COTI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
as of 3-30-2025

EMILY ANKERSON

Education: B.A., Education, Johnson State College; M.Ed., Saint Michael's College. Employment: Professional educator, elementary school team leader, and curriculum writer for public and private school systems in Vermont. Worked in nonprofit sector in West Palm Beach in various administrative and leadership roles such as Arts Integration Curriculum Specialist, Curriculum Director, and Community Outreach Program Manager. Executive Director of Captiva Civic Association and the CCA Foundation. Activities: President-elect and Board Member, Kiwanis Club of Sanibel-Captiva. Volunteer for several island non-profits.

VICTORIA ANTHONY

Education: BA, English Literature, Boston University (previous studies at Colby College in Maine); Diploma, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Painting). Employment: Teaching Assistant to Barnet Rubenstein at School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Worked for 25 years at a 100+ year old retail garden center and gift store (Russell’s Garden Center, Wayland, MA) with over $9 million in annual sales. Oversaw staff responsible for maintaining point-of-sale data; managed open-to-buy and other reporting and analysis; Assistant to CEO in establishing sales goals and critiquing monthly departmental performance. Sanibel Activities: Founder and chief admin of the Sanibel and Captiva Property Owners Facebook page, currently at 5,600 members. Now a retired Sanibel resident; island homeowner since 2008

ALLAN ANTLEY - Environment Chair

Education: BA Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia. Employment: Retired from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after 35 years, and another 8 years as a Senior Policy Advisor with CSC in support of EPA’s emergency response mission. While at EPA, served as the Deputy Director of the Region 4 Water Management Division and as Deputy Director of the Science and Ecosystem Support Division among other senior positions. Led the development of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program as the Federal Co-Chair of both the Policy and Management Committees. Sanibel Activities: volunteer at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (2023); President, Pine Tree Drive Association; Board Member, Sanibel Bike Club.

JEFF BLACKMAN - SECRETARY

Education: BA, Religious Studies, BA, History, Indiana University; JD, The George Washington University Law School; LLM, London School of Economics. Employment: Practiced commercial litigation and administrative law in Washington, DC; directed international development projects in former Czechoslovakia; directed international law projects for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in former Czechoslovakia, former Yugoslavia, and former Soviet Union; practiced corporate acquisitions and media licensing in Eastern Europe; co-founded international film distribution company in Eastern Europe; co-founded international law practice; co-founded golf cart rental company on Captiva and Sanibel. Sanibel Activities: Current President and Board Member, Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club; Member, Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce; Member, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

ARIELLE COHEN

Education: BS Communications, University of Miami; JD, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law). Member, State Bar of Texas. Employment: Director of Operations at manufacturer’s representative firm focusing on children’s toy sales; Formerly worked as a practicing attorney in Texas in different roles - Litigation attorney at employment law firm representing clients in employment matters including Title VII, FLSA, ADA, and Non-Compete claims; Staff attorney on large project related to asbestos claims. Sanibel Activities: Member of the 2025 Charitable Foundation of the Islands Leadership Class; Member of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

BARBARA JOY COOLEY

Education: BS from The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine in biomedical communications. Employment: Battelle Memorial Institute, science writing and public information program planning and implementation for federal environmental projects. The OSU College of Engineering, communications director. The James Cancer Hospital at OSU, medical writer. Sanibel Activities: Committee of the Islands, director and vice president, former president; City of Sanibel Historic Preservation Committee, former member; Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, trustee, former moderator and deacon; Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, life member; member and former vice president of the League of Women Voters – Sanibel; Zonta, former member and former newsletter editor; former president of the Gulf Pines Property Owners Association; former publicist for Island Jazz.

PAULA FRIEDMAN

Education: BS, Biology, BA, Art History, Dartmouth College; PhD, Molecular Biology, Columbia University. Employment: Research scientist for 30 years in the fields of Molecular Oncology and Pharmacogenomics at Abbott Laboratories; at University of Chicago as Head of Translational Research for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, then as Associate Director of the Center for Personalized Therapeutics; and at Northwestern University as Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Pharmacogenomics. Started a private art gallery in Chicago and a public art gallery in Great Barrington, MA. Sanibel Activities: Moved to Sanibel in 2016. Member, Zonta; Volunteer, FISH, CHR.

