A long time active member of the Lani-Kailua branch of The Outdoor Circle has been elected as President of the Board of Directors of the statewide organization. Elizabeth “Betsy” Connors was sworn-in last week as board president at the organization’s
A long time active member of the Lani-Kailua branch of The Outdoor Circle has been elected as President of the Board of Directors of the statewide organization.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Connors was sworn-in last week as board president at the organization’s annual meeting. Founded in 1912, The Outdoor Circle works to protect the beauty and visual environment of Hawai‘i. Best known as the force behind Hawai‘i’s first-in-the-nation billboard ban, The Outdoor Circle works to protect trees, ensure enforcement of sign laws, save view planes, prevent inappropriate land use and promote the beautification of the islands.
“My experience is that Outdoor Circle members are dedicated people who are concerned about all aspects of the environment,” said Connors, in a press release. “When they focus on something, it gets done.”
Connors says in her new role she intends to be particularly focused on educating people about the value of strong sign laws, maintaining open green space in Hawai‘i and helping island residents understand the great value of trees. She also hopes to help expand the organization’s grassroots base beyond its more than 2,500 active statewide members.
“In particular, I look forward to the expansion of our Kapolei branch so that our founding mission of keeping Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful is implemented in this growing community,” she said in the release.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Connors has been a Hawai‘i resident for more than 30 years. She is a nurse by education and was a long time nursing teacher at the University of Hawai’i and Hawai’i Loa College. The mother of four children, Connors has served for several years on The Outdoor Circle’s board of directors. She was most recently Chairperson of TOC’s Signs Committee which is responsible for initiatives to limit inappropriate advertising in Hawai’i. During her tenure the organization successfully sponsored legislation to prohibit billboard trucks in Hawai‘i and provided significant assistance to the City and County of Honolulu’s successful legal defense of its ban on aerial advertising.
Connors lives in Kailua with her husband, Larry.
