, right inside the historic Faith Chapel. Since 1904, Jekyll’s Faith Chapel has hosted hundreds of blissful unions, and the McElhannons chose to say their vows in this beautiful little building. The cypress-shingle ceiling, heart pine wood floors, and Tiffany studio stained-glass window created a warm, intimate setting for the ceremony.

After their chapel wedding in February 2009, Joel and Rosemary enjoyed an elegant reception at the historic Crane Cottage down the road, and even made their first donations as a family to the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in honor of their wedding guests.

History to Enjoy Together Now

Since 2009, the family’s adventures on Jekyll Island have continued, combined with personal investment in this island paradise. Spending time together in this place has always been a priority—Joel and Rosemary are bringing their girls along to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary at Jekyll this year. And they’ve donated regularly to the various initiatives of the Jekyll Island Foundation to help make sure that they and others can continue to enjoy this favorite vacation spot.

“We have always been very involved in supporting historic preservation projects,” Rosemary explained. “And we believe it is important to be stewards of the past—to pass it on to future generations. Jekyll Island has so much history, such a legacy, but few people know about it!”

On a recent trip to Jekyll, Joel and Rosemary asked their girls what they loved most about Jekyll, and they had no trouble answering: bike riding, Driftwood Beach, fried shrimp, and sea turtles. During Spring Break, they’ve all found weather on Jekyll to be perfect for bike riding and exploring the island. And it has become a tradition for them to enjoy the week with their grandparents, Ned and Claire Harbeson, who have owned property on Jekyll for nearly twenty years.

“The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a huge draw for the girls,” the McElhannons stated. “Every time they’re on the island, they have to stop by to see the patients. There are few places where you can safely get up close with wildlife, so the center is a great way to teach the girls what it takes to care for the wildlife of the island.”

The girls’ ability to enjoy the natural beauty of the island is another benefit of the family’s Jekyll trips. “I can’t tell you how many hours the girls have spent slowly trolling Sharktooth Beach and Driftwood Beach, bent over at the waist, looking for shells, teeth, and other treasures,” Rosemary explains. “Hours can pass, and they are perfectly content. In this age of screens and videos games, that’s a really incredible thing!”

Meanwhile, Rosemary and Joel love to stroll around the Jekyll Island Historic District to see how things have changed over the years. As the Jekyll Island Foundation celebrates and commemorates its twenty-fifth year, the McElhannons are thankful to be a part of the steady work of raising funds for conservation, preservation, and education initiatives through their charitable giving. “The ongoing preservation efforts make us feel good,” Joel says, “because we know we are part of that effort.”

Meet Our Board: Del Ross

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

According to the Oxford definition of the word, an expert is an individual who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. Del Ross is an expert.

More specifically, Ross is an expert in hotel profitability optimization. He serves as the CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) of Hotel Effectiveness, a role in which he has notably reduced labor costs for more than 754,000 hotels. His extensive experience in the hotel industry includes every aspect of the business and a number of branches, including management in distribution channels, sales, customer loyalty and lifecycles, digital marketing, operations and e-commerce. 

Ross also holds multiple patents in the field of marketing technology, has served as conference chairman for Eye for Travel and serves on the board of directors of Lucena Research, a machine learning/artificial intelligence company. 

To boot, he is also a musician who enjoys coaching youth sports as well as entrepreneurial mentoring. He and his wife Jamie, of more than 27 years, reside in Sandy Springs where they have four children, ranging in age from 15 to 25. Oh, and a golden retriever named Charlie.

When his children were young, they vacationed on Jekyll. They loved to bike all over the Island, play on the beach, enjoy [Summer Waves] water park, play miniature golf and croquet, and spent nearly the entire time laughing and smiling at each other. It was magical and peaceful and fun – exactly the kind of getaway their busy family needed. Today, they continue to return again and again, always discovering new things to love about this great treasure in our home state of Georgia.

