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The Team

Your Conservation Leaders in St. James

St. James serves as a UNCW Research Sanctuary for our "Living Shoreline" initiative and has been designated an Audubon Bird Sanctuary by our Town Council. Establishing the St. James Conservancy was a natural step to further develop conservation and environmental programs while also educating and protecting our community regarding the 42.4% (2,455 of the 5,785 acres) of our area that is under Preservation/Conservation Stewardship. The Conservancy's goal is to preserve our natural setting.

 

Currently, our initiatives include recycling, turtle basking platforms, pollinator gardens, bat houses, an osprey nesting site, and obtaining National Wildlife Federation property certification. St. James has achieved the status of a "Community Wildlife Habitat," becoming the first coastal town in North Carolina to earn this recognition, thanks to the confirmation of over 180 properties. We also plan to host future Environmental Fairs, as well as celebrations for Arbor Day and Earth Day.

 

We extend our gratitude to our dedicated and engaged Executive Board, along with the unwavering support, guidance, and commitment of our members and volunteers.

Taylor 4.JPG

Taylor Ryan

Founder & President

Taylor Ryan was born in Morganton, NC, then lived briefly in the Bronx, then Hollis, Long Island before his parents moved to Chatham, NJ where he was in 4th grade through High School. After 4-wonderful years at Wake Forest University (It was Wake Forest College at that time), he graduated with a BBA in Marketing & Management. He also met his ROTC commitment in the US Army Signal Corps through March 1965.

Next was IBM, as a Marketing Representative in NJ, with an add-on as Company Commander of a NJ Army National Guard Signal Company for 6 years to complete his reserve commitment while earning his MBA – International Business at Seton Hall University in June 1969.

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 In December 1991, Taylor left IBM as a Consulting Marketing Representative, on a lucrative package with health benefits until retirement in May 1995, thus for life! He worked in various software and consulting companies until moving to St. James in April 2001, when the enjoyment and “giving back” of retirement life left no time to work. “Most of us know it is not easy being retired; there are too many other opportunities to enjoy and return to our awesome community for our many blessings.”

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During his 1999 visit to this area to look at retirement opportunities, Taylor bought a lot on Pinecrest, then heard about his current home on Mariners Way coming on the market, so he bought it and sold the lot.

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Taylor started our community’s “Living Shoreline” initiative in 2005 with the full support of Mayor Shelley Lesher, RIP and Thank You. Today, the program enjoys full appreciation from each Mayor and Town Council with continued funding and strong partnership with UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology. Additional support continues from the Center for Marine Science, building our Living Shoreline of bagged oyster shells and Spartina Alterniflora marsh grasses. Taylor thanks St James’ Multigenerational Citizen Scientists volunteers for their commitment to support, as well as UNCW Professor Troy D. Alphin, Senior Research Associate!

Gerry Rosenthal

Vice President

Earning the Eagle Scout badge, as a young man, gave Gerry the skills and passion to spend plenty of time outdoors. Love and respect for our natural environment has stayed with him throughout his life. After graduating from Rutgers in 1972, Gerry was recruited by The Royal Paper Company in NYC, where he started his

44-year-long career in fine paper sales. The Paper Industry was one of the first business sectors to foster commercial recycling due to a variety of political, social, and global conditions.

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Recycled fiber answered the bell for all three categories, and he has since been involved in some aspect of recycling for many years. Gerry and his wife both retired and moved to St. James in 2019, after living in No. Virginia for 20 years. 

 

Joining the St. James Conservancy has afforded him the opportunity to continue supporting the natural world around us at a critical time. Gerry feels honored to be part of a dedicated, hard-working group of environmentalists.

Gerry Rosenthal
Rosie Tiani

Rosie Tiani

Secretary

Rosie is an Air Force brat born in El Paso, Texas.  Her mother was Japanese and met Rosie's father during the occupation of Japan. She moved to St. James from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2010. Rosie's career centered around the legal field.  She was a paralegal for West Virginia Legal Services, office manager for a small law firm in Pittsburgh and human resources coordinator for a large Pittsburgh firm where she was employed for 30 years.

