AFTA Associates, Incorporated
AFTA Associates, Incorporated (AFTA) was formed as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation in March, 2001. AFTA works in collaboration with existing conservation organizations to preserve wildlife and nature, and promote economic alternatives to development through programs that link wildlife conservation to the economic interests of the local communities.
Management, Directors and Advisors
AFTA is managed by its president, who reports to the Board of Directors. AFTA has no full time employees, but engages a number of people who work on a contract or volunteer basis. AFTA’s Management and Boards of Directors, Advisors and Associates include the following:
Lori Scott Stewart – President, Chief Executive Officer and Director founded AFTA in 2001 and has been driving the organization since that time. Prior to forming AFTA Associates, Ms. Stewart spent over fifteen years in the investment banking arena serving with Lehman Brothers and Smith Barney in New York, and then went to Washington DC to serve as founding group member and key leader in the funding, development, launch and management of Online Resources, an internet banking, payments and e-finance application services’ company. Ms. Stewart has broad experience in general management, business development, fundraising, product/project and relationship management, strategic planning, research, marketing, training and communications. Ms. Stewart has a BS in Economics from the University of Santa Clara)
Christine M. Dykema, Director has been working with AFTA since 2002. Ms. Dykema is President and Chief Executive Officer of Dykema Marketing LLC, a marketing agency specializing in consumer marketing and promotions. She serves on the board of DNAvax, Inc., and was president from 1999-2002 responsible for formation, development, funding, and general management. Prior to that, Ms. Dykema was Account Director with MARS Advertising where she had business development and P&L responsibility for national and account specific brands for Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Dykema serves on the Board of Directors of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, and holds the product merchandise committee chair. Ms. Dykema has a BFA from Central Michigan University, and did post graduate work at Cambridge and at the University of Michigan
Sarah Clark, Director has served on AFTA Associates’ Board of Directors since 2005. Most of her career has been at the National Geographic Society where she is currently manager of media relations for the international editions of National Geographic magazine and for the Society's education programs. She has helped launch the Society's Web site and CD-ROMs, developed classroom materials and helped found the Society's educational outreach program. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she's also a world traveler and avid amateur photographer.
Theda Braddock, Director has served on AFTA Associates' Board of Directors since 2005. Theda is an private attorney specializing in environmental and land use law. Prior to entering private practice Ms. Fowler practiced of counsel at Spencer & Loescher, PLLC in Tacoma, Washington, Owens Davies, P.S. in Olympia, and Mikkelborg, Broz, Wells & Fryer, PLLC in Seattle. Ms. Fowler has represented numerous clients on land use, permitting, and environmental issues on both coasts. In addition, she has served as General Counsel to a number of environmental service companies. She has authored several publications on wetlands regulation, land use and environmental law. Ms. Fowler received her B.A. in Medieval European History from Mills College, her J.D. from Golden Gate University, and is a member of the bar in California, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington. states
James F. McClelland III, Director has served on AFTA Associates’ Board of Directors since 2005. Mr. McClelland is an entrepreneur and specialist in international trade and development. Mr. McClelland's early career was with Coca Cola, where he co-founded and managed the Coca Cola international trading company, expanding it throughout Eastern Europe, Latin America and South East Asia; and promoted corporate entrepreneurship in Coca Cola Bottling companies worldwide. Mr. McClelland went on to found McTrade, an international trading company working with US and European clients in soft currency countries to facilitate the introduction of investments, technology, specialized skills, training and related activities. Prior to his career in international trade, Mr. McClelland served as a congressional staffer, and for the Ford White House on the Council of International Economic Policy as an Africa specialist. He held a directorship on the US Yugoslav Business Council; was a founding Director of Aid to Artisans; and currently serves on a number of corporate and non-profit boards. Mr. McClelland holds a BA in History and Political Science from Yale University; an MA in International Law and Economics from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an MBA from Harvard University.
Karen L. Rogers, Director has served on AFTA Associates Board of Directors since 2005. Ms. Rogers previously served as Vice President of Continental Bank, responsible for Corporate Communications. She has served as board member of the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, Chairman of the Montecito Educational Foundation, and board member of the Central Coast School Foundation. Ms. Rogers received a BS in Journalism and an MBA from Northwestern University.
Barbara Vandegrift, Director has served on the AFTA Board since March 2001. Ms. Vandegrift served as the Executive Director of The Gridiron Club, a not-for-profit membership organization for journalists. She also served with The Freedom Forum, establishing a library for the Inter-American Press Association in Miami, and prior to that with The Freedom Forum Asian Center. Ms. Vandegrift was the Director of Information Services with the Eric Friedheim Library and News Information Center, National Press Club in Washington DC for over 15 years, and prior to that was Librarian and research instructor with Washington & Lee University, First Unitarian Church and the DC Public Library. Ms. Vandegrift has sat on several information services industry advisory boards and panels; taught research courses at institutions ranging from the Bhutanese National Library to the National Press Club; and, has consulted for many of the countries leading libraries and historical societies. Ms. Vandegrift holds a BA from Dickinson College, an MLS from Catholic University of America.