Ross’ combined hotel and hospitality know-how, paired with his long-time love for Jekyll Island, came together to make the role of board member at the Jekyll Island Foundation a perfect fit.

Del joined the board in 2020.  Prior to his appointment, his family had been regular visitors to the Island for many years and have come to love its beauty, attractions, and history.  His father, Danny Ross, served on the [JIF] Board for 9 years and recommended Del to succeed him.  They served together during Danny’s final year on the Board during which time he imparted much of his perspective and passion for the mission of JIF and its potential to expand its impact.

Del’s passion to serve also stems from the belief that Jekyll Island is a national treasure which has been carefully curated and nurtured by the State of Georgia via the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA), the managing entity. “Over the past 15 years, various state leaders have been wonderful supporters of Jekyll Island and the JIA and have helped prevent runaway development and exploitation even as they have encouraged the economic growth of the Island,” says Ross.

During his tenure, the Foundation has grown and has attracted many new donors, members, sponsors, and key board members. They have also built the groundwork for future efforts. For his part, Del would like to be instrumental in attracting significant donors and sponsors for the Foundation’s efforts and in particular, supporting the efforts to expand the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rare gem that serves a vital purpose.

“One of the things I love and respect about Jekyll Island [leadership] is the commitment to growth, while maintaining the authenticity and integrity of its history, simplicity, and natural beauty. [Previous JIA Executive Director Jones Hooks] was a remarkable leader who oversaw a dramatic growth in tourism to the island while at the same time avoiding the commercialization,” says Ross.

Going forward, he “… would love for more people to experience the magic of Jekyll and do so in a way that adds to our [Jekyll Island Foundation] mission of preserving and improving the historical and environmental assets which are unique to the Island,” he said.

Acres & Acres of Muhly Grass!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Joseph Colbert, JIA Wildlife Biologist & Yank Moore, JIA Director of Conservation

Muhly grass, also known as sweetgrass, is a welcome sight for visitors coming to Jekyll Island, especially in the fall when the lush pink blooms sway in the coastal breeze. This visual experience has taken years of effort to develop, as the natural pockets of Muhly grass on Jekyll are at risk of being lost. The habitat, often referred to as a Muhly Meadow or Maritime Grassland, has immense value serving as home to a variety of animals including birds, mammals, and insects along with significant cultural value as a staple of the Gullah Geechee community. The JIA Conservation Department realized the importance of Muhly grass-developed partnerships and devoted time to saving this community.

In 2022, one of those partners, Birds Georgia, formerly Georgia Audubon, assisting in securing critical funding to initiate the process of restoring Muhly grass to a significant stretch along Beachview Drive. This location was chosen due to its prominence just north of Oceanview Beach Park, and to allow this magnificent habitat’s return to the landscape to be witnessed by all. With the help of volunteers from the community, Birds Georgia, and the Garden Club of Jekyll Island, over 30,000 plugs, or seedlings, were planted in early 2023. A restoration of this scale had never been attempted before with a Muhly Meadow, so there was strong interest and anticipation felt while waiting for the results.

As anticipated, the plants are growing nicely, with a success rate of 83% of plugs surviving the first 8 months! Most experienced their first blooming this past fall after being in the ground for less than a year. The success of this restoration far exceeded expectations and has now set the standard for reestablishing this community across the Jekyll landscape.

This validation of success has now led to the initiation of the “Acres & Acres of Muhly Grass” project. This campaign will expand the scope of previous efforts, into natural areas on the island, “rescuing” this imperiled habitat so it can flourish for years to come. Muhly Meadows exist in accretional, or growing dune habitats, establishing on new land as it is deposited by coastal processes. Since Jekyll has less than one acre of Muhly Meadow left in marshy areas that are being inundated by storm and tidal action, the priority now shifts to returning this habitat to the fresh growing dune habitats. The Muhly Meadows planted there should sustain themselves by following the natural growth of the island. There are about 40 acres of suitable habitat throughout the island’s south end targeted for this habitat rescue effort.

