FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chuck Myron

Director of Media Relations

Environmental and Peace Education Center

Fort Myers, FL

P: (863) 273-1090

E: cmyron@onemain.com

Better tools to foster peace, protect nature in the works

FGCU grad student brings energy, ideas to EPEC as new president

ESTERO, Fla. (May 15, 2010) — Reviving conflict resolution training programs, helping consumers make environmentally friendly choices and becoming more responsive to the community are the goals of the new leadership of a Southwest Florida advocacy group.

The members of the Environmental and Peace Education Center (EPEC) elected Jessica Mendes, a committed advocate for social justice and the preservation of the local area’s nature and serenity, as its new president Saturday in its annual meeting in Estero.

The nonprofit organization named seven others as officers and board members during the gathering at the Happehatchee Center.

Mendes cited the work of outgoing president Tom Guelcher and founding president Phyllis Stanley for laying the groundwork necessary to unite supporters of a pair of vital issues.

“The reason I became involved with EPEC is because it links environmentalism and peace, two very interconnected issues that are overlooked in many organizations,” she said.

A ratings system that rewards green practices at restaurants, a revamped Web site and continued efforts to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are some of the projects Mendes and her team have planned as they seek more ideas and input from around the area.

“It’s so important that we let the community know that we are here, and that we are a resource for them, too.”

Mendes, 24, previously served as secretary for EPEC and works as a graduate assistant at the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education at Florida Gulf Coast University while pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from FGCU in 2008. The Tenafly, N.J. native has lived in Southwest Florida for the last eight years, first on Marco Island, and now in Fort Myers.

About EPEC

The Environmental and Peace Education Center, founded in 1982, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Fort Myers and dedicated to raising awareness of nonviolent conflict resolution and global sustainability across Southwest Florida.