Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is pleased to welcome retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Frances Presley Rice as a new member of the Mote Board of Trustees. LTC Rice grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and served in the Army for 20 years, retiring as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Subsequently, she worked for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation as a government contract advisor on the law of space exploration. Mote's Board of Trustees supports the Lab in its mission of advancing marine science, education and outreach. This support includes guiding strategic Lab-wide initiatives and serving as a pillar to the creation of the new Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA).  LTC Rice is also an author, screenwriter and co-founder of the non-profit Yocum African American History Association which has built a legacy of educational resources about black history, providing historical milestones that prove that black history is American history. In recognition of her accomplishments, the Governor and First Lady of the State of Florida recently invited her to attend a reception in honor of Florida’s 2022 Black History Celebration at The Governor’s Mansion.