For Hometown News
DELAND - Stetson University honored Clay Henderson of New Smyrna Beach with one of Stetson University's most prestigious awards, the George and Mary Hood Award.
The award, presented by Stetson President Wendy B. Libby at a recent college advisory board meeting, is named in honor of Dr. George Hood, Stetson's former dean of students, professor and director of the Counseling Center, and his late wife Mary Turner Hood, longtime assistant to President and Chancellor J. Ollie Edmunds, in recognition of their commitment and contributions to Stetson and its core values.
As senior counsel at the national law firm Holland & Knight, Henderson practices in the public policy section in the areas of environmental law, land use and Smart Growth, and represents public agencies, large private landowners and conservation organizations.
He is well known in Florida for his work and is credited with negotiating the preservation of more than 300,000 acres of lands that are now part of national and state parks and preserves. In 2006, The Florida Bar honored Henderson with the Bill Shadows Memorial Award for public service in environmental law.
A 1977 Stetson University graduate, Henderson has served as a member of Stetson's Arts and Sciences Advisory Board since 2009. He was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000 for his outstanding professional achievement that had a major impact on Florida's environmental policy and brought distinction to the university.
As an adjunct professor at Stetson, Mr. Henderson is teaching Environmental Law and Politics in the Rinker Environmental Learning Center on Monday evenings.
To date, there have been only six recipients of the Hood Award, including Dr. H. Douglas Lee, a former university president, and his wife, Margaret Lee; Max Leland, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia and Stetson class of 1964; Trustee Emeritus Dr. Mark C. Hollis, Stetson class of 1956, and his wife, Lynn Hollis; retired Professor Emeritus of English E. Bryan Gillespie; and retired Senior Professor of Political Science and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Gary Maris.