MITCHELL KOPPELMAN - Land Use / City Governance Chair

Education: BS, Chemistry Stony Brook University (1972), PhD, Chemistry, Virginia Tech (1976). Employment: Worked in the Minerals Industry for over 36 years, initially for the Georgia Kaolin Company and then for Minerals Technologies Inc. providing service in R&D (VP global R&D), Marketing, Business Management (P&L responsibilities for a $300M. North American business) and retiring from MTI after 12 years as VP Strategic Planning (strategic plan development for all businesses, Mergers & Acquisitions and Licensing). Currently serving on Boards for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (chair elect), and Virginia Tech College of Science and Department of Chemistry, Mayor's Flooding Abatement Committee in Seaside Park, N.J., and Sanibel Activities: Regular, vocal attendee at Sanibel Council, and Planning Board meetings since 2022

WILLIAM MILLAR - PRESIDENT - Transportation Chair

Education: Northwestern University B.A. Geography, University of Iowa M.A. Urban and Regional Planning specializing in urban transportation policy analysis.

Employment: Lancaster (PA) County Planning Commission transportation planner, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation developer of statewide public transit programs, Port Authority of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh’s principal public transit provider) CEO, American Public Transportation Association CEO. Active in several Sanibel organizations including serving as a Ding Darling Wildlife Society board member.

BOB MOORE - VICE PRESIDENT - Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience Chair

Education: Non-traditional, life-long learning path including studies in psychology, organizational behavior, and personal transformation. Employment: Retired Senior Vice President Health Management Resources (HMR). Led external and internal training function and program development of lifestyle health programs for Boston-based healthcare company. Managed team that trained more than 10,000 healthcare professionals, developed digitally supported consumer health programs, and ran internal communications and team building trainings. Established learning center to support workplace diversity. Currently co-chair of the Sanibel-Captiva Renewable Energy Working Group and San-Cap Resilience—both are coalitions of local civic, business, conservation, municipal, and academic organizations (including COTI). Serves on steering committee of the Southwest Florida Eco-Alliance. Is a trained member of the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps and is co-founder of the Lee County Chapter of Climate Reality.

CARL (BUD) REINHOLD - TREASURER

Education: B.A., Journalism, Marquette University. Employment: U.S. Air Force Active Duty and Reserve Duty; advertising and public relations executive for several organizations and political campaigns; Legislative Director, U.S. Congress; executive of the Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee; investment advisor and financial manager with over $50m in management; currently certified arbitrator. 

CHET SADLER - Membership Chair

Education: BS from University of Colorado in Chemical Engineering and International Business. Employment: Worked in the Plastic and Rubber manufacturing business for three of the largest rubber companies in the world, Goodyear, Gates Rubber company and Standard products. Held numerous positions from technical and quality manager to plant manager and director. Started a successful plastic recycling business in Iowa and Florida. Moved to Sanibel 28 years ago continuing the business of recruiting plastic engineers for large companies. Sanibel Activities: Past President and current Secretary of the Sanibel Captiva Rotary Club; Past Treasurer Committee of the Islands; Past President of the Sanibel Fish Club; President & Treasurer of the Democratic Club of the Islands; and past State House District 76 Chairman for Lee County Democratic Party and currently Sanibel precinct 105 Precinct Leader.

ELLEN SMILEY - Communications Chair

Education: BS, Psychology, Denison University; AM & Ph.D., Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Employment: Faculty member, Psychology (with tenure), The City College of the City University of New York; Acting Dean, Social Sciences, The City College; Assistant and Acting Deputy Provost, The City College; Founding Academic Director, Online BA & MA in Psychology, CUNY School of Professional Studies. Sanibel Activities: Island homeowner since 2004; past Treasurer & current President of the Gulf Pines Homeowners Association.