Special to the WJH
The Okefenokee Swamp Park (OSP) Board of Trustees has announced Dr. William Clark will rotate off as Chair of the Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2010.
Dr. Clark said his departure is an expression of his confidence and excitement about current progress with strategic initiatives and board leadership development. He will be replaced by Vice Chair Phillip Saussy, while serving the board as Past Chair, offering support and guidance to Saussy.
“It has been an honor to serve as chairman and witness the growth and impact of the Okefenokee Swamp Park, as well as the evolution of our board and our mission,” said Dr. Clark, an ophthalmologist based in Waycross. “I am confident in Philip’s leadership and look forward to supporting him as we continue our important work.
“We especially appreciate the generosity of so many significant donors around here, which has made everything we have accomplished so far possible.”
Dr. Clark, whose family traces back five generations locally, has been instrumental in advancing the OSP’s mission to promote ecological tourism and education. Under his chairmanship, OSP has strengthened partnerships with organizations such as the University of Georgia, focusing on conservation and education efforts to maintain the swamp’s native alligator population and better understand the species.
During his tenure, the OSP expanded its eco-tourism outreach by successfully bidding on and acquiring the visitor concession at the Okefenokee National National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters entrance near Folkston, unifying the two locations. Dr. Clark also led the nationwide search that found the OSP’s current Executive Director, Kim Bednarek, who’s been instrumental in establishing a true public- private partnership with the NWR.
This partnership has resulted in the recent nomination by the US Department of the Interior for NWR (not OSP) to be inscribed as the next American World Heritage Site.
Saussy is a fourth a fourth generation Waycrossan who joined the board in 2023. In addition to being Vice Chair, the retired insurance executive chairs the OSP’s Governance Committee.
He also serves on the Communities for Coastal Georgia Foundation, Truist Advisory Board, and recently completed service as Co-Chair of the Pastor Nominating Committee for St. Simons Presbyterian Church, where he is a current Elder.
Saussy, a gradute of UGA, has served on the Waycross/Ware County Development Authority, Rotary International, and other civic organizations.
His experience, expertise, and commitment to OSP development aspirations positions him well to lead the OSP in its next chapter.
The Board of Trustees extended its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Clark for his years of dedicated service and looks forward to his continued contributions in his ongoing role.
