Meet Our Board

Save-A-Turtle 2023 Officers

All of our Board Members and Officers are Volunteers

Harry Appel, President

My name is Harry, and I am the current President of Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys. I have been involved with Save-A-Turtle well over 15 years, starting out as a beach walker, then becoming involved as a Board Member, elected Vice President, and eventually President. I have dedicated countless hours serving at events, fundraising and doing site visits for local government, officials, businesses and residents in order to educate people about proper lighting and other issues important to sea turtles and their habitat. I have spent years building relationships with officials locally and throughout the State, offering guidance on issues of illegal lighting, shoreline hardening and piers, along with best practices for beach and sand replenishment, development and many other related topics.
I am very passionate about sea turtles as well as all marine and animal life. I have been described as tenacious in my efforts to help assist the Florida Keys move forward in helping sea turtles as much as possible.
I will continue leading this organization through the recovery from the devastating impacts that Hurricane Irma ( Sept, 2017) still has on our beaches, sea turtles and marine life habitat. I feel a great responsibility towards sea turtles globally, not just in the Florida Keys, as well as towards all whom have placed their trust in me for another year.

Heather Skelley, Vice President

I was born in Hawaii and traveled up through High School as part of a military family. I lived most of my adult life in Maryland and Delaware and have been visiting the Keys for vacation since 1992. I have always loved the beach and have been passionate about keeping beaches clean and safe for humans and wildlife. As part of my passion for the beach and ocean, I became fascinated with sea turtles and the human impact on their environment and habitats. I teach at Sigsbee Charter School in Key West, where I enjoy sharing information about turtles and how we can help them with my students! I am proud to be part of this fantastic organization and group of people and to serve as a beach walker and Vice President in 2023!

Sara Casey, Secretary

I was born in western Minnesota where I grew up saving Box Turtles and Sliders from the roads as they moved between wetlands. In 2004 I joined the US Army as a Combat Medic and in 2010 I left active duty, got married to a soldier, and we began our journey of traveling the world.
In 2011 I became dive certified and instantly became captivated by the underwater world. My most noteworthy dives were in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Malta when I saw my first octopus, and near Destin Florida coming face to face with a rather grumpy Goliath Grouper. The one thing I’m most looking forward to seeing on a dive…and has alluded me all these years…is a sea turtle. Someday turtle, someday!
In 2015 I began working in conservation, especially with endangered species, and this is what brought my husband and I, and our 4 cats, to the Florida Keys in 2020. In 2020 I was introduced to Save-a-Turtle through a Facebook post looking for beach walkers and decided to sign up. I found my first nest and was able help with the excavation…in my FIRST YEAR!
I am so excited to be more involved in this amazing organization as I continue exploring all of the amazing things you can find in nature, and teaching others what we can do to preserve it.

Dawn Bowles, Treasurer
I was born in California and used to visit the ocean every day. My love for the water and wildlife began then and has followed me to everywhere I’ve lived since. I’ve spent time living in Texas and Arizona but always wanted to get back to living by the ocean. My husband and I moved full time to the Florida Keys in 2020 and I love working with local Keys groups to improve the environment around us, both for us humans and the wildlife. I retired from the corporate technology sector last year but continue to use that knowledge to help nonprofits with their technology needs and help get their message to more of our population via their websites and social media. I’m a huge believer in thinking globally but acting locally! I’m really excited to be working with Save-A-Turtle on their mission to preserve our sea turtles!

In my free time I love spending time with my “zoo” of dogs and cats, or being out on the water paddle boarding, diving or just enjoying the ocean breeze.

Save-A-Turtle Board Members

SCOTT CATOR
I’m originally from snowy Central New York, but found my love for the oceans in 2012 when I began taking action for dolphins who were captured for captivity and killed for food in Japan’s infamous cove. After spending two years helping dolphins in Japan, I moved on to help protect sea turtles from poachers in Costa Rica in 2014. Wanting to help animals more broadly, I became a coordinator for an animal rights organization where I currently work with activists from all over the country to help them speak out for animals in their community.
I moved to the Keys during the pandemic and immediately became a beach walker with Save-A-Turtle. I’m excited to expand my role with Save-A-Turtle as a board member and continue to advance my impact for animals.

