by Lisa D. Mickey
Jana Caswell has spent her career working in human resources in the hospitality industry, but her work life began right out of college as a tour guide leading school kids around historic landmarks in Washington, D.C. She soon moved into corporate hospitality with Hyatt Hotels, where she worked for five years, before leaving to work in Orlando for Darden Restaurants as vice president of employee relations.
She lived in Orlando for 20 years and later spent weekends in New Smyrna Beach. Future husband, Craig Caswell, to whom she has been married for 15 years, had a weekend house at the beach, so she got to know New Smyrna through Craig. The couple bought their first home together in New Smyrna in 2011, agreeing they would eventually move when both scaled back in their respective careers. Jana still consults in her work and Craig has flexibility as a business owner, but they moved to New Smyrna in 2017, and later installed a living shoreline on their property along the Indian River Lagoon – learning key lessons about stewardship during that process.
Get to know Jana, who sat down with MDC staff writer Lisa D. Mickey and talked about her involvement at MDC.
Q: How and when did you get involved with MDC?
Jana: I did not know what all MDC was in the community. We had some friends in town and went on a boat tour for something to do. That’s where I learned about living shorelines and then we started working with Danny Young [at Young Bear Environmental Consulting] and that’s when it all started coming together and I learned about what I wanted to do. The more I learned, the more MDC kept coming up as a resource and as a great local gem that was involved in a lot of the same interests that I had. Just by living here and coming to MDC for different events, little by little, I got involved.
Q: What have been the notable changes that stand out in the time you have been active at MDC?
Jana: When I first came to MDC, it was a pretty, local resource that was on the water and it had a few little exhibits. I thought it was a cute little place. Over the years, just watching the exhibits get better and seeing the grounds and landscaping grow and improve, and experiencing the public access on boat and kayak tours — while also seeing growth in professionalism in the staff and programming — has been just a really impressive evolution.
Q: When did you join MDC’s board of directors?
Jana: I don’t know that I decided as much as Chad told me. [Laughter] I remember being here at an event and talking to Chad. Maybe it was about a year later that he asked if I would consider joining the board. I told him to let me know when he was ready and he did.
Q: How does MDC’s mission resonate with you?
Jana: I certainly have some thoughts and emotional beliefs about the land and the water. Many years ago, when Craig and I first got married, a gentleman came and did yardwork for us. He asked if I would like for him to plant us a butterfly garden and I said yes! He installed some butterfly plants in our back yard and he came back a few weeks later and I told him we were going to have to spray some insecticide because something was eating all of those plants. He was the first one who taught me that caterpillars eat the milkweed and that’s what they’re supposed to do, and he taught me all about the butterfly life cycle. In the same sort of stupidly naïve way, I had not really thought that much about the lagoon and what my part would be renting space from Mother Nature to live in that spot — or even what my impact would be. I never really understood that I played a role in stewardship until I got involved and more informed and began learning about native plants that were being planted in my yard. I could look on either side of my yard and see the use of chemicals on lawns. I began to understand what that was doing and how it was impacting where we lived. I felt it was an honor and blessing to live where I live and to be able to look out on the water and watch dolphins, manatees, birds and to understand that it’s not really ours to do with it what we want. It speaks to me in how I have learned. MDC’s mission and values resonate perfectly with all that I have learned and feel is important where we live.
Q: You also took the Florida Master Naturalist Program’s Coastal Systems course. What did you learn from that?
Jana: Epiphany is a great word, but it doesn’t even come close to describing what I learned. I just wanted to be a sponge. It was an amazing experience and I feel truly blessed to have taken that class. I would say it was an epiphany x 10!
Q: How did serving on MDC’s board make you aware of the importance of giving?
Jana: Being on the board has been a learning process. It has allowed me to meet a lot of the MDC staff and learn about their stories, backgrounds and areas of expertise. I’ve also had an opportunity to meet the different naturalists and learn about the different programs at MDC. That has been so enlightening, but in order for MDC to do all of the great things that it does to make a difference, there is a business component behind it. None of the warm and fuzzy stuff would exist for very long or have the impact that it needs to have without the strategic and business component. At some point, you need funding, strategic plans, leadership, guidance and direction, as well as community partners. Being on the board has crystalized for me the need to take all of that feel-good stuff and add a business component to it. You need both and you need balance.
Q: How important is it for MDC and other nonprofits to have donors, sponsors and community partners?
Jana: It’s life or death. The internal community at MDC is as committed, driven and passionate about the cause more than anybody I have ever seen at any organization. It’s amazing and wonderful, but at the end of the day, all of the amazing people who work at MDC also have the reality of going home and paying bills and feeding families. You can have all the passion, energy and great ideas that you want, but without the ability to fund all of that and turn it into reality, you’re just not going to get very far. You need help, you need donors and you need that support. One of the things that I love best about this organization is its accessibility. All are welcome and anyone can come in. Kids camps are accessible, and the more accessible we are, the more people you are bringing into the fold who understand the value and become committed to the cause. They will donate and even volunteer. It’s a virtuous cycle. Kids come to MDC camps and they learn and become future stewards of the environment. You also absolutely must have that community connection and community outreach from a business and financial perspective, as well as from an awareness and partnership perspective. Some people might see fishing line in tree limbs and cut it out or pick up trash, when maybe they had never thought of that before. All of those little tiny things add up to make a difference.
Q: Has community involvement always been important to you?
Jana: Causes tug at my heart. I wasn’t brought up thinking philanthropically, but as I’ve made my way through the world, when I’d hear of a need, I always wondered what I could do – whether that’s making a donation financially or being involved. I’ve learned to follow my passion. When I first left Darden, I had time on my hands, so I got involved with the Adult Literacy League in Orlando. I was partnered with a woman my age who is now a very dear friend and an amazing human being. I got to teach her to read and watch her world open up, which has been wonderful. I’ve also worked with animal charities. Right now, I’m also volunteering with Cudas Unhooked, which is a great organization for at-risk and at-need high school students. I am blessed and fortunate that I have the financial resources to be able to contribute, and as my work life has shifted I’ve been able to donate more of my personal time. I also can always donate my mind to talk or think or help out where I can.
Q: What does MDC mean to you?
Jana: I think MDC encapsulates so many of the important values that I hold dear. It’s a legacy. It’s not just a let’s-do-this-right-now-for-this-reason kind of thing. The work here will never end. It’s about being part of something that is building and will continue to evolve and unite people around a cause that is so foundational to who we are. We are a community by the ocean blessed with an incredible array of natural resources. The world around us is being developed and paved over, so let’s embrace what makes us who we are because this community is foundational to us as people, waterways, evolution, growth, repurposing and resiliency. I don’t want to be Orlando by the sea. This is about protecting and preserving this unique community as a legacy for not only New Smyrna Beach, but for future generations of people who come here and recognize how important all of this is. I feel like I get way more from MDC than what I give. The relationships, the knowledge, the sense of purpose in doing good things is way more than the amount of time, energy or anything I can give. I’m just very, very lucky and blessed to have MDC in my life.
If you would like to know more about ways to incorporate Marine Discovery Center into your financial giving plans, please click here.
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