David Barfield, Terry Barclay Elected to Serve as TNC in Michigan Board of Trustees Chair and Vice Chair
Former board chair Jim Nicholson to serve as chair emeritus
Lansing, MI
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)—a global conservation organization committed to building a future where people and nature both thrive—today announced David Barfield, president and CEO of BarPellam, Inc., has been elected chair of TNC in Michigan’s Board of Trustees. Terry Barclay, president and CEO of Inforum, has been elected vice chair, and former chair Jim Nicholson will now serve as chair emeritus. Each will serve two-year terms.
“The Nature Conservancy in Michigan has impacted every corner of our state, from protecting more than 32,000 acres of pristine forestland in the Keweenaw Peninsula to implementing green stormwater infrastructure projects in Detroit to helping farmers in the Saginaw Bay region grow better crops,” Barfield said. “I want to thank my fellow Board of Trustees members for entrusting me with building on the successes of former chair Jim Nicholson and those who have served before him.”
Barfield founded BarPellam in 2015 in partnership with UK-based Impellam Group, following the acquisition of the privately held Bartech Group, Inc., where he served as chairman, president and CEO. He is also a trustee for Cleary University in Livingston County.
As president and CEO of Inforum, Barclay oversees the only professional organization in Michigan—and one of a few in the country—that combines strategic connections, proven professional development programs, a respected forum for new ideas and original research to accelerate careers for women and boost talent initiatives for companies.
“It is an honor to serve as vice chair on the Board of Trustees for an organization whose global workforce is more than 60% women and walks the walk when it comes to diversifying its workforce,” Barclay said. “I look forward to working with newly elected Chair David Barfield and want to thank Jim Nicholson for his service over the last two years.”
Nicholson, the co-chairman of PVS Chemicals, Inc. and now former TNC in Michigan Board of Trustees chair, will now serve as chair emeritus.
“I am incredibly proud of the work The Nature Conservancy in Michigan’s Board of Trustees and the organization have accomplished over the last two years,” Nicholson said. “I look forward to continuing working with my colleagues to ensure Michigan remains a leader in the fight against climate change because by working together, we can find a way.”
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 77 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 36 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
More from Michigan
The Search for Lake Whitefish
Spend a day in the field with TNC Conservation Fellow Alex Verdeja-Perez as she journeys in the rain and snow in search of lake whitefish—a crucial species for the biodiversity of the Great Lakes.
The Legacy of the Keweenaw
TNC has been working with partners to ensure the protection of the Keweenaw Peninsula for people and nature since 1982.
A Tale of Two Flyways
Every year migrating birds road trip across Michigan, but climate and biodiversity threats could make pit stops harder. Associate Director Patrick Doran shares three species and refuges to know.