 

Rosie likes to golf, ride her bike, practice yoga, and walk the beach while watching the sunsets, moonrises, and turtle nests. She is also a nature lover.  From the time she was a teenager, she practiced recycling, composting, and organic gardening.

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Rosie proudly serves as Secretary of the Conservancy where she is able to learn and grow with the ever-changing cycles of conservation through the St. James Conservancy.

Jo Ann Klug

Treasurer

Having been born in New York City, Jo Ann grew up and attended school there.  Upon graduating from high school, she began her work career at Merrill, Lynch.  Although she never attended college, she had "on the job" training as she switched employment from brokerage to accounting to creating a mutual fund department. 

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After the birth of her son, Jo Ann volunteered in various capacities pertaining to education for classes Kindergarten thru Eighth grades.  In 1989, she switched her employment from education to safety equipment and sales and finished her career at a metal cutting tool distributor, starting in sales and finishing in collections and credit. 

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In 2012, Jo Ann moved from Queens New York to Southport NC.  She feels fortunate to be able to volunteer with the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, the St James Service Club, St James Conservancy, the Southport Sail and Power Squadron, and the Brunswick Newcomers Club. 

 

“I feel extremely privileged and blessed to be part of our wonderful home here in St James and Brunswick County.”

Jo Ann Klug
Duane Stuart

Duane stewart

Board Member

Duane, a North Carolina Native, graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in civil engineering. While attending Tech, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. After graduation he served in the Army Engineers finishing his service with a tour in Vietnam. A retired professional engineer and professional land surveyor, Duane was President of his own engineering and planning company in Durham, N.C for 33 years until his retirement. He and his wife, Patricia (Trish) have been homeowners in St. James since 2021. Both have many fond memories of the Southport/Oak Island area, including Fort Caswell where they came with their Church for yearly retreats. They have found this area to be a perfect place to live.


Duane has always been involved in community activities. As a former scout himself, he was Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop, and Cub Master for two Cub Scout Troops. He was a member of several civic and professional groups while living in Durham. A former Master Gardener in Durham County, NC, Duane has always enjoyed gardening and to the extent possible, has utilized organic gardening and backyard composting. One of his main interests is wildlife photography, and he and Trish have spent many hours in wildlife preserves
photographing wildlife.


In addition to The St. James Conservancy, Duane is a member of the St. James Garden Club, Photography Club, Encore, Carolina Club, serves on the St. James Ponds Committee, and the R.C. Controlled Yacht Club. He is also a board member on his HOA.

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Ernie McLaney

Board Member

Ernie, a native of Charlotte, has been a frequent visitor to the North Carolina coast for more than five decades. He earned his degree in business marketing from Western Carolina University, which paved the way for successful careers in retail management and IT software training.

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In 2007, Ernie became a certified Wildlife Habitat Steward through the National Wildlife Federation and took on the role of chapter leader for the inaugural community chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF). He was a founding board member of Sustain Charlotte and achieved the status of Tree Master with Trees Charlotte. Additionally, Ernie served on the advisory board for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and was actively involved in the Mecklenburg Livable Communities Plan, advocating for the preservation of greenspace in discussions regarding Charlotte’s future development.

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Driven by his passion for the environment, Ernie shifted his career focus to Central Piedmont Community College, where he played a key role in establishing the Center for Sustainability and became its inaugural director. Under his leadership, the department garnered six local and state awards within its first four years. He co-founded the Charlotte Chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and served as its president for five years, during which the chapter successfully certified the City of Charlotte as a Community Wildlife Habitat through a comprehensive program by the National Wildlife Federation. In recognition of their efforts, the chapter was honored as “Chapter of the Year” in 2019 at the Governor’s Achievement Awards, and Ernie was later awarded “Volunteer of the Year" in 2021 by the NCWF for his unwavering commitment to conservation and wildlife habitat development.

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In 2022, Ernie and his wife Debbie moved to St. James, where he currently holds the position of webmaster on the executive board of St. James Conservancy. He is also an active member of the Garden Club of St. James and assists in managing the St. James Kayak Group and the St. James Birders Group. In his leisure time, Ernie enjoys nature photography, traveling, spending quality time with family, and landscaping to support wildlife.

Ernie McLaney
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