1000 Friends of Florida appoints 4 new members to its Board of Directors

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One of Florida’s most prominent controlled growth advocacy organizations added to its leadership team.

1000 Friends of Florida, an environmental nonprofit group dedicated to controlling urban sprawl in the state, appointed four new members to its Board of Directors. The new Board members began serving on the panel for the “smart-growth” advocacy organization this month.

Two of the new 1000 Friends Board members are from South Florida, where some of the biggest development increases are taking place. Irela Bague and Carlos Lacasa, both of Coral Gables, have joined the leadership panel.

Bague is director of Governments and Water Resilience for Florida and the Caribbean at Black & Veatch, a global infrastructure development firm. She has a deep background in government service.

Bague served as the Chief Bay Officer for Miami-Dade County, guiding policy that included $70 million for the restoration of Biscayne Bay. She was also chair of the Miam-Dade Biscayne Bay Task Force, vice chair of the South Florida Water Management District, and was involved in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

Lacasa comes from the insurance and health care legal field, has over a quarter century of experience as an attorney, and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He was senior vice president and general counsel for MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC. Lacasa chaired the House Appropriations Committee from 2001 to 2002 as a state Representative.

Henry Dean of St. Augustine Beach is also an appointed 1000 Friends Board member. He served on the St. Johns River Water Management District for 17 years and championed efforts to control water flow for the Wekiva River System. He was elected as a St. Johns County Commissioner. He was also the executive director of that water management district and has been an environmental consultant. Dean’s reach goes back to the administration of Gov. Rueben Askew when he was a lawyer for the Florida Land Planning Agency and general counsel for the Florida Department of Natural Resources.

Bryan White, a resident of New Smyrna Beach, also joined the Board. He is the founder and president of the Yaupon Brothers teas and herbal products business. In addition to his environmental activism, White was a Volusia County Public Protection Department captain, worked in law enforcement, and was an emergency medical technician. He helped establish the Wild Florida Conservation Political Action Committee.

Two 1000 Friends of Florida Board members are departing: Courtney Cunningham and Jake Varn. Both voluntarily retired from the panel.