For 40 acres to be planted, there is a need for 200,000 muhly grass plugs that will be grown from seed collected from the disappearing patches of Muhly grass on Jekyll’s south end. This equates to approximately 5,000 plugs per acre to be grown and planted with help from partners at Birds Georgia.

However, this project cannot be successful without the financial support from donors like you. If you enjoy seeing the lush pink grasses swaying in the coastal breeze and the rabbits and painted buntings that call this place home, consider donating to this project through the Jekyll Island Foundation and join us in this restorative ecological adventure. Gift a single Muhly grass plug or gift an acre! Every investment counts—toward today and tomorrow, as we help to preserve this beautiful island for generations to come.

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Meet Our Board: Sean McGinnis

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

As head of publishing for Atlanta Magazine, Sean McGinnis lives in a hotbed of happenings. Day in and day out, he is on the phone, on the road and on the go capturing the ins and outs of what is currently creating headlines in the state’s capital city and beyond.

But for a few blessed days, maybe a week or more if he plays the luck card right, he makes his way down with his family, or even on a solo trip, to Georgia’s most enchanting barrier island. As an added bonus, those days spent beachside can occasionally double as work trips, or triple as pleasure trips, work trips and prime opportunities to serve in his distinct role as Vice Chair of the Jekyll Island Foundation Board.  

For more than five years, McGinnis has served on the JIF Board, striving alongside his board partners to help keep the state park as pristine as possible. Even before being invited to join the board by past members, McGinnis had his eyes on the island, collaboratively launching 31• 81, the Magazine of Jekyll Island, several years ago, as well as developing friendships and business contacts island-wide.

Once any needed business is set aside, his dream Jekyll agenda involves the simpler sides of life, beginning with a beachfront view of the sunrise. Well, first, he admits, it starts with a cup (or two) of coffee, then the sunrise. Caffeine in hand, he would make his way out for a dawn-tinted walk on the beach, waiting for the sun to peak and come over the horizon. It is a great reminder “you’re not in Atlanta anymore,” he said.

With the coffee and sunrise checked off his agenda, that dreamy day would unfold with a fishing excursion, then digging in, fingers first, to some signature peel-and-eat shrimp, accompanied by the tunes of “whoever’s playing that evening on the (Wharf) dock,” he said, quickly adding: “And never having to change out of shorts, a beat-up T-shirt and some worn out flip flops.” 

Long before those flip flops were worn out and such dreamy days became more regular on his calendar, though, McGinnis had a keen interest in Jekyll Island. When the idea of becoming a JIF board member was presented to him, he was quick to agree.

Sitting on the JIF board, and prior to the many phases of much-needed renovation which have swept through the Island for more than 15 years, McGinnis recalls holding fond memories of Jekyll. However, he admits some of those memories include the Island when it needed a breath of fresh, though slightly salty, air. Back then, he said, he saw the grand potential just waiting to sprout again on the Island, to revamp it into its yesteryears of glitz and glam.

“I don’t actually remember the first time I was introduced to Jekyll Island, but it was definitely prior to the revitalization plan. Back then it felt dated and (in) need of updating, for sure,” he said. “Years later, I remember coming back and staying, and seeing the new Convention Center and Beach Village coming to fruition. (I) couldn’t believe the progress that was made. All the while, (the island remained) walkable for miles on an undisturbed beach.”

Now, fast-forward through those years, months and days of change into its current state of beachside shine, and McGinnis finds the island to be a top bragging post for his publication. The impact of a new Jekyll had such an impact on McGinnis, that “when we decided to launch a new travel publication that we call Southbound, I knew I wanted to spotlight Jekyll Island on the cover. It’s still one of my favorite covers we’ve ever done,” he said.

