In its mission to support conservation and education at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) has announced two new employees. Angeli Chin steps into the position of events, marketing, and grants manager. Joann Hinman returns to the team, this time as refuge nature store manager.
Chin — an award-winning public relations, marketing, and communications professional — has extensive experience in fundraising, grant writing, content marketing, event management, and project management.
A native of New York State, Chin holds two master’s degrees: a Think Tank MBA from the Atlas Institute in Alexandra, Va., and a master of science in education media design and technology from Full Sail University, Orlando, Fla. She has served on the advisory board for The Salvation Army, is a founding board member of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, and has mentored at Dress for Success Southwest Florida and Goodwill’s Microenterprise Institute.
Now a Fort Myers, Fla., resident, Chin worked previously as the public relations and media director at Pushing DaiZies, Inc., which organized the ZombiCon fundraiser in downtown Fort Myers. As the chief executive officer of Masterful Communications, she managed the company’s public relations and marketing strategies and mentored the marketing staff.
Chin has also held various roles in charitable organizations, including founding the Zumbathon for Relay for Life Fort Myers and working with the PACE Center for Girls. She is an active member of the Florida Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of America, holding leadership positions in both organizations.
Hinman thought she was ready to retire when she left the Zion Natural History Association (ZNHA) in Utah’s Zion National Park in 2013. But she missed working with a nonprofit that supports public lands, and that’s how she ended up at “Ding” Darling in 2016.
A native of Los Angeles, Cal., Hinman graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in biology. At ZNHA, she started as the nature center store manager and moved up the ladder to become director of finance and administration.
Her path at DDWS was much the same, starting as assistant store manager and advancing to the to the title business office manager. Hinman first toured “Ding” Darling Refuge 19 years ago while visiting a friend in Cape Coral, where she now lives and enjoys photographing the town’s famous burrowing owl population.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome two such accomplished professionals to the DDWS team,” said executive director Ann-Marie Wildman. “Angeli’s experience and innovative approach to fundraising and outreach will help us grow our programs, engage our community, and enhance support for the refuge. Joann has greatly proven her value to the organization through nearly five years of expertise in the fields of retail and accounting.”
ABOUT DDWS
As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, DDWS works to support J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s mission of conservation, wildlife and habitat protection, research, and public education through charitable donations and Refuge Nature Shop profits. To support DDWS and the refuge with a tax-deductible gift, visit dingdarlingsociety.org or Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-789-8991 or [email protected].
