The P.I.E. Board of Directors has a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 11 volunteers serving each year. Yearly elections are held at the Annual Membership Meeting in January. Ballots are included with our membership renewal forms.
2023 Board of Directors
Meryl Schaffer - President
I have been a resident of Don Pedro Island since 2000. In 2003, I began publishing "Spindrift -- the Island Times," which became the official printed newsletter of PIE for 3 consecutive years. I have been a volunteer in the community as part of the Turtle Patrol, a member of the Island Advisory Committee and served on the PIE Board from 2004-2007. Upon returning to the Board in 2012, I served as Vice President of the Board and designed the first update for the PIE website which was launched in 2013. I remained the "PIE Webmistress" through 2015 handling email correspondence to keep PIE in touch with members and Island homeowners. I love the Island and enjoy contributing to the community in any way I can. 
Heather Stout - Vice President
I am excited to have an opportunity to serve on the PIE Board. My husband Ben and I along with our son Teegan visited this island in 2012 and we were hooked! We made a plan, worked our plan and 3 yrs later here we are, full time island residents. I just can't imagine a more wonderful place to raise our son. We love the family feel of the island and have made wonderful friends on the island. I have worn a few hats over the years, I grew up in the family business of raising, training and showing Quarter Horses. I have had the joy of working in the creative field of special event management (think weddings and parties) and I worked my way up to Regional Director of a property management company that focused on college markets. I am now blessed to be a full time mom to our 6 yr old son Teegan and I can say with glee in my heart I have become a darn good fish catcher. My husband Ben is an oil response Boat Captain so he helps keep our beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters clean and safe. Ben and I see this island as our forever home and we want to preserve the wonder and beauty we experienced the very first time we backed off the ferry. I feel becoming a member of the PIE board will allow me to learn from those who have worked to be good stewards of the island and allow me to have a hand in preserving this paradise. 
Cori Palmere - Corresponding Secretary
I had a rewarding 25 year career in elementary education in Michigan with special training and emphasis in Gifted and Talented Services. During this time I lead many academic and social committees and served on district-wide boards including curriculum council and long range planning. A fellow teacher invited me to join a group that rented one of the “browns” on Don Pedro for spring break in the early 1990’s. The island’s spell had me that first trip and I have been back each year since. My husband and I bought our beach house in 2015. We also have a home in New Jersey where we spend summers and the winter holidays with family and friends. Some interests of mine include acting with the Royal Palm Players on Boca Grande and Lemon Bay Playhouse in Englewood, playing tennis, traveling, quilting and riding around the island on my bicycle. As a P.I.E board member I will work to preserve what is special about our island and collaborate with P.I.E. members to address challenges of the future. 
Lindsay Yates - Treasurer
After many years of searching for “Old Florida” and thinking that it no longer existed, my husband Jon Goranson and I discovered this wonderful island in the late 1990s and purchased a vacation home in 2001. We were able to make the transition to full-time residency in 2008, leaving behind 40 long, cold winters (and cold springs and cold falls) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I have been fortunate to be able to continue working as an accountant for my long-time Colorado employer, a company with diverse interests in mining, ranching and land development. On the island, in addition to being on the PIE board, I currently serve on the Don Pedro & Knight Islands Street & Drainage MSTU board (more commonly known as the “County Roads and Bridges Committee.”) I am interested in not only preserving and protecting the natural island environment, but also in maintaining and strengthening the sense of community that has existed here for many years. I have long been a supporter of PIE, have been a volunteer worker for many PIE functions, and look forward to continuing to work on advancing the common interests of the island residents by serving on the PIE board. 
Craig Baresel - Director
My partner Teressa Fesperman and I discovered and became full time residents of this wonderful island paradise in late 2016. Teressa and I met in North Carolina 18 years ago. Her family is still there although we are trying to convince her son with our 2 and 3 year old grandbaby girls to move here. I grew up in a small town in northern Illinois. I went to the University of Illinois and received a degree in Economics. I moved to Jacksonville FL to accept my first sales job. I then took a job with Genuine Parts Company (NAPA) which began a 36 year career with them from which I retired in 2015. With GPC I was transferred 7 times all across the United States. My most recent position was President/General Manager of NAPA Atlanta. I was responsible for roughly $130 million in sales, the resulting profits, over 500 employees, 45 corporate NAPA Auto Part stores, and financial advisor for 47 owners of 83 independently owned NAPA stores. I particularly liked working with the front line people, store owners, and customers. Teressa and I have met so many nice people here. We enjoy walking, riding bikes, kayaking, and boating around the island. We are very much looking forward to contributing and being a part of the island community. 