During his stays on Jekyll, both pre- and post-revitalization, McGinnis knew the Island to be a second home, a place for relaxing and reviving away from the metro maze of Atlanta, both years ago and now.

“I found it was becoming a ‘retreat’ for me,” he said. “It offered everything I was looking for in a coastal getaway. Nowhere else could you find wide open expanses of beachfront and marsh that was undeveloped. Every time I enter the Jekyll causeway, everything changes, and I feel like I’m home.”

As a more modern, renovated Jekyll Island has unfolded in the past decade or so, that unique feeling of solace and untapped beauty has not faded, a marvel McGinnis credits to the meticulously planned blueprints developed by past, and present, Jekyll Island leadership.

He especially is excited to further showcase to readers and Island guests the responsible vision of a fresher Jekyll Island through the reopening of the now-renovated Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, as well as a new annual fundraising getaway and gala weekend the Board is planning, which will serve to distinctly promote and celebrate Jekyll as it was, as it is, and for what it is continuing to become. This gala, he said, is set to be an “important, sustaining annual event that promotes the Island to new potential patrons while raising awareness for JIF’s core mission of Conservation, Preservation, and Education.”

Dancing through Dolphin Club History

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Patrick Carmody, JIA Museum Educator

During the 1960s, Jekyll Island was the home to the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel, the only hotel by the beach African Americans could stay at in the entire state of Georgia. The state of Georgia had acquired the island in 1947 but offered no accessibility for African Americans until 1950. The portion available to African Americans was the St. Andrews Recreational Beach Park, located on the southern tip of Jekyll Island.

The Dolphin Club was built in 1959, and under the management of Dave Jackson and his family, became a thriving hotel, restaurant, and music venue on the Chitlin Circuit. The Chitlin Circuit was a collection of venues in the Jim Crow era that entertained African Americans with popular music from the 1930s to the 1960s. The Chitlin Circuit had venues across the nation, with musicians that are now synonymous with the best of R & B, Blues, and Soul music. Performers like Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, B.B. King, Clarence Carter, and Millie Jackson are just a sample of the artists to have played on the circuit and performed at the Dolphin Club Lounge.  

These legends of music came to Jekyll Island to perform for black vacationers and locals alike. These artists performed at either the Dolphin Club Lounge or, if there was a big enough audience, at the St. Andrews Auditorium. The Auditorium hit its peak in 1964 when Otis Redding played there. This would be the last major performance in the Dolphin Club Complex before Jekyll Island desegregated its facilities.

As integration of more and more public spaces gave African Americans access to spaces they had been previously denied, the Dolphin Club and the St. Andrews Auditorium began to suffer financially. Even though the St. Andrews Auditorium had been built to host the 1960 Black Dental Association convention, it didn’t have the capacity to support integrated groups. By the mid-1960s, the venues mainly utilized for events on Jekyll like the Aquarama and Gould Auditorium, provided the needed space for bigger crowds. While the Dolphin Club is gone, the site is now utilized as Camp Jekyll, a 4-H youth camp operated through the University of Georgia, and has exhibit panels all over the site detailing the history of the Dolphin Club and those who worked to make the place as special as it was.

In celebration of the Dolphin Club, Mosaic will be offering its Dolphin Club Days tour on February 10th and 24th at 10 AM and 1 PM. The tour is an hour and 15-minute-long exploration of the history of African Americans on Jekyll Island with a stop at the site of the Dolphin Club, a live music performance by Jacksonville artist Ace Winn, and oral histories from those who experienced the Dolphin Club.

For tour information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.jekyllisland.com/mosaic.

Support preservation efforts to retain important history like the Dolphin Club through a membership with the Jekyll Island Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation and ways to give, visit: www.jekyllislandfoundation.org.

Meet Our Board: Mark Williams

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Six hours is a long time to sit side-by-side with six siblings, in the heat of a Georgia summer. Each stretch of mile seems longer than the next. Each hour feels twice as long. Each second ticks, ticks, ticks away until… there it is! The gently arched entryway to Jekyll Island, that leisurely paradise on Georgia’s coast which was once the luxurious vacation landing for some of America’s industrial millionaires.

