JACKSONVILLE, Florida (March 5, 2025) – Scenic Jacksonville welcomes six new members to its Board of Directors for the 2025-2027 term. Through citizen advocacy and civic leadership, the local nonprofit works to enhance the character and beauty of Jacksonville’s natural and built environment — while making a positive impact on the everyday lives of its citizens. Jacksonville’s rapid growth creates opportunities for a more livable, walkable city, which can take advantage of our abundance of natural assets, unique neighborhoods, waterways, history, and connections.
Ellen Cottrill, co-owner of Avant Construction Group, is deeply committed to the growth of Jacksonville’s urban core. “Scenic Jacksonville’s mission goes hand-in-hand with Avant’s mission of working on construction projects that positively impact our community,” she shared.
Gayandrial “Ivy” Henderson, Director of Housing & Real Estate Development of LIFT JAX and Landscape Architect, has a personal commitment to enhancing the beauty and livability of her city. “As a Jacksonville native, I hope to advocate for a balance of environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and sustainable development that benefits both our city’s past and future,” she explained.
John Alters, Business Development Manager for Carlton Construction, is a Jacksonville native who wants to see his daughters grow up in a thriving city. He shared, “I’m excited to be a part of an organization that works to ensure our city’s beauty is not only maintained, but enhanced through new developments.”
Max Spann, Planner for Halff Associates and Landscape Architect, is new to Jacksonville, but avid in his excitement for the city’s future. “Scenic Jacksonville’s diverse expertise resonates with my passions for the designed environment, setting policy, and placemaking as Northeast Florida continues to evolve,” Spann said.
Susan Grandin, Attorney and Landscape Architect, knew Scenic Jacksonville was the place to go for education and advocacy on the issues that mattered to her most. “From tree preservation to land conservation to placemaking and preserving existing well-functioning communities, I’m excited to see what work we can accomplish,” she shared.
Tyler Grant, Attorney, grew up in nature and has a desire to do more for his city. “Preservation and fostering of the environment within our community leads to greater economic growth and quality of life,” he said.
ABOUT SCENIC JACKSONVILLE: Scenic Jacksonville, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization working to ensure the city’s natural and built environments continue to be both beautiful and resilient for citizens, businesses, and visitors alike. The organization hosts the annual Great Cities Symposium and is a founding member of the Riverfront Parks Now coalition. Initiatives focus on protecting and expanding tree canopy, ensuring responsible commercial signage, minimizing visual impacts of utilities and cell towers, and elevating the design of streetscapes, parks and public spaces, and urban development. Photos to accompany the press release can be found here. Learn more at scenicjax.org and follow along on Facebook@scenicjacksonville and Instagram @scenicjax
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