North Florida Land Trust Welcomes Four New Members to its Board of Directors

Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 27, 2026 – North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) has recently added four new members to its board of directors. Brandice Acree, Tom Grimes, Lawrence Kurzius, and Jim Overton will each serve on the board of directors for a term of three years.

“It is always a pleasure welcoming new members to our board of directors to help guide our decisions for preserving land in North Florida and beyond,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “New voices and new perspectives really strengthen our mission and help ensure that what we are doing is best for the natural spaces we work hard to protect. Our natural landscapes are precious resources. It is now or never.”

Acree is familiar with the nonprofit sector and has been involved in many community organizations, including serving as board chair of the Pace Center for Girls, board member and volunteer for Hope Floats a non-profit supporting The Donna Foundation, and as an community liaison and Adopt-A-Family coordinator for organizations across the US including local organizations: Daniel’s Kids, The Annie Ruth Foundation, Clara White Mission and The Hubbard House. Acree holds a Master of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Stetson University. She currently serves as the community relations program manager for The Standard.

Grimes is a seasoned public company executive who spent more than 28 years in the multifamily business before retiring as MAA’s chief operating officer in 2022. He is currently working on a range of civic and industry projects. He is the board chair of the Overton Park Conservancy and the past chair of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy board of directors, two organizations that support urban parks in Memphis, TN. Grimes earned his bachelor’s degree in history/art history from Emory University and his MBA at the University of Memphis. Grimes and his wife have a home on Amelia Island.

Kurzius, a Jacksonville resident since 2008, is a business executive who served as the executive chair of the board of McCormick & Company until January 2025. He has held many executive roles at the company, including president and chief executive officer. Before joining McCormick in 2003, he was president and CEO of Zatarain’s, where he spent 12 years before McCormick acquired the company. He also served as a marketing executive with the Quaker Oats Company and Mars Inc.’s Uncle Ben’s Company. Kurzius graduated magna cum laude in Economics from Princeton University.

Overton currently serves as the Duval County Tax Collector, a constitutional office he has held since 2018. He previously served as Duval County Property Appraiser from 2003 to 2015 and as a Jacksonville City Council Member in the 1990s, including a term as Council President. Before he began full-time public service, Overton was a business owner in video media and television production systems. Overton has received many awards and accolades for his work, including the Natural Resources Award from Florida Communities Trust and the Conservation Award from The Nature Conservancy. Overton holds a master’s in public administration from the University of North Florida and earned a degree in business administration from Washington and Lee University. He currently serves on several boards, including the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, the Executive Board of the North Florida Council of Boy Scouts, and the BSA Troop 2 Committee, where he has mentored young men for over 20 years.

The inclusion of Acree, Grimes, Kurzius, and Overton brings the NFLT board of directors to its 18-member capacity.

About North Florida Land Trust

North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life by protecting North Florida's irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land, as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org.