“As a kid, that six-mile causeway seemed like 100 miles. We always had a great week here, fishing, bike riding, swimming, shark tooth hunting,” said Mark Williams, the new Executive Director for the Jekyll Island Authority. “I can remember driving by all the residential houses and thinking, ‘those must be the luckiest people in world to get to live here year-round.’”

Despite having traveled through those historic gates annually for years, the grandeur of it all was never lost on Williams. He considered the island a genuine state treasure during all those childhood vacations. He continued to hold the same admiration for Jekyll during his nearly 14 years serving three state Governors as Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner, and during his years serving in the Georgia General Assembly.

By the time he gracefully entered his 60s, his perspective on life shifted a bit, as the wisdom of his life lessons learned thus far took a new hold. With little pause for soul-searching, he saw an opportunity worth reaching for, when now-retired Jekyll Island Authority executive director Jones Hooks announced his exit from the role after more than 15 years of successfully leading Jekyll Island revitalization efforts.

“When Jones Hooks announced his retirement, it seemed as though this potential opportunity and timing collided, which is rare. (The) JIA has been under great leadership with Jones Hooks. The island re-vitalization has been phenomenal (during) the last decade and a half,” Williams said. “The island is bound by (Georgia) law over its developable acreage, and that is a good thing. I see my role not as overseeing future development but overseeing improvements to these developed areas.”

This commitment to maintaining the island’s character led Williams not only into the JIA leadership venture, but also to turning his attention to the intricate realities of keeping the island shining. This is where the Jekyll Island Foundation steps in. Its role is to raise funds for key Island projects, with a focus on Jekyll conservation, preservation and education, that otherwise could not be completed through JIA budgets alone.

“We are a busy island and getting busier each year, so we (need) to keep our amenities up to what our nearly four million visitors and our residents have come to expect from us,” Williams said. “The Foundation is critical in supporting the mission of the JIA and is beginning to plan its first ever annual fundraising gala to further support this mission. I am so excited to see the planning come to fruition, and to celebrate the 25-year mark for the Foundation.”

To learn more or keep up with Foundation projects and activities, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or visit our website.

Bandit Steals the Show

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Rachel Overmeyer, GSTC Rehabilitation Program Manager

Guests visiting The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) have the opportunity to meet different sea turtle patients during their visit. Currently, the largest patient, Bandit, steals the show, fully living up to his charismatic name.

Bandit is a juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that stranded on Little St. Simon’s Island, GA on April 21, 2021. When Bandit arrived at the GSTC, there were a couple of things that stood out to the GSTC rehab staff that made Bandit special.

The first being Bandit’s size. On arrival Bandit was almost 2 feet and weighed 60 pounds. The average green sea turtle patient admitted to the GSTC weighs around 7 pounds and is less than a foot in length, so Bandit was certainly a sight to see!

Something else that the staff noticed were some small lesions on the skin and plastron (bottom shell) that were consistent with a virus called Fibropapillomatosis, causing tumors to form. The tumors can become large and impede movement, vision, and the turtle’s health overtime. After a few months of care, Bandit’s tumors were surgically removed with a CO2 laser purchased from funding support with donations acquired through the Jekyll Island Foundation.

The most significant finding, however, was a healed boat propellor wound, which damaged the spine, causing Bandit to have partial paralysis of the rear flippers as well as floatation issues. To aid his movement, Bandit currently has a weight pouch attached to the carapace (top shell) that aids in controlling buoyancy.

After analyzing the boat strike injury and determining the likelihood of recovery, Bandit has been deemed a non-releasable sea turtle. The GSTC is in the process of finding a forever home within a Zoo or Aquarium. Bandit’s care is the top priority for the staff and while Bandit has been deemed a healthy turtle, the staff are making sure that Bandit has the proper nutrition, medical care, and enrichment needed to maintain physical and mental health, until a permanent home can be found.

