Here is my extraordinary niece, Tami Willadsen, in Africa on a venture for the Nature Conservancy, pictured in one of her many moments of glory in a most vividly lived life. Her daughter Jess was following directly in her footsteps, already spearheading a campaign at age nine to save the squirrels on her street–the mayor of her city provided a Squirrel Crossing sign at her request. The loss of these lovely souls is unbearable.
Timeline Photos
“The Nature Conservancy's Africa Program lost a true friend late Saturday night. Tami Willadsen, the Director of Philanthropy for the Georgia Chapter, and her young daughter died in a tragic house fire. Tami was a good friend to many of our staff and a staunch supporter of our work in Africa. Just over two years ago, she traveled to Zambia with a group of TNC staff. The trip was life changing for her. I remember having dinner with her afterwards in Georgia, where she described how Africa had renewed her commitment to The Nature Conservancy's mission. It also motivated her to pursue a position of more responsibility within the Georgia Chapter. Tami worked hard to raise significant funding for our Zambia program and support our philanthropy efforts across Africa. She was kind, generous, smart and focused. Regardless of whether we were sitting on a conference call with Tami or sitting around a campfire drinking beer on the banks of the Zambezi, she was a joy to be around. Our Africa family will miss her deeply and our thoughts go out to the rest of her people struggling with her loss. She joins a long list of wise ancestors providing us guidance and hope for the future.” — David Banks, Managing Director, TNC-Africa
Photo Credit: © Anand Mishra
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