Our Board strives to be a diverse and engaged group of volunteers dedicated to the mission of PCCC. If you love PCCC and want to share your time, skills, and knowledge with us on a consistent, long term basis, consider serving on our Board of Directors! To learn more about the work and commitment required to serve on our Board, email us at info@PrairieCreekConservationCemetery.org
Sam Welker (President)
Sam Welker was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and raised on Cocoa Beach, Florida. Because he loved the beautiful trees in Gainesville, he attended the University of Florida (B.A. English Literature, 1974) (M.Ed. Administration, 1980) and made Northeast Gainesville his home. During his forty-one year tenure in the Alachua County school system, he taught or served as an administrator at Westwood Middle School, Eastside High School, Newberry High School, and Buchholz High School. Retirement finds him running, writing, drawing, and painting.
Sven Hanson (VICE PRESIDENT)
Sven is a native Floridian and grew up riding his bike under the arches of the seagrapes along the old A1A of Palm Beach County. Sven is a three-time gator and started his adult life as an engineer but turned to the dark side and now has his own practice as a patent/trademark attorney, although he is trying to cure that. He is married and raises his family in Gainesville. Sven expects to be buried in PCCC....eventually.
Robert Christianson (treasurer)
Robert Christianson is a thrice-retired Water Management District official, college math instructor, and non-profit staff director. His career centered on environmental protection through land acquisition, land management, outdoor recreation, and financial and administrative leadership. A graduate from the University of Florida (BS Math, MS Environmental Science), he has made his home in Gainesville most of the time since the mid-1970’s. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Robert enjoys backpacking, camping, running, and cycling, in addition to working to restore a small tract of sand hill he owns near Melrose. Robert has been volunteering at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery for several years, both digging and burying.
Sally Palmi (Secretary)
Sara “Sally” Palmi held a professional career in public service for 30 years. She has served on multiple boards including the State of Florida Recycling Organization, Keep Alachua County Beautiful and the National Recycling Coalition. She has been a volunteer for PCCC since 2017 and is a proud grandmother of 5.
Buddy Irby
J.K. “Buddy” Irby was born and raised in Alachua County. A graduate of the University of Florida, he served as a county official for forty years including twenty four years as the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. In retirement he is a community volunteer and proud member of the “Society of the Pick & Spade” regularly volunteering to dig graves at PCCC as well as participate in closing ceremonies . He and his wife Linda have two adult sons.
Doug Hornbeck
Doug Hornbeck is a Conservation Steward Award Winner from Alachua Conservation Trust, and President of Flamingo Hammock Community Association.
Susan Marynowski
Susan Marynowski grew up in north Florida, developing a keen appreciation for the wonders of nature. She holds a Fine Arts degree and an M.S. in Ecology and Public Education from the University of Florida. She has worked as an environmental consultant and public educator from the early 1990s to present. She concurrently developed an interest in the botany and healing properties of plants. She holds two herbal medicine certificates and has worked as a practitioner, teacher, and writer/editor in the herbal medicine field since the late 1990s, most recently as Editor for the Journal of the American Herbalists Guild from 2015-2019. Susan was a founding member of the Board of PCCC and she lives with husband Alan Hodges on a farm just a few miles from the cemetery. Their canine friends Bronson and Sam reside at PCCC.
Walt Barry
Walt Barry was born in St. Louis. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State College and Washington University in St. Louis and remains an ABD in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He has worked as a public school teacher and in local government as a manager and staff person in several different cities in Missouri, Georgia and Florida. Walt and his wife Pamela have lived in Gainesville since 1992. He is Past President of the Gainesville Friends of Jazz, the Downtown Rotary Club of Gainesville and is currently a member of the Gainesville Police and Fire Pension Board and the Gainesville City for Active Transportation (GCAT). He is an avid cyclist, hiker and camper and loves the wonderful theatre, arts and music opportunities that are available in the area.
Houston Wells
Houston Wells is a lecturer in digital film and television production at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. Before joining UF, Houston taught marine biology and worked as a video producer/editor. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons, taking photos of Florida wildlife, acting, and performing comedy. He’s also proud to be a member of the Society of the Pick & Spade.
Bettina Moser
Bettina is a biologist, entomologist, microbiologist, and biotechnology professional with international experience in research, corporate, academic and U.S. military settings in the areas of environmental and public health. She is passionate about the environment and loves helping people and animals. Bettina can regularly be found volunteering at PCCC by helping with both grave digging and burials. She is currently the secretary of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Advisory Committee (EPAC) and a board member of the Santa Fe Audubon Society and the Florida Defenders of the Environment (FDE).
Kevin Conlin
Kevin is a Florida “native” who grew up in Jacksonville, arrived in Gainesville to attend UF, and has been here ever since (ok, he did take a ‘sabbatical’ to live in a Buddhist monastery as well as volunteer in Cambodia). A lover of the great outdoors, he enjoys gardening, walking in the woods, ‘being’ at the ocean or on a secluded river, and hanging with family and friends. He earned a degree in Agronomy from the UF IFAS, but has spent his work life as an accounting software consultant and trainer. Kevin considers himself an introverted people person, committed to being of service to others and caring for this precious planet.
Sterling Davenport
Sterling Davenport has resided in Gainesville since 2007 and volunteered at PCCC for many years before serving on the Board. Sterling is committed to PCCC’s dual missions of environmental stewardship and community service, and continues to volunteer at burials. He has a graduate degree in history and is currently pursuing another in intercultural communication.
Freddie Johnson
Freddie is one of the founders of Conservation Burial Inc. (CBI), the non-profit that manages Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC). He served as CBI's Board President for three years prior to becoming PCCC’s Executive Director in 2011. Freddie has been a nature and animal lover since his childhood experience of growing up in and around the woods and creeks of North Carolina.
Catherine Cake
Catherine is a native of Gainesville, mother of two amazing kids, and spouse to a talented and unendingly curious animator. She received her BS in Business Management from UF, and loves her job as church accountant for United Church of Gainesville. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys reading, expressing her own artistry via sewing and crafting, and volunteering for Moms Demand Action.