So be sure to stop by and visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Bandit but be careful because your heart might just be stolen too!

The Jekyll Island Foundation’s funding supports the Center’s rehabilitation mission helping every turtle’s journey to heal, with a goal of making it back home. To help support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE. To learn more about the Jekyll Island Foundation, click HERE.

New Sea Turtle Superhero Heeds Call at GSTC

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

with Shane Boylan, DVM, JIA’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center

When Shane Boylan says he was once part of the Turtle Team, he doesn’t mean he lived in a sewer system by day and was out fighting bad guys by night. The bad guy part, perhaps. But the fight has not been with a team of Ninja-trained shelled superheroes, or against pretend predators, but rather against the realities of beach litter and pollution, dangerous fishing nets, habitat erosion, and a myriad of ongoing threats and stressors to sensitive marine life.

Boylan fights the fight to save sea turtles and fellow marine life by day, and by night. As the new veterinarian at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, Boylan took on the charge just this April, when fellow turtle-saving superhero and founder of the Center, Dr. Terry Norton retired.

Boylan, a graduate of North Carolina State CVM, recently sat down to chat in his few and far between minutes of free time, to talk about what brought him to Jekyll Island’s wildlife saving hub, and his current and future visions for the island’s unique sea turtle rescue haven.

Q: Can you briefly describe your background in the “sea turtle business”? This isn’t a position I would imagine comes around very often!

A: At NC State CVM (North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine), they have a Turtle Team where students treat native (and some non-native) chelonids (a genus of turtles in the tortoise family, such as the Galapagos Giant Tortoise) as an extracurricular part of their veterinarian training. I intentionally went to NC State because I attended an open house as a high school student. I saw Mr. T, an injured box turtle, that was rehabbed together with screws and wire.

After I saw that, I knew I could help fix all those turtles on the side of the road. I spent the majority of my free time on the Turtle Team, and I was its president in my third year. I got to treat hundreds of turtles in my four years (we had more than 300 cases in one year alone). That kind of experience is unique. We had sea turtle specific lectures and several trips to The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (in Surf City, NC). I also began working with the Turtle Survival Alliance in vet school. Twenty-plus years later, I still work with them. They have a breeding center near Charleston, where I was their vet for a number of years. I consult with them almost daily as part of their veterinary team. I’ve (completed) years of fieldwork with the Hicatee (Dermatemys mawaii) [white turtle] in Belize as part of the TSA. I helped to build the South Carolina Aquarium’s sea turtle program (during the past) 14 years. I’ve worked with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a variety of sea turtle projects including three different tours during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. This led me to winning the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Award in 2015.

I have experience with a very diverse group of Chelonians. I’ve treated one species that is extinct in the wild and has less than 50 members left alive in human care. I mention the diverse turtle experience because medicine from an Eastern box turtle (like a feeding tube, radiograph, impaction) directly translates to fixing sea turtles. I’ve been treating chelonids daily now for over two decades. Personally, I also have a few dozen chelonids that had health issues too complicated for anyone to tackle.

Q: The GSTC is a treasure for the Georgia coast. How did you first learn about the Center and what drew you to being a part of, and importantly, the new veterinarian of, it?

A: Dr. Norton is the living father of wildlife medicine, in particular sea turtles. Everyone knows about the GSTC because of him. I started at the South Carolina Aquarium in 2007, the same time Dr. Norton opened the GSTC. I came to the GSTC and patterned the AZA award winning sea turtle hospital on the GSTC concept.

Q: Prior to taking on this role, any sweet childhood turtle memories?

A: I have plenty of turtle stories. When it comes to sea turtle specific, I visited The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center as a child. Seeing all the injured sea turtles in tanks was an inspiration. Jean Beasly [mother of Karen Beasley] is a hero of mine; she was like the fairy grandmother of sea turtles. I’ve worked with her, and her sea turtles, for nearly two decades. Her commitment to their survival is unique.

