Category Archives: People

Looking back at my life as a computer educator in Michigan and my life here in Maryland, service to others and the natural environment is a recurring theme. As a 16 year old, I found myself Saturdays, at a Ladies’ Retirement Home, rounding up surprised women, to take them shopping. More recently, for the past 7 years, I’ve traveled countrywide, building with Habitat for Humanity. Besides the fun of hammering away at a framing nail, it is rewarding to work side by side with an excited, new homeowner who, often enough, is moving from substandard housing.

Additionally, in Maryland, I have devoted time to a life long passion…the preservation of nature through various restoration projects with the Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is another organization with whom I’m currently working to preserve our treasured rural landscape in the six Eastern Shore counties. During summer months, I am privileged to volunteer as crew with the Sultana Project, a group who, on a replica merchant tall ship built in Chestertown, educates the public about the Chesapeake Bay and it’s ecological challenges. In recent years, I’ve also volunteered with the Chester River Hospital Center and Kent County Hospice.

Service to others and our natural environment continues to be my life passion. I am so pleased to be able to help Captain Bunch establish Operation Open Arms on the Eastern Shore and honor our Maryland soldiers on leave.

Mr. Fossella is currently President of Clean Skies, LLC, a company committed to the sustainable development of projects in the Energy field, including LNG, Alternative Energy and Synthetic Fuels. Clean Skies also provides consulting services to Engineering and Construction companies and other related industries.

Mr. Fossella has over 35 years of experience in the Process Engineering and Construction Industry in Sales, Marketing and General Management & Leadership roles. He has been responsible for creating new markets by expanding “Core Competencies” of the companies he has worked for. . Mr. Fossella has played a key development role in forming collaborative relationships through joint ventures, alliances, consortia, subcontractor and other collaborative relationships with partners, competitors and regional firms. Mr. Fossella has in-depth knowledge of the contracting industry with a special focus on scope and risk allocation amongst the participants to reduce overall costs while maintaining performance responsibilities.

Mr. Fossella is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds a Master’s Degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Along with his wife Mary, Joe lives in Estero and in addition to his consulting business he is active in community service groups.

Elaine McLaughlin currently serves as part-time executive director for the Friends of Florida State Parks and as the sole employee for the organization. Having served two terms as President and one as Past-President, McLaughlin brings understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the statewide Friends and the Florida state park system.

McLaughlin also continues to be affiliated with the University of Florida department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management and continues to assist cities and counties with tourism strategic development.

She gained experience as a tourism leader for the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel Visitor & Convention Bureau. She held this position for over 12 years. Twice named as one of the leading women in tourism by Travel Agent Magazine, McLaughlin led the Bureau in innovative programs that integrated city, county and state parks in the development of nature preserves and recreational areas. By focusing on nature-based tourism, the Bureau was able to grow the economy of the county.

In 1995, McLaughlin represented Florida at the White House Conference on Tourism and for over 6 years served on the Florida Commission n Tourism and the board of Visit Florida Inc, The first person in Florida to achieve the prestigious Certified Destination Management Executive, she also served as President of the Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

Kathy New was born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. She met her husband on a cruise ship in the fall of 1982. They married eight months later and have been residents of Lee County since 1986. They share their St. James City home with their rescued English Setter dog (Maggy) and Himalayan cat (Knotty).

Kathy brings a diversified background since she left the snow skiing mountains of Beaver Creek, Colorado, where they (husband Mike) worked as Property Managers overseeing five luxury homes. In the fall of 1986, Kathy & Mike discovered Lee County after listening to “Paul Harvey” on the radio. Paul stated that Lee County was the second fastest growing county in the United States (just below Las Vegas). They chose to settle on Pine Island since Mike drives a boat daily to the barrier islands where he builds custom homes.

Since earning her Associate Degree in Specialized Business, Kathy has worked nine years in the Administrative/Property Management field; seven years in the Health care Industry; and seventeen years in the Marketing/Sales/Promotion’s industry. She continues her consulting (Kathy New’s Marketing & More) evolved after her six year tenure with the national Nielsen TV Ratings.

Kathy continues to support not only our local community, but national and international programs through her “very dear to her heart” charitable organizations (Rotary, 2009-2011 Club President & member since1993), and with Operation Open Arms.