New members to Habitat’s Board of Directors join its effort to empower through shelter.
Current Vice Chair David Owen becomes Habitat’s new board chair and Selynto Anderson and John Talmage join as board members. The board of directors is a group of 21 community members that works to expand affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income earning families throughout Southwest Florida.
Chairman David Owen has served on Habitat’s board since 2017 and carried out responsibilities as vice chair in 2023. An insurance executive of more than 25 years, he brings extensive experience growing middle-market companies in various industries including retail, manufacturing, not-for-profit and hospitality. David and his family moved to Fort Myers for a second and final time in 2004 and are proud to call Lee County home. Serving on the board with Habitat provides him with an opportunity to live out his faith by helping others and building a stronger community.
Board Member Selynto Anderson has dedicated his career to improving equitable access to healthcare resources for people. He’s the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Lee Health and is responsible for championing, developing, executing and overseeing social inclusion and equity programs. Prior to joining Lee Health, Dr. Anderson served as the Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity/Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Self-Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina, where we spent more than 15 years of his career and held various positions. Dr. Anderson moved to Southwest Florida in 2022 and is excited to help improve access to affordable housing.
Board Member John Talmage has been a community leader across the United States for decades. He’s spent more than 30 years working in local economic and community development for municipal government and national research organizations. Currently, John is the Director of Economic Development for Lee County. Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff to the City Manager of the City of Fort Myers and on the Sanibel City Planning Commission. John is honored to use his capacity as a Habitat Board Member to tackle the affordable housing crisis in Lee and Hendry Counties.