Q: This sounds obvious and a bit silly, but why is protecting our sea turtle population important? Do most people realize this?

A: There is an intrinsic value in every species. If you remove sea turtles as a viable species, the damage to the ocean and beach ecologies would be catastrophic. From an emotional standpoint, the coastlines have value because we appreciate seeing the 40-year-old sea turtle female coming ashore to lay her eggs, and then we get to watch the nest hatch some 60 days later. The life history of sea turtles is a reminder of perseverance and the fragility of existence. Most people connect with the entire ocean when they learn of the life history of sea turtles.

Q: Dr. Norton was the leader of the Center from the start; what is it like filling his shoes?

A: He is the G.O.A.T. of sea turtle medicine and wildlife medicine in the U.S.! He taught many of my mentors, making him one the most experienced, practicing veterinarians in the world. It’s intimidating trying to fill the shoes of the Michael Jordan of wildlife medicine. Thankfully, we have taught shell repair labs together, and I’ve learned from him for two decades. He is always willing to help, and he’s a great resource.

Q: What are long term goals or plans you hope to achieve while at the Center?

A: I always try to improve veterinary medicine. I’ve been particularly successful in advancing medical science in fish and chelonids during my career. Part of that is getting the advanced technology put into practice. At the South Carolina Aquarium, our fundraising efforts were able to turn a med lab that was just a microscope in a closet to a full medical hospital with CT, ultrasound, radiography, surgery, stem cells and more. I hope we can continue to improve the GSTC in a similar fashion. I’d like to continue Dr. Norton’s vision and improve the medical care of sea turtles and local wildlife by improving the medicine here at GSTC. We need to add a CT machine to the GSTC’s onsite diagnostics because it’s critical in sea turtles with trauma, pneumonia and other serious conditions.

I have always enjoyed teaching, and I was recently recognized for teaching aquarium medicine and fish surgery for the past 5 years at the AquaVet program held every summer in Roger Williams University. I was the exotics speaker of the year in 2018 at the Veterinary Medical Expo. In the 1999-2000 school year at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I won the Undergraduate Teaching Award and Access Award (for teaching students with disabilities). I’ve already been fortunate to give lectures and some labs since I’ve joined the GSTC, and I hope to find a way to finance further educational opportunities. This summer we had six wonderful veterinary student preceptors, and hopefully I can help build the educational capacity of the GSTC.

I’m also excited to expand the conservation impact of the GSTC to the wildlife on the island. We are already using the Center to help the JIA Conservation department’s work with alligators and diamondback rattlesnakes. I think my skill set can be used to help the management of the wildlife on the island including fish, invertebrates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. I am excited to add to the research and conservation programs already in place on Jekyll Island. Our rehabilitation efforts with alligators have already discovered parasites and treatment options new to science in the first six months I have been here.

To support the work of Dr. Boylan and his team in rehabilitating sea turtles, click HERE. To learn more about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE.

Meet Our Board: Ember Bishop Bentley

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

It’s not an uncommon response to what is a common question: “What is an ideal day like for you when on Jekyll Island?”

For island-dwellers and well-acquainted guests alike, the answer for many is nearly as old as the state park itself: sunset walks on the beach and general quiet time away from the daily grind are likely common answers to this common question. Ember Bentley’s answer isn’t too far off the mainstream line of thought. But the way she says the words, with such dreamlike ease, it feels as if the moment is occurring right then.  

Take a breath, and now, envision an ideal Jekyll Island day. What would this look like for you?

Bentley is quick to answer. That day starts with coffee in-hand, taking a sunrise walk on the beach. Then with coffee complete and the morning breeze still intact, the day shifts to a morning bike ride. With the cardio casually complete, she would ideally head to brunch at The Pantry, then spend an afternoon by the pool at Jekyll Island Club Resort.