Linda Cotherman - Director
Born in a small town near Buffalo N.Y., I discovered the Island in 1974 and moved with my husband and two children into our almost finished, before the ferry, self-built house in 1979. My daughter Kelly was 10 and son Cory was 8. They both graduated from Lemon Bay High School and continue to visit with their children. I’ve had many occupations over the years, including being a general contractor, septic tank and drain field designer/installer, day care operator, project manager for a local engineering and surveying firm, pub owner/operator, and charter fishing captain/mate on Boca Grande and in Key West. I attended college in Buffalo as well as Edison and Gulf Coast Universities in Fort Myers, receiving an AS degree in Paralegal Studies. I am presently pursuing a degree in psychology. I have also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity International, Red Cross Disaster Preparedness and am now a Guardian ad Litum for Children in the foster care system in Charlotte and Lee County. I was honored to be recognized by the United Way of Charlotte County by receiving a 2016-2017 Community Spirit Award and Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. Here on the Island, I was involved in establishing the Island Fire Brigade and was in the first class of volunteer firefighters; and the establishment of PIE, being on the original board of directors. I went with two other islanders to Tallahassee to testify before the Public Service Commission in protest of the proposed water rate increase. I participate in our Gopher Tortoise Team. I am presently a board member of the Bocilla Islands Conservancy and the Chairperson of the Charlotte County” Road and Bridges” Advisory Committee. I love our Island and hope to continue my involvement to keep it our little bit of Paradise. 
Deb Knighten - Director
Like so many others, we had no idea what to expect when we rented a house on Don Pedro Island 4 years ago. Within 5 minutes of exiting the ferry we knew this was what we had been looking for. We bought a house on Bocilla Drive 2 days later. My husband Art and I are retired and now living on the island full time after recently selling our house in SC. I grew up in rural Iowa where no one locked their doors and we knew all of our neighbors within 10 miles. I was always very involved in community betterment projects. I missed that type of environment and immediately felt safe and like I belonged here on the island. During my career. I worked as a project manager focused on implementing corporate improvements in the financial industry. My skills include the use of tools that gather factual information, design solutions, and introduce change. While I don’t think there is much that needs to change on this island, I’d be interested in listening to new ideas. I also have a lot of experience in event planning and held the position of Activities Director in our office. My hobbies include DIY projects, boating. anything to do with water, golf, creative writing and reading. I would welcome the chance to get more involved in working with the other board members in making sure we continue to enjoy life in this paradise island. 
Kathy Sickles - Director
I look forward to my role as Social Director on the PIE board for the upcoming year. My husband and I bought on the island 20 years ago and never looked back. We enjoyed many years together in this beautiful paradise before he passed. He was a member of the Men’s Group and served on the PIE board for a short time. I continue to enjoy the many friendships through the years and new ones to come in this great community. I spend a lot of time reading, boating, swimming, walking the beaches and entertaining. I love nothing more than cooking and spending hours of conversation with friends! I have a degree in Psychology and a degree in teaching. I taught Special Ed in high school for 30 years in Manasquan, NJ. I was chairperson of my department for 10 years. I was also involved in supervising my students in the Special Olympics for many years. Now that I am retired, I am a resident of Florida, but spend a couple of months in the summer in NJ where my sons Sean and Alex live. Most of my time is spent enjoying everything this natural oasis has to offer. I am honored to be a part of PIE and a community of such special people! 
Suzanne Stubbs - Director
I became a board member of PIE in July of 2022. I am the Chair for “Info Central" where information regarding, taxes, roads, dredging Stump Pass, beach renourishment, Fire and Police protection, Panama Road parking and other concerns have been addressed over the years. When PIE members are concerned about an issue, we attempt to have the person in charge come speak to us and answer our questions. We arrange town hall-style meetings with our local representatives like our West County Commissioner, the Fire Chief or the Charlotte County Sheriff. My concerns and interests while serving on the PIE Board will continue to be the environment, property taxes, insurance costs, police coverage during high occupancy times of the year, water rates and service, beach renourishment and our EMT/Fire protection. I hope to continue being on the board and providing information about the interests and concerns you might have while living here. |
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