Issue 49, December 4
It’s hard to believe we’re in the final month of 2016 already; this year really has flown by. Yesterday morning I know some of us attended Charles McBurney’s mother’s funeral. It was a beautiful service, and I’m sure it meant a great deal to him, to have friends present. Later that evening, after 11 months of planning by Megan Russo, Jeanne Maron, and Irene Trevino, we had a blast at Winter Wonderland on the Water. Tonight I’m looking forward to visiting Anne Urban’s new venture, The Enchanted Christmas Village which looks to be a fantastic experience.
Next Saturday is our FINAL Charitable event of the year, our Children’s Christmas Shopping Spree. As Community Connections has lost their funding, Penny Kievet and her team at City Rescue Mission have welcomed those families in and will continue to partner with us for this heartwarming event. Many of us look forward to this event all year, and I can’t think of a better note on which to end, than something so self-less. Regardless of your personal religion, this event supports Children usually coming from homes where domestic violence is present. Whether you pray to a god or none at all, I think we can all agree putting smiles on their faces and showing kindness and selflessness transcends personal beliefs as it comes from the core of our humanity.
This week Aaron Bean will take over the program. If his auctioneering is any indication of what he has in store, then no doubt everyone will enjoy taking time out of their day to attend. On a more “official” note, this week is our Annual Meeting where we’ll formally elect next year’s leadership. For as long as I’ve been a member, we’ve begun each weekly meeting opening with our mission statement “The purpose of this organization is to promote the material, civic, social improvement and betterment of Duval County, in general, and specifically to promote the welfare and advancement of the Southside of Jacksonville.” Our nominating committee had some real challenges as several officers and board members asked to step down, due to overwhelming constraints at work. Fortunately, the committee was steadfast in compiling a slate of leaders which will ensure SBMC’s success for the upcoming years. Their recommendations are as follows, and no nominations were made from the floor.
2017 Officers/ Ex-Officio Board Members
- (Pres.) Julie Clements
- (1st VP) Steve DeSorbo
- (2nd VP) Bill Bishop
- (3rd VP) Lake Ray
- (4th VP) Walter Smith
- (Sergeant at Arms) Ernie Petzrick
- (Treasurer) Mark Wilkinson
2017 Board Members
3-Year Term
- John Crowder
- Michael Best
- Brandon Stanko
1-Year Term
- Irene Trevino
Vacancies
- Mike Russo to replace Bill Bishop for 2 years remaining
- Jepp Walter to replace Steve Johnston for 2 years remaining
Board Members Continuing (Existing)
2-Years remaining: Megan Russo
1-Year Remaining: Joe Lemire, Hals Smith, and Jeanne Maron
Immediate Past President: Patrick Heatherington
