provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) recently elected Josephine “Jo” A. Smith to serve on its board of directors. A full-time Sanibel Island resident since 2014, Smith hails from Detroit, Mich., and spent most of her life in East Lansing, Mich., working with General Motors for more than 40 years.
She studied for her Bachelor of Science at Michigan State University in East Lansing and Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and served as CFO of GM Global Technology Operations from 1995 until she retired in 2008. She and her late husband, Ron, began visiting Sanibel with their two sons in the early 1980s.
“My husband and I always went to ‘Ding’ every time we came to island – back when there was a drawbridge to Sanibel,” says Smith. “We became very fond of the refuge, and when we moved here permanently, we became more active in supporting it by making sure we contributed. Everyone who ever came to visit, we would take them on Wildlife Drive at least once during their stay.”
She says caring for the environment runs in the family’s genes, including sons, Lon Smith, 59, who lives in Texas, and Kurt Harrington, 57, in Oregon. Both are engineers who work in fields related to natural resources.
Smith supports several environmental organizations on the island, serves as president of the Sanibel Captiva Orchid Society, and volunteers for the Trailways Camps organization based on the island. She feels it crucial to continue the island’s conservation legacy and spread the word about the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge to people on and off the island.
“I don’t think people realize how important it is to support the federal lands beyond what the government can provide,” Smith said. “I’m really excited about the refuge’s educational aspect, having educators going out into cities and school systems and helping kids understand what we have here in Florida and the importance of saving natural resources.”
“We proudly welcome Jo and her expertise and enthusiasm to the board of the Society, and we’re fortunate to have her join us,” said board president Bill Harkey. “Her passion for the environment makes her a perfect fit for DDWS.”