Jessie Ball duPont Fund Welcomes Two New Trustees

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund, a private endowed foundation based in Jacksonville, has welcomed two new trustees: Rev. Dr. J. Allison DeFoor, a respected Episcopal priest with a long history of public service who was recently named President and CEO of the North Florida Land Trust; and Willem Erwich, an accomplished finance executive representing Northern Trust, the duPont Fund’s corporate co-trustee.

“We are thrilled to welcome Allison and Will to this group of engaged, accomplished Trustees,” said Anna Escobedo Cabral, Chair for the Trustees and Partner at the Cabral Group. “Allison’s extensive work in equitable land use and nonprofit administration will be a major asset to the duPont Fund, and we look forward to further exploring investments that create wealth-building opportunities in our communities with Will’s guidance.”

About The Trustees:

Rev. Dr. J. Allison DeFoor

Rev. Allison DeFoor is President and CEO of the North Florida Land Trust. The Trust has for over 20 years protected and preserved environmental land in the region.

Dr. DeFoor is an Episcopal priest who served as Canon to the Ordinary to the Bishop of the Diocese of Florida. Dr. DeFoor, who has degrees in geography, law, criminology, and theology, previously served parishes in four prisons around Tallahassee and was an assistant at Grace Mission, an inner-city mission.

A seventh-generation Floridian, Dr. DeFoor has been actively engaged in conservation, as a trustee of the Florida Audubon Society, the Florida Land Trust Association, and 1000 Friends of Florida. He served as Everglades Czar to Gov. Jeb Bush. In 2014, he chaired passage of Amendment 1, authorizing the largest land protection efforts in world history which passed with 71% of the vote in Florida.

Allison also has extensive background in criminal justice including service as a prosecutor, public defender, judge, and as the elected Sheriff of Monroe County. A former law professor, he was the founding chair of the Project on Accountable Justice at Florida State University. While Chair of Tallahassee Community College, he oversaw the opening of the first prison ever built on the campus of a community college. Allison was one of a small group of reformers who undertook to reform the justice system in Key West and the Florida Keys. In 1980, the group was successful in electing an honest state attorney and its reform efforts resulted in the indictments of the former state attorney, former city and county attorney, the Public Defender, and 8% of the local attorneys. The Key West Police Department was RICO’d, and when a reform sheriff demanded polygraph tests of his deputies, almost half resigned.

Dr. DeFoor was elected as county judge at the age of 28, later served as a circuit judge, was elected Sheriff of Monroe County, and in 1990 ran for Lt. Gov. of Florida as Gov. Bob Martinez’ running mate. He has served as a law professor at the University of Miami, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar, a trustee of numerous boards including the Florida Chamber Foundation, Florida Historical Society, Associated Industries of Florida, and Florida Tax Watch. Upon moving to Jacksonville in 2015, he was twice invited to become a member of the editorial board of the Florida Times-Union newspaper. Also locally, he has served on the boards of the Florida State College Foundation, Memorial Park Foundation, Episcopal Children’s Services, Operation New Hope and the North Florida Land Trust.

Willem “Will” Erwich

Will is a Senior Vice President & Managing Director leading a team advising clients in wealth management, asset protection, estate planning and trust administration. His focus is on private foundations and generational wealth, assisting clients and their families to identify and achieve their financial and estate planning goals in the areas of lifestyle, capital assets, wealth transfer and philanthropy.

Will is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® with a broad financial services background. Will has approximately 29 years of experience in financial services, spanning commercial banking, corporate and private risk management, and wealth advisory roles. Most recently he was a Senior Trust Advisor advising individuals, families and representing Northern Trust as a corporate trustee.

Previously, Will was a Commercial Client Relationship Manager and Private Client Services Office Head for Marsh & McLennan Companies. Before this he held positions with Bank of America, Citizens Bank of Massachusetts and was in private law practice.

Will graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in English. He received a Juris Doctor degree from New England Law, Boston. Will is a member of the MA Bar and FL Bar. He serves on the Board of Miami Youth for Christ that advocates for at- risk youth; and volunteers in the Miami Children and Family court as a Guardian ad Litem. He is married with three children and loves to spend time with his family, being involved at church, reading books, running and seeing independent and foreign films.

Allison takes over from Rev. Canon Eddie E. Jones, Jr., who served three terms as a Trustee, most recently as Chair for the Trustees. Will takes the place of David Llewellyn, who recently retired after 13 years as corporate co-trustee. Allison and Will join five Fund trustees who represent national and international public and private organizations with expertise in the nonprofit, higher education, religious and banking and investment sectors. 

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