Miles S. Roberts, Advisor has served on AFTA Associates’ Advisory Board since 2005. Mr. Roberts is Deputy Head, Department of Conservation Biology at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park where he facilitates the Department’s research programs, and serves as academic advisor. Mr. Roberts is also curator of the Amazonia Rainforest and Science Gallery, which he developed in 1996, and oversees the Gallery’s science outreach programs. He has served as Curator of Mammals, and is an active member of several international scientific and conservation societies including the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the IUCN Captive Breeding Specialist Group. Mr. Roberts has taught at the University level; published over 60 scientific articles and two books; and has produced a number of videos and computer interactive programs for visitors at the National Zoological Park. Mr. Roberts received his Bachelor and Masters degrees in Zoology from the University of Maryland.
Erin B. Schlemmer, Associate Director has served on AFTA’s Associate Board since September, 2003. Ms. Schlemmer received her MA in International Education at George Washington University, in Washington DC, in 2005, and currently works with the University of California Davis’ Study Abroad Programs. While in graduate school, Ms. Schlemmer served with both George Washington’s and Georgetown University’s Study Abroad Programs, and received George Washington University’s award for her contribution to International Education. Prior to her graduate studies, Ms. Schelmmer served as an English instructor with Eurocentres in Alexandria VA, Lex English in Sao Paulo Brazil, and as an English and writing lab instructor at Sierra College and American River College in Sacramento, CA. Ms. Schlemmer received her BA in Spanish from University of California, Santa Barbara in June 2000. She studied abroad with the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester as Sea Program; has lived and worked in Brazil; and traveled extensively throughout Latin America, Africa, Turkey, Asia and throughout North America. Ms. Bertolino is fluent in Spanish and Portugese.
Carl Schlemmer, Associate Director has served on AFTA’s Associate Board since September, 2003. Mr. Schlemmer received his Masters degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Environmental Resource Management and Policy at George Washington University, in Washington DC. in 2005, and currently serves with the United States Department of the Interior under the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. During his graduate studies, Mr. Schlemmer interned with World Resources Institute, and served as a consultant with CMC Energy. Mr. Schlemmer is the recipient of The George Washington University Millennium Fellowship. Prior to returning to graduate school, Mr. Schlemmer served with Deloitte Consulting in Sacramento, CA. as a software development and testing consultant. Mr. Schlemmer received his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering in May, 1999 from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. He studied abroad with the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester as Sea Program, and has traveled extensively throughout the Americas.
Alexandra L. Verville, Associate Director has served on AFTA’s Associate Board since August 2001. Ms. Verville received her BA from Wesleyan University in film studies in 2006. She is the recipient of the Ross award for her honors thesis, "The Empty Day", which also won best documentary. She has worked in various capacities on award winning student films at Wesleyan, and on “Windy Acres” a mini-series that aired on public television, and as an intern with National Geographic Society. Ms. Verville is a member of the Eclectic Society, Wesleyan’s literary society, and rides competitively for the university. Ms. Verville graduated from Maret High School in Washington DC in 2002 where she was Chief Editor of the award wining Literary Arts Magazine and Features Editor of the Woodley Leaves Newspaper, and was the University of Rochester Xerox Award and the Senior Departmental awards for Excellence in the Humanities. Ms. Verville is fluent in French and conversational Italian and Spanish
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The Conservation Problem
There was a time when rural communities were islands of safety in a sea of wilderness and danger. Now the wild places are an oasis for the human soul in a desert of civilization.
Threats to wildlife and the lands that sustain them are primarily due to population growth and human activity-and the resulting natural resource scarcity, and environmental degradation.
Poverty is the biggest problem. The poor don't have the luxury of worrying about environmental issues-they are too busy dealing with survival issues. They are competing in the circle of life with elephants that trample their crops; cheetahs and jaguars that kill their livestock; and scarlet macaws that nest in sites proposed for a hydroelectric dam that will give them much needed water and energy.
Enterprising Solutions
As human populations continue to grow, conflicts over who gets to use the land and competition for water, food and natural resources will become even greater. It is impossible to address saving the wildlife and their habitats without also addressing poverty in the local communities. These communities need a source of income that preserves their natural resources and unique cultures.
Conservancy organizations recognize that one way to help local communities is through "conservation enterprises," ecologically and economically sustainable businesses involved in agriculture, forestry, eco-tourism and other environmentally compatible activities. By supporting these sustainable ventures, conservation organizations are making the business of protecting the lands an important way for local communities to make money. For conservation enterprises to succeed, there has to be a market for the products they produce, and that's where Art For The Animals comes in.
Art For The Animals Program
Art For The Animals is a fundraising program that uses the folk art of conservation enterprises as thank you gifts for donors who contribute to wildlife conservation. It is also an education program that raises consumer awareness of conservation issues.
The Art For The Animals program is significant in that it leverages donor support of conservation organizations to ensure the long-term viability of sustainable businesses and unique cultures that in turn, support the conservation effort – thus creating a circular connection between nature conservation and the economic and cultural interests of local people.
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Headquarters
AFTA Associates
Art For The Animals
Gifts of Giving Program
P.O. Box 6444
Carmel, CA 93921
Phone 831-250-7274
Email: info@artfortheanimals.org
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