To wrap up a calm afternoon, she and her family would head back beachside, for a sunset stroll, taking in one of the many reasons she fell in love with Jekyll in the first place. On this ideal day, she can even picture the perfect conversation: talking about the lives of the people who owned the homes in the historic district, who could have easily been forgotten if it weren’t for the thoughtful preservation work ongoing.

Bentley, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jekyll Island Foundation and has just been appointed Chair for a two year term, knows the island as well. After all, she has been coming here most of her life.

“I can still remember the sunrise one morning during camp in 5th grade,” she recalls.

While her memories of the island are solid, her ideas for its future likewise carry the confidence of a player on a winning team. Thankfully, Bentley and her teammates on the Foundation Board are all striving to see Jekyll move forward with respect to its unique history and belief in its even more dazzling new future.

Looking ahead, Bentley and the Foundation Board have a laundry list of goals to achieve. Those include focusing on specific Jekyll Island Authority-directed projects and ensuring long-term viability of those projects. That in itself is no easy task, especially with a major milestone for the Foundation about to occur.

“We must be laser-focused on our mission and what the Foundation was created to do,” she said. “The 25th Anniversary of the Foundation will occur next year and I’m excited to be working on ways to celebrate this milestone.”

Bentley credits Jones Hooks, who served as executive director for the JIA for 15 years, until he retired this year, with providing a solid footing for the Foundation.  To hear Bentley put it, Hooks repaved the way for Jekyll island’s brilliant future by making the impossible, possible. He not only served to keep the Island on a forward track of progress, but he did so in a way which filled any room, or beach, with brightness, she said.

“Jones is the king of hospitality, and he has a way of making you feel like the most important person in a room,” Bentley said.  She is quick to compare Hooks with another formidable Georgia leader, former First Lady, Sandra Deal. 

“I had the honor of serving as Mrs. Deal’s assistant for four and a half years. As a former teacher, she loved encouraging children to read because she knew that it was the key to unlocking learning,” Bentley said.

As such, Bentley added that Deal was also known as a staunch advocate for Camp Jekyll and its 4-H Learning Center, which now bears Deal’s name. When the reimagined 15-acre Center reopened its doors on Feb. 1, 2017, it signaled that the Sate Park Island is constantly improving, which is a signal Bentley and her crew on the Foundation Board know they will continue to see.

“Seeing (Former First Lady Deal’s) delight as she cut the ribbon on the Sandra Deal Learning Center at Camp Jekyll was a special moment,” Bentley said, noting she served as Chief of Staff to Deal. “The Governor was happy he was able to pull off an early birthday surprise. Of course, she didn’t feel deserving of it, but she was so proud. She believed that the kids are our future, and she wanted every child to have the opportunity to learn and experience camp.”

Bentley has a similar education-based passion. She is currently the Chief of Staff and Government Relations Officer of Middle Georgia State University and serves as a key member of the president’s leadership team.

She was also Executive Director of the Georgia Forestry Foundation and Deputy Commissioner for International Relations for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

These days, Bentley continues to follow Deal’s example of servitude and leadership throughout the state.

Aside from the Foundation, she sits on 11 Georgia-based committees and boards, and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Protocol Partners and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.

On top of these achievements, Bentley manages to raise a daughter with her husband, Will, in Macon. As if these tasks weren’t enough, she and her family also own and operate a cattle farm in Thomaston. 

After hearing her brilliant list of achievements and leadership throughout her beloved Peach State, those early morning walks with a coffee in hand do sound perfect for slowing down and making time for the quiet moments in life, especially the ones she finds when on Jekyll Island. Those mornings of Zen, walking quietly beachside, with a well-deserved cup of coffee, followed by continued rest and relaxation by the pool, sound more than well-deserved.  

For more information about the Jekyll Island Foundation, visit jekyllislandfoundation.org.