SFS DONOR PROFILE: CHARLES D. MCKEE

Charles D. McKee is a member of the SFS Board of Trustees and a longtime supporter. He has endowed a scholarship to enable deserving students with financial need to attend an SFS program. Charlie is Senior Vice President and Financial Consultant at RBC Dain Rauscher in Portland, Maine and a member of the SFS Board of Trustees. He is also the proud father of SFS alumnae Heidi USA: Virgin Islands '87 and Nina USA: Alaska '84.

What brought you to the SFS Board of Trustees and what has the experience been like?

I've know Terry Andreas, the SFS Chair, for over fifty years and it was through her that I initially heard of SFS. Then two of my children went on SFS programs. Nina did a summer program on marine mammal biology and conservation in Alaska and Heidi went to St. John for a semester where she was able to fulfill her science credits at Yale.  Serving on the SFS Board has been a rewarding, fascinating and exhilarating experience.  Being involved with an academic institution is totally different from my usual day to day activities as a financial consultant.  Plus, the other board members and SFS staff members are great to work with.

What motivated you to endow a scholarship for SFS students?

Primarily it was seeing the need.  The programs themselves are so great for students and the direction of the school is so promising.  Scholarships for students are one of the major needs that SFS has and I thought it was an appropriate way to thank the school for the experience it has given me and my kids.  It is extremely satisfying to see and hear about what SFS students are accomplishing in the field.  I'm glad to help that happen.

Two of your daughters participated in SFS programs.   From the perspective of a parent, what did the SFS experience provide for your children?

It opened up a wide area of interest.  Nina, who went to the program in Alaska when she was in high school, went on to UMass Amherst and became a CPA and Heidi is now an assistant professor of English at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  So although neither of them ended up in an environmental career, SFS nevertheless provided an appreciation of the outdoors and the environment that remains with them today.

Have you visited an SFS center?  What was that like?

I visited the center in Costa Rica and was able to attend a meeting of the Atenas town council while I was there.  It was clear how much SFS was appreciated locally for their contributions to the community.  I was also fortunate to hear the president of Costa Rica, Óscar Arias, speak with our students and to see them in action. Next year I plan to visit our two centers in Kenya.

What do you see on the SFS horizon in the next five to ten years?

In the near-term as you know, we are seeking a new president to replace Paul Houlihan who is retiring in June.  I think that SFS will continue to build on the strengths we have now as an institution and that we'll develop closer ties with our alumni and with the communities we serve overseas.  With the growing concern for the environment and global warming, SFS has an important role to play in educating future environmental leaders both here in the US and abroad.