Latest news with #TonyWells
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
As Elsternwick golf course turns into a nature reserve, 'ham-fisted' tree removal concerns residents
A decade after an inner-Melbourne golf club was earmarked to become a "natural oasis", the loss of established trees as part of its transformation is concerning residents. As the $22 million project to turn the former Elsternwick Park golf course into the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve continues, some say too many trees are being felled. The project, which the Bayside City Council has said will create a "biodiversity refuge" and improve the quality of water flowing into Port Phillip Bay, involves creating wetland areas, a chain of ponds and a wildflower meadow. The creation of wetlands in the southern section of the site is underway, and dozens of native and non-native trees were being cleared in that area last week. Local resident Tony Wells, a wildlife photographer, said he was so surprised by the scale of the works as he drove past, he stopped to snap pictures. "I saw the bulldozers and the chainsaws at work, and that they were woodchipping stuff," he said. Mr Wells, who has photographed endangered gang-gang cockatoos feeding in the reserve, and tawny frogmouths nesting, said the section he saw had been "moonscaped". "People are justifiably alarmed by what's occurred here," he said. "This seems to be really ham-fisted project management by the council contractors. "The community really wants this project to succeed. We think it's a fantastic opportunity for nature to be protected and recreated in an urban setting, but we feel council's dropped the ball in this case. "We don't want to see any more activity like this again without proper consultation with the community and people who know about the environment." Gio Fitzpatrick, the president of the Yalukit Willam Nature Association, said he understood the justification for removing some trees, but the way it was being done had raised alarm bells for the group. He said he was particularly concerned about three out of seven decades-old river red gums in one section being felled to make way for a wetland area. "I would understand the 'we've got to crack an egg to make an omelette' justification," he said. "But it's a golf course, so essentially the trees are aligned in rows with big fairways in between, and there's a lot of space in those fairways for a wetland. "River red gums are actually the most adapted to flooding." Mr Fitzpatrick said members of the 300-strong group were also concerned that Bayside City Council contractors had turned cleared trees into woodchips instead of retaining the timber to create habitat. "They assured us upwards of four or five times that timber would be retained as branches and logs for habitat, and then it was mostly chipped," he said. "If your goal is creating a nature reserve, if you're chopping down any tree, indigenous or otherwise, it's advantageous to save that timber to use as ground habitat, and also to leave standing deadwood as habitat. That's a golden opportunity." However he said neither of those things had really been done. "There's a bit of timber that has been retained, but the vast majority is in a massive pile of woodchips." A Bayside City Council spokesperson said some trees were being removed in the southern wetland area of the site as part of the construction of the new wetland. "The wetlands will provide critical habitat for wildlife and new vegetation habitat zones," the spokesperson said. A statement released by the council said the construction of the wetland would involve 200,000 new terrestrial and aquatic plants, and 1,900 trees. "A detailed and specialist tree impact assessment determined that some trees will not tolerate the wetland environment, will be impacted by earthworks, or will inhibit the new indigenous vegetation communities," it said. "Exotic species and declared weed species (e.g. Cypress trees) are also being removed and chipped." "All efforts are being taken to minimise the number of trees being removed. "Most native trees, logs and branches are being repurposed onsite for landscaping and habitat creation. Over 30 native trees are being saved in whole including logs and branches. "All other native trees are being stored for log wood or branches. Only exotic trees are being chipped." But Mr Wells said he feared the impact the removal of established trees would have on wildlife in the area. "They fly from tree to tree looking for food, and that's what they do in that reserve, so the loss of native trees is really a tragedy for that species and others that use that reserve."
Globe and Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Amalgamated Financial Corporation Welcomes Steven S. SaLoutos and Tony Wells to its Board of Directors
NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amalgamated Financial Corp. ('Amalgamated' or the 'Company') (Nasdaq: AMAL), today announced the addition of two new board members to their Board of Directors, Steven SaLoutos and Tony Wells. They will also serve on the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Bank. 'We are thrilled to welcome Steven and Tony to our Board of Directors,' said Lynne Fox, Chair of the Board. 'Our board has always included industry experts who know that profitability and social impact are not mutually exclusive. Steven and Tony have demonstrated this throughout their respective careers, and we know that they both will make valuable contributions to our board and future growth.' Mr. SaLoutos brings extensive expertise in the banking industry and a strong background in directorship. He is presently the Chief Financial Officer of ProSight Financial Association, following a distinguished 38-year career at U.S. Bank, N.A. His most recent position there was Executive Vice President and Midwest Regional Executive in Consumer and Business Banking. An active community supporter, Mr. SaLoutos is a member and former Chairperson of Wisconsin Women Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on startup and early-stage business lending for and education of women and minority-owned businesses throughout Wisconsin. Mr. SaLoutos holds a BBA degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and an MBA, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr. Wells brings nearly four decades of executive leadership across highly regulated industries including banking, payment services, telecommunications, and energy. He currently serves as a Venture Partner at AZ-VC, Arizona's largest venture capital fund, and sits on the boards of publicly traded Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST), Yelp (NYSE: YELP) and private ad-tech company TripleLift. Previously, Mr. Wells served as Chief Media Officer at Verizon from 2021 to 2023, and as a senior marketing executive at USAA from 2017 to 2021, culminating in his role as Chief Brand Officer. While at USAA, he also chaired both the USAA Foundation and the USAA Education Foundation, advancing initiatives in financial literacy, diversity, and customer trust. A former Marine Corps infantry officer, Mr. Wells holds a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy and a Management Certificate from Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. 'Both men bring a wealth of expertise across multiple industries and disciplines, along with powerful strategic perspectives. Their insights will be invaluable as we continue to accelerate our growth and expand our impact.' said Priscilla Sims Brown, CEO of Amalgamated Bank 'The passion and purpose they've demonstrated align with those of Amalgamated, and we are excited to welcome them as valued members of our board.' About Amalgamated Financial Corp: Amalgamated Financial Corp. is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a bank holding company engaged in commercial banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Amalgamated Bank. Amalgamated Bank is a New York-based full-service commercial bank and a chartered trust company with a combined network of five branches across New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and a commercial office in Boston. Amalgamated Bank was formed in 1923 as Amalgamated Bank of New York by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, one of the country's oldest labor unions. Amalgamated Bank provides commercial banking and trust services nationally and offers a full range of products and services to both commercial and retail customers. Amalgamated Bank is a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and is a certified B Corporation ®. As of March 31, 2025, our total assets were $8.3 billion, total net loans were $4.6 billion, and total deposits were $7.4 billion. Additionally, as of March 31, 2025, our trust business held $35.7 billion in assets under custody and $14.2 billion in assets under management.
