A Natural Leader

>>Andrew McElwaine likes to remember the gentle green hills and picturesque horse farms of his youth in northern Virginia. Over the years, housing developments, roads and shopping malls have replaced those farms, but the countryside images still motivate the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's new president and CEO.

"It was the rise of the big-box era, and that part of Virginia has grown so much it is now called 'condo canyon.' I think it's what gave me an environmental awareness, made me look for opportunities like this," says McElwaine, 46.

He brought that awareness in December 2005 to the Conservancy.

"Naples is one of the unique communities in the country because it is a gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and the Everglades," says McElwaine. "For the most part, we are all here because of that set of environmental factors. The challenge is to make sure we don't destroy the elements that bring people here."

Less than one year after taking the job, McElwaine is knee-deep in hot-button environmental issues such as management of the Caloosahatchee River and development in eastern Collier County. Reaching out to various stakeholders-developers, government officials, planners and environmental advocates-has helped him get up to speed quickly.

"His style is very much in sync with our community," says Conservancy board member Dolph von Arx. "He's very professional and modestly low key, but he's also very passionate and a guy who gets things done. He knows that the best way to make an impact is to bring people who aren't necessarily following our reasoning into the tent."

In addition to 20 years' experience in environmental and government work, McElwaine holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Duke University, a master's in history from George Mason University and a master's in environmental policy and history from Carnegie Mellon University.

McElwaine's work as an environmental advocate started in earnest as a legislative assistant on U.S. Sen. John Heinz's staff in the 1980s. That job helped lead to a post on President George H. Bush's Council on Environmental Quality.

He returned to work for the Heinz family when he was named director of environmental programs for Heinz Endowments. There, he spearheaded initiatives that promoted sustainable urban design, advanced environmental innovation and helped protect watersheds and ecosystems across Pennsylvania.

As president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council over the seven years before joining the Conservancy, McElwaine led a successful campaign to pass a $625 million open-spaces bond, assisted in the creation of statewide land-use-planning initiatives and helped craft a water-resources planning program.

"He has very broad experience and was able to develop good relationships with both political parties here," says Paul King, chairman of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's board of directors. "He can energize different constituencies and bring them together. He took an organization that was already strong and brought it to the state level."

Southwest Florida's rapid growth and unique natural environment offer new challenges and great opportunities. One of his goals is to diversify the Conservancy's funding sources to include individuals, corporations, governments and private foundations. That strategy helped him double revenues at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council within seven years.

The Conservancy will need healthy numbers from all revenue streams in the near future. Plans to expand its Nature Center include a new auditorium, new classrooms and expanded laboratory space. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which currently treats about 2,000 injured animals each year, is also bursting at the seams.

"We want to expand and modernize so we can support even more extensive operations and staffing in the future," says von Arx. "We also want to increase our presence in Lee County and possibly Hendry, Glades and Charlotte, where everything ties in as far as our hydrology is concerned."

Nurturing a relationship with the business community will be crucial to expanding the organization's reach and ensuring the environment and economy stay healthy, says McElwaine.

"We've had a mixed relationship with parts of the business community at times, but there is a growing awareness that the environment is a significant part of the economy in Southwest Florida," he says. "It's my job to find ways to enhance this region's surroundings, to make sure we invest in and preserve those resources."