From Philadelphia to Northern California to Atlanta, Cindy’s journey has always been guided by a commitment to community health and a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Originally from Pennsylvania, she completed her emergency medicine residency in Northern California—where a culture of outdoor exploration left a lasting impression.
A physician trained in emergency and preventive medicine, Cindy moved to Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics to begin a 25-year career with the CDC. Over the course of her public health career, she worked in tuberculosis prevention, prison health, viral hepatitis prevention, immunization, and vaccine safety—always focused on improving the lives of communities. For her family, public service wasn’t just a job; it was a way to give back.
A Family Affair in Conservation
Cindy and her family first connected with Georgia Conservancy through stewardship trips more than 20 years ago. With three young children in tow, they embraced hands-on adventures—collecting trash on the beaches of Cumberland Island, repairing boardwalks, and sharing meals with fellow conservationists.
Over the years, their family explored Sapelo Island, painted signs for research stations, dismantled old hog traps on Cumberland, and paddled Georgia’s waterways together. The impact ran deep: one daughter selected Georgia Conservancy as a beneficiary for her Bat Mitzvah donations, later volunteering in the office and helping lead a kayaking trip. Another majored in environmental studies and now works at The Outdoor Academy in North Carolina, continuing the values of environmental stewardship and community that were reinforced on GC trips.
Now empty nesters, Cindy and her husband Mark continue to explore Georgia’s hidden ecosystems through Georgia Conservancy trips—meeting like-minded people and discovering landscapes they never knew existed.
Why Georgia Conservancy
What inspires Cindy most is Georgia Conservancy’s balanced, practical approach to protecting the state’s environmental treasures—through nonpartisan advocacy, strategic partnerships, and by getting people of all ages outside and engaged.
Some of her favorite adventures include service trips to Sapelo and Cumberland Islands, exploring Ebeneezer Creek, paddling the Okefenokee, and visiting Cabretta Island and Little St. Simons.
Outside of conservation, she’s an enthusiastic traveler, singer and performing arts supporter, potter, biker (and e-biker), and an engaged member of her community.
Giving Made Simple
When it comes to supporting the causes, she believes in, Cindy appreciates simplicity. She chooses to give through a donor-advised fund because, as she puts it, “So easy!”
For Cindy conservation is both personal and generational. Through decades of service in public health and years of adventure with Georgia Conservancy, she has modeled what it means to protect and invest in the well-being of communities—both human and natural.