Florida Audubon’s Julie Hill-Gabriel, Everglades Policy Associate, was elected the national co-chair of the Everglades Coalition during its annual meeting on Friday, March 26, 2010. Mark Perry, Executive Director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, was reelected as the state co-chair and president of the board for 2010.

The coalition of 53 national, state and local organizations is one of the largest and most effective environmental coalitions in the nation. Each year, it organizes the Everglades Coalition Conference, bringing together decision makers from federal, state, local and tribal governments, agency representatives, stakeholders and a vast array of public and private interests including scientists, educators, contractors, conservationists, the media, students and the general public. The conference is the largest annual forum for debate of Everglades conservation and restoration. The 2011 Everglades conference will be held in January in Weston, Florida.