Pauline Wamsler
BA, ’95, School of Hotel Administration
“Born in Munich, Germany, I have resided in the United States since 1987. I am a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. After a career in real estate acquisition and finance, I relocated from New York to Sarasota, Florida, where I have and spent many family vacations as a child.”
About
While raising my two daughters in Sarasota, I founded the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, a force in the protection of the Gulf Coast’s bays, beaches, barrier islands, wetlands and unique biodiversity. With the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, I worked to help protect more than 11,000 acres of pristine Florida landscapes. In addition to my work with the Conservation Foundation, I currently serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and on the Board of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. I also serve on the Board of Advisors of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. I am a Member of the Corporation of the New York Botanical Garden, and the Board of Managers of Thorndale Farms, LLC, an investment firm, and the Cornell Club of Sarasota-Manatee. Together with my partner, David J. Sales and our six children, I enjoy gardening, cooking, traveling, and being active outdoors.
“I am looking forward to serving on the council as it will enable me to bring together two great loves. My love and appreciation for my alma mater Cornell and my love of the natural world and specifically the role Botanic Gardens serve in our community.”