OSPREY, FL (June 24, 2025) Big Waters Land Trust is delighted to announce the expansion of their Board of Trustees with the addition of three new members, Carol Carter, Michael Knupp, and Joseph Lieberman. An accredited land trust, Big Waters’ mission is to protect land and water for the benefit of people and nature. Carter, Knupp, and Lieberman join trustees Robert W. Brown, Chair; Sherry Davis, Vice-Chair; David Crawford, Secretary; Mario Bernardis, Treasurer; Patrick Carlton; Elizabeth Moore; Eileen Scudder-Zimmermann; and Daniel Vigne in guiding the not-for-profit’s urgent work.
A former advancement officer, Carol Carter spent nearly forty years serving colleges and major universities, including Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne University. Her professional career culminated at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, responsible for fundraising, communications, and alumni relations. Her “retirement” career included ten years as elected Commissioner and Chair for the City of Anna Maria, Florida. A lifelong believer in being a good steward of the land, Carter is proud to now serve on Big Waters’ Board of Trustees.
Originally from western Colorado, Michael Knupp previously served on Big Waters’ Board and is pleased to return and support the non-profit land trust in fulfilling their mission. During summers in college, Knupp worked for the US Forest Service as a firefighter and replanted forests destroyed by fire and logging operations. After graduating from Colorado State University, he was hired by the first environmental consulting firm in the world. Knupp dedicated his career to helping industrial companies solve their legacy environmental problems and brings a wealth of environmental consulting and engineering business knowledge to the Big Waters’ Board.
Joseph Lieberman is a Florida native and Vice President, Trust Advisor for Regions Private Wealth Management. Before joining the Board of Trustees, he served as a pro bono advisor in his previous role as an estate planning attorney. Deeply passionate about preserving the state’s fragile lands and waters, Lieberman is dedicated to protecting and advocating for these vital resources. He believes everyone deserves access to clean drinking water and unspoiled natural spaces, and he hopes to connect more people to land conservation for the benefit of future generations.
Big Waters Land Trust, formerly Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, has already protected over 20,000 acres with support of their growing conservation community. Notable recent conservation successes include the permanent conservation of 14.5 acres at The Elling Eide Center in Sarasota County; the permanent protection of 34 acres on Sandpiper Key in Englewood; and the permanent conservation of five lots of critical burrowing owl habitat in the City of Cape Coral. The organization is currently partnering with Sarasota Audubon Society and Sarasota County to re-wild the 33-acre Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields and earlier this year released a visionary 2030 Conservation Plan targeting the region’s most urgent conservation opportunities.
About Big Waters Land Trust
Big Waters protects land and water in Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature. Through strategic collaborations with individuals, groups, organizations, and government, they work to ensure all people have access to clean water, fresh air, nutritious food, abundant wildlife, beautiful natural areas to enjoy, and all the other physical and mental benefits nature provides. Their vital work strengthens Southwest Florida’s resiliency to storms and floods, enriches lives, and helps safeguard our community for generations to come. Learn more at bigwaterslandtrust.org.
