I was born in 1977, the daughter of a Naval Officer and Certified Nurse Midwife, and moved to the Beaches area in 1982 when my father was transferred to the Mayport Naval Station. I had the rare opportunity to live here for five years, during which I attended Neptune Beach Elementary. When my father was transferred back to Mayport in 1992, my mother was adamant that we live in Jacksonville Beach!
While attending Fletcher High School I was a member of the National Honor Society, marching band and Editor of the Northeaster student newspaper. While in high school and later during college breaks I worked at Aqua East Surf Shop and Chizu Japanese Steakhouse.
After graduating from Fletcher High School I attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!) graduating with degrees in Political Science and Criminology. While in college I volunteered extensively with the American Cancer Society (ACS), and was hired immediately following graduation as a Regional Advocacy Specialist with ACS in Tallahassee. While in this position I helped drive education on cancer related issues, which led to my role as the North Florida Field Director for the Smoke-Free for Health Campaign. This campaign was focused on passing the 2002 constitutional amendment to ban smoking in restaurants and workplaces. The amendment passed, and Florida officially became smoke-free in all restaurants and workplaces throughout the state!
Upon conclusion of the campaign and the successful amendment passing, I moved back to the Beaches area and became the Executive Director of the ACS for the Beaches, Nassau and St. Johns counties. This position gave me an incredible opportunity to become engaged in the community through the activities, events and services that the ACS provided. I lost my mother to cancer in 2008, and through that experience I got an even more intimate look at how incredible and supportive the individuals in the Beaches community are, and how thankful I was to be among them.
From 2008 to 2014, I worked at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach while also serving on the Board of Trustees for BEAM (Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry). As the Board’s Fundraising Chair, I co-chaired a committee that launched the BEAM Beach Ball in 2011, which raised over $175,000, net, in my three years as co-chair to help keep Beaches families in their homes. I received my MBA from the University of North Florida in April, 2012.
In 2014, I accepted the position of Executive Director for the Beaches Area Historical Society, the organization that runs the Beaches Museum. In addition to the day-to-day operations, I oversee the programs and events of the Museum that have grown to include Springing the Blooms, Pablo Beach Train Day, the Chapel Concert Series, monthly Boardwalk Talks with topics ranging from archaeology to poetry, and a quarterly exhibit series that alternates between history and fine art. I have also launched partnerships with organizations including Cummer Beaches, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Florida Chamber Music Project, and the Ritz Chamber Players to bring quality programming to the beaches area on a regular basis. I was honored in 2020 by the First Coast Cultural Center for my work in advocating for the arts and in 2019 as Rhoda L. Martin Cultural Heritage Center’s 2019 Woman Trailblazer Award in honor of Margaret McQueen.
I joined Oceanside Rotary in 2012 and have served as the Community Service Chair for two years. I work hard to engage our club in local service projects for organizations such as BEAM, Beaches Community Kitchen, Beaches Habitat, the USO, Mission House, The Salvation Army and Beaches Fine Arts Series. In 2016, I was presented with the “Rising Rotarian” award, an honor that I am especially proud of.
After my father’s Naval career he retired to Jacksonville Beach, and my sister, aunt & uncle all live at the Beach. I’m happy to have my family close by, and look forward to calling Jacksonville Beach my home for a long time to come.