Going to a conference is an experience that can be embraced or endured.   

Busy people everywhere can relate to the questions: Is it worth taking time away from my family and office? What can I gain from this conference that I can internalize and share with colleagues?  

Having just returned from the Leadership Florida annual conference, my answers are an emphatic “YES” to the first question and “A LOT” to the second.

As a member of the 2018 Leadership Florida Education Class, it was my first statewide annual Leadership Florida conference.

I expected a lineup of luminaries as speakers. What was unexpected was the incredible impact of the speakers’ life experiences and lessons they shared about the meaning of leadership.

More than clever nuggets, their words were meaty food for thought. Presented earnestly, they resonated, challenged and planted seeds in my mind.

In the spirit of sharing, I offer key points from speakers who made the deepest impressions.   

Bryan Stevenson, founder of The Equal Justice Initiative and author of “Just Mercy.” By his actions, Stevenson models points that he reiterated for us as leaders to help change the world.

·      Get proximate. Until you walk in the shoes of another person, you can’t fully understand that person’s actions, motives or views. I recognized this definition of proximate as it applied to my recent immersive visit to Israel and the effect it had on altering my own perspective. 

·      Change the narrative. Leaders must draw upon courage to change the narrative. Currently we operate in the politics of fear and anger--the ingredients of oppression--and we lean on false ideologies to help us reconcile immorality. As leaders, we should journey to higher ground and be willing to help those who need us most. That truth begets reconciliation.

·      Stay hopeful. Hope is critical to the capacity to change.

·      Commit to doing things that are uncomfortable and inconvenient if we want to change the world.

Brad Meltzer, best-selling author and board member of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. In talking about medals of honor and leadership, Meltzer shared his view that leadership is not just being in charge; rather, it’s taking care of those who are in your charge.

“Show me your heroes and I’ll show you who you are.” Meltzer’s provocative comments challenged us as leaders to consider our own medals of honor such as courage, bravery, decency and humility while reflecting on what it took to earn them. Those traits are the key ingredients that we need in our leaders. 

Liz Murray, whose personal story was depicted in the “Homeless to Harvard” film and her memoir, “Breaking Night.” Murray’s presentation was incredibly moving as she spoke with raw authenticity about her life’s journey living on the streets before being admitted to Harvard University. We were a large audience in a big room but Murray’s vulnerability made it seem we were having an intimate conversation.

Murray shared some gems about what she has learned along the way to becoming a person who is widely admired.  

·      You need to love the human and correct the behavior.

·      People will grow into the conversation you have around and with them.

·      Possibility is found in action.

·      Cynicism is the atrophy of imagination and atrophy of the heart.

·      No one is coming! If you’re going to effect change, you have to be the one.  

Ruby Payne, educator and author of “A Framework for Understanding Poverty.” It’s daunting to attempt wrapping one’s arms around the topic of poverty. Payne provides a framework to understand differences in circles of connections, achievements and relationships to examine where the circles overlap and separate. When differences aren’t fully understood, well-intentioned efforts often fail. An example is when people of wealth sincerely try to solve problems of poverty without first understanding what poverty really is or asking those in poverty how they would solve the problem. Payne brought the concept home when pointing out how different circles spend time. Equity of time is one thing common to everyone in all circles but the distribution of how time is spent differs widely. People in poverty view 24 hours in terms of surviving whereas people who aren’t in poverty think about what they can achieve in the same 24 hours.

The speakers’ inspiring messages motivated us, as leaders, to own the incumbent responsibility to take action and not tuck away these concepts to validate ourselves.

If we really want to effect change for good, even when we feel like we’re pushing the ball uphill, the task ahead is choosing how we will move forward and what we will do from here. I believe we are equal to the task.

Jennifer Vigne is president of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County 

Photo courtesy Education Foundation: Jennifer Vigne with former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a speaker at the Leadership Florida Conference.

While the dazzling fireworks and festive gatherings this week for the Fourth of July were certainly appreciated, what shines brightest in our community is the mosaic of donors, volunteers, nonprofits, staff and community members, all collaborating to move our community forward, that encourages unity and belonging on Independence Day and all year long.

It is sometimes easy to forget just how much in common we share with one another. Although individual motivations or reasons may differ, our community has always demonstrated a remarkable tendency to discover these commonalities, connect others and progress towards shared goals for the betterment of everyone.

