Country Club Living - Palm Beach North - December 2025

8 C O U N T R Y C L U B L I V I N G - PA L M B E A C H N O R T H | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 Cover Feature – By Dan Hauser - - Photos by Neil Cohen Photography - W hen Sarah Marmion talks about Friends of Manatee Lagoon, her passion for education and conservation is unmistakable. A longtime communications and outreach leader, she has built her career around connecting people with purpose. Now, as Executive Director of the Riviera Beach, Florida-based nonprofit, she channels that same energy into protecting one of Florida’s most beloved species. “For me, it’s about leaning in—seeing where you can help,” Marmion said. “When I’m involved in a project, I always want to take it to the next level.” This new career adventure is to lead the mission of Friends of Manatee Lagoon, which is steeped in educating the public about manatees and creating community partnerships that support protecting their habitat and specifically their primary food source, seagrass. “The role of Friends of Manatee Lagoon extends beyond the campus at Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center, and we are focused on strategic partnerships that help take our story and initiatives out into the community.” “We work very closely with like-minded organizations,” she added. “Save the Manatee, for instance, Loggerhead Marinelife Center — we’re part of this community and we are all certainly more powerful together." Marmion has spent her career helping organizations engage the public around complex topics such as energy, sustainability, and now marine conservation. At Friends of Manatee Lagoon, she will be responsible for creating initiatives that will bring the story to as many people as possible. “For instance, we are planning to work with the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management to assist with a water quality monitoring program in the Lake Worth Lagoon so we can track the overall health of the PROFILES OF LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - FRIENDS OF MANATEE LAGOON Sarah Marmion “This is the future of our community, giving back and inspiring Florida’s next generation.”