JENNIFER DE MARIA
I have been a member of Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys for about 17 years, and served as a Board Member for about 13 years. I was introduced to the plight of sea turtles by past beach walkers who would patrol on the beach where I live. Their passion for sea turtles was evident; in fact it changed my life. Upon learning of the dire situation sea turtles face, I decided to volunteer with Save-A-Turtle to do my part to help sea turtles. I started out as a beach walker, then Board Member, have also been a past main Marine Turtle Permit Holder, and currently remain part of the Stranding and Salvage Team Network for sea turtles.
Living here, I see the exploitation of our natural environment and wildlife, including sea turtles, through many causes including reckless development, pollution, entitlements, speciesism, lack of oversight from agencies and so on. It’s hard to witness and I cannot sit idly by when wrongs are committed. Despite all the pressures upon sea turtles, they are still here, so far. I feel a moral obligation in this world to help make things better for animals both in the sea and on land, of course including sea turtles.
I am an activist and advocate for all animals, choosing to educate on the moral baseline that animals are here with us, not for us, including the importance to live a compassionate lifestyle as free of animal exploitation in every way as much as possible. I feel a great responsibility to this organization, the animals and of course to those whom have entrusted me enough to serve in this capacity.

ALYSSA GRUEBELE
I am originally from Peru, but I was adopted and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have
experienced countless hardships like losing both my adopted parents by the age of 22 which led me to become the sole legal guardian of my preteen sister. Through these challenging transitions, I have sharpened my love for life and made it my life purpose of helping anything or anyone in need. I have always been passionate about animal welfare and rescue from a young age by taking in lost or injured animals.
In 2015, I volunteered at the songbird nursery through the Roseville Wildlife Center in MN while also working with a local animal rescue in which I connected 14 dogs/cats to their forever homes, not including the 2 dogs I fostered but adopted. In 2019, I moved to the Keys to challenge myself in a new solo environment but continued to apply myself to make an impact. I knew I was on the right path in life when a new furry friend I sponsored at Pawsitive Beginnings happened to get treated at the same Roseville Wildlife Center I began my journey at. Reef the Fox and I both hail from Minnesota but now call the Keys our furrever home. Pawsitive Beginnings is a permanent home to foxes that have been saved from the fur trade.
In 2020, I joined Save-A-Turtle as a beach walker to survey and clean up the beach area during the nesting season. I experienced baby sea turtles who emerged from their nest and climbed over seaweed on their journey out to the sea.
I am excited to nourish my love for the ocean and sea turtles by becoming a board member with Save-A-Turtle. My goal is continuing to foster the bonds I have made along with new connections, listening and being a bridge of communication to other people and organizations. I want to learn and help as much as I can along with inspiring others to find and enhance their passion

CHELSEA OATMAN
I was born and raised in Michigan where I spent my time working in the veterinary industry and pursuing my degree in Marine Biology. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a passion for helping animals, but my love and passion for the ocean, and all it had to offer, really began to develop after I received my scuba diving certification in 2013. Using that passion as my driving force I graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology.
Shortly thereafter, I began an internship at a coral farm, which I adored, and was soon presented with an opportunity to run a coral farm in Marathon Key. I jumped at the chance and moved to Florida in January of 2020.
I started volunteering at Save-A-Turtle as a beach walker in 2022. It was, and continues to be, such an overwhelmingly rewarding experience that I am looking forward to for years to come. I am honored to be on the board in 2023 and look forward to saving many more sea turtles."

SUE SCHAF, FWCC
Technical Advisor

A Letter from our President

“I have many goals to continue to grow Save-A-Turtle in the Florida Keys, Inc. which include continuing to recruit new members; continue our educational efforts regarding threats to sea turtles concerning lighting issues, pollution, sea level rise, and loss of habitat, and continue to grow the stranding and salvage network for sea turtles within the Florida Keys. In order to do this, I will also focus efforts on fundraising for our non-profit organization.
Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys, Inc. plans to partner with other like-minded organizations for joint fundraising efforts, as well as continue our presence at all local and grassroots festivals, events, and celebrations to show our presence in the Keys, and excite people young and old about imperiled sea turtles.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as President, and plan to maximize my efforts during my tenure.
Along with Save-A-Turtle’s dedicated array of Board members I’m confident all these goals will be met and exceeded. I call upon all members to help us spread the vital message about endangered and threatened sea turtles and encourage your friends, families, colleagues and acquaintances to join our organization. Here in the Florida Keys there is much work to be done, and I truly look forward to this opportunity to do my part.

Harry Appel, President,
Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys.”