For a long time I only remembered Emilie Young as the woman in the pink dress. When I first talked to her at length it was in 2005 on the steps leading up to the library, near Miami Dade County Hall. As we walked back towards the Stephen P. Clark Government Center she handed me her card (above) and I noted what she was wearing and the person who introduced us originally so I wouldn't forget her. Fat chance I ever would. She was a very special lady. When she retired from the County we started meeting for lunch occasionally. Emilie Young died last week after a very short battle with cancer. All of us in Miami-Dade who marvel at the beauty of our natural environment are touched by Emilie's work because she was the head of the county's Environmentally Endangered Land (EEL) Program for 18 years - protecting the natural areas in the county. As her obituary said:
Ms. Young made an enormous impact on the local environment, and left as her legacy, thousands of acres of protected natural areas. She oversaw the acquisition and maintenance of nearly 18,000 acres of land that celebrate the natural heritage of South Florida. The areas of rockridge pineland, tropical hardwood hammock, freshwater and coastal wetlands that she acquired will forever remind us of her love of the natural world, her commitment to the future of this county, and her incredible skill at negotiating a good deal for the County taxpayers.
I will miss you Emilie.
5 comments:
So sad to here. She was a lovely woman.
That is a shock. Emilie and her co-workers and staff have labored long and over many years, quietly in the background and deliberately out of the way of horrendous local politics, to save as much land as possible for the environment and for the citizens and taxpayers of Miami-Dade. What a sad moment for us all.
Memorial services for Emilie Young will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wed, Dec. 22, 2010 at St Matthew the Apostle Episcopal Church, 7410 Sunset Drive, Miami, Florida.
Emilie was a great woman who cared deeply for DERM and their mission. I worked closely with her on the campaign to get the tax passed for the Endangered lands program (with Sam Poole). She was always very positive and encouraging.
Hadn't seen or heard from her in ages. This makes me very sad. RIP Emilie.
Mario A.
RIP: a career well lived doing things to help future generations. Thank you.
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