25 Weeks of Memories for 25 Years of Conservation ~ NFLT President & CEO Allison DeFoor

Allison describes himself as a Florida Cracker; his family has been in the State since it belonged to Spain. You could also call him a Renaissance Man. Throughout his life, he has worn many hats. He has been a prosecutor, a public defender, a private lawyer, a judge, a sheriff, a law professor, an Episcopal priest, and now the CEO of a nonprofit land conservation organization. He holds degrees in law, criminology, and theology. He has fought for criminal reform and for conservation.

Many may not know that Allison’s journey with NFLT began more than 25 years ago. In 1999, when NFLT founder Bill McQuilkin was working to establish a nonprofit to save natural lands, Allison provided guidance. The two men knew each other, and Bill was aware of Allison’s work in the environmental field, so he reached out to ask for advice. Allison had been involved in conservation in the Florida Keys and knew more than a little about how to get things done. He had worked to create a marine sanctuary in the Keys, served as president of the Florida Land Trust Association, helped found the Teddy Roosevelt Society (a Republican environmental organization), was on the board of the Florida Audubon Society, and was tapped by Governor Jeb Bush as the Everglades Czar to oversee the restoration of the Florida Everglades. Allison and Governor Bush knew each other and before Bush was even governor, he encouraged Allison to run for Lieutenant Governor alongside Bob Martinez in 1990. It was an unsuccessful run, but that didn’t stop Allison from moving on and making a big impact in Florida. During Jeb Bush’s run for governor in 1998, Allison asked that he make Everglades restoration a campaign priority, so when Bush became governor, he gave Allison the job of Everglades policy coordinator.

As NFLT had its start working to save land, Allison was already working for conservation in Florida. In 2014, Allison teamed up with the late Bob Graham, former Governor and Senator, to co-chair the Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, also known as Amendment 1. The two worked together to get this initiative passed, which created a dedicated pipeline of funding for environmental acquisition, restoration, and maintenance. The effort received more than 70% of the vote statewide, carried all but four counties, and in some counties, it received more than 80% of the vote. No state and few nations have ever acted so boldly. It remains the most significant land protection effort in history.

Allison made his way to Jacksonville in 2015 and served as Canon to the Ordinary to the Bishop of the Diocese of Florida. In 2018, he was invited to join the board of NFLT. Allison served faithfully, helping to guide the nonprofit’s decisions. Then, in the summer of 2022, he was asked to step in as interim president after NFLT’s former president, Jim McCarthy, resigned. He served as interim president until 2023 when the board named him president and CEO.

Allison is passionate about keeping Florida natural so that generations can enjoy what he did as a child. If you have ever heard him talk, you have heard him say, “It’s Now or Never.” Under his leadership, NFLT has increased the number of protected lands, exceeded fundraising goals, established a membership program, and built and retained a top-notch staff that works together to protect and manage Florida’s natural spaces. If you ask him about his most significant accomplishment since taking over the lead role, he will tell you it is the team. As he has said, “I have the best land conservation team in the country’s number one state for land conservation. I am proud of the work that we have done and continue to do.”

Allison continues to set the bar high. He creates and inspires a shared vision for the staff and his aspirations for conservation and his perseverance to get the job done have made Florida a better place to live.

~ Allison DeFoor