I can think of no better example of this than our scholarship committees at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Each year, groups of dedicated volunteers come together to review hundreds of applications and conduct thorough interviews for both our Traditional and Adult Learner Scholarships. This year, an impressive 85 community members volunteered to carefully review more than 700 applications. Ultimately, 535 students from Sarasota, Bradenton, DeSoto and Charlotte counties were awarded with an astounding $1.95 million in scholarships.

Our committees recognize the crucial importance education has on a student’s ability to succeed and accomplish their personal and professional aspirations. That is why of our 85 committee volunteers, more than 80 percent returned to invest their time in this noble endeavor. And of our 22 committees, 19 were external, comprised entirely of community members not affiliated with our foundation.

In some ways, you could regard these committees as microcosms of our community, reflecting the rich diversity present across Sarasota—and beyond—and intertwining multiple generations, ethnicities, races, languages, sexual orientations and genders together through a common purpose.

While our volunteer committees remain the heart of our Scholarships program, none of this would be possible without the charitable contributions of our donors. Their passion for education and commitment to investing in our future leaders provides the resources necessary to continue building a stronger community.

Through the tireless work of these individuals, our Community Foundation was able to award an average of $3,360 to each recipient. Through this investment, our students will be empowered to complete their degrees—whether it be a certificate program or four-year university—and progress to the next stage in their professional development.

Donor generosity working hand-in-hand with the dedication of our volunteer committees is just one way our Community Foundation is bringing together previously unrelated groups to meaningfully change our shared community.

So during this week of festivities, I encourage you to reflect on all the aspects that bring us together as one, indivisible community, and how we can create a sense of belonging where everyone feels like they play an equal and purposeful role. This is no simple task, but I know our community is up for the challenge.

While superficial differences can appear to divide us, our community has proven time and again that it can overcome these divisions and come together to create lasting impact. We all belong in this place we call home, and the Fourth of July reminds us all of that shared spirit.

Roxie Jerde is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

I love Bobby Jones Golf Club. I loved it playing high school golf. I loved playing one of the most important Florida amateur events, the city championship, and I loved playing there in Saturday games with some truly talented players. I also loved serving on the Bobby Jones Advisory Board before I was on the City Commission. I love the place and let me be clear, I am not in favor of the community relinquishing even a square foot of the more than 300 acres. I want folks to play golf on that property ‘til the end of time. So, I want it to be sustainable. That is my whole concern, sustainability.

Borrowing $20,000,000 for a municipal golf course without the required significant attention to sustainability is very concerning. The city’s own consultant predicts a loss of over $1,000,000 in the first year after reinvestment, with annual losses in excess of $800,000 to continue for years. This follows losses already absorbed for a decade. So how does the current plan solve the problems?

It’s time to rethink the entire plan for BJGC. Here is the good news: this is a wonderful opportunity for the community to engage in a true sustainability project. It’s not just about having financially sustainable golf. The Bobby Jones property is critical to the area’s flood control and our water quality, the ultimate sustainability issue for our community.  

In short, this should be a Stormwater / Water Quality project first and recreational project second, with the potential to serve recreational pursuits in addition to golf. More good news is thatfinancial resources for water quality projects are readily available from multiple sources. To do this the golf footprint must be scaled down – substantially. This project should include an excellent eighteen-hole course, practice facility and modest clubhouse. The remaining property should be developed into a smaller and even better version of the Celery Fields. Both parts should include Not for Profit partnerships and tenants. We did it once, we can do it again. That is the affordable plan for a sustainable future.

We’ve touched on the future, now let’s touch on the past. Bobby Jones Golf Club has an amazingly rich history. The original eighteen holes were designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1925 and Bobby Jones himself dedicated the course in 1927. In ’26, Sarasota gave Jones a Pierce-Arrow and a party at the Mira Mar Hotel on Palm Avenue - I really love that little factoid.

Over many years the facility has expanded to forty-five holes; quite large for municipal golf in a city of our size. However,rounds of golf have gone down steadily and while Bobby Jones most definitely needs attention there is simply no need for a facility of that scale.

Even more good news! The authentically restored historic masterwork, The Donald Ross Course at Bobby Jones Golf Club, can draw additional public and private funding and is all the golf and every bit the brand and the story we need. 

Photo courtesy Bobby Jones Golf Club.

Since 1946 Tervis has been the leader in drinkware sustainability. They have been making insulated products that are reusable and keep products out of our landfills and oceans. During the month of July, you can purchase a limited edition 12oz and 16oz tumbler with a dolphin or turtle logo made with recycled material. 100% of the profits from these products will benefit organizations that are cleaning up our oceans. 

Tervis

Twenty-four emerging community leaders from across the region graduated last week from the 2019 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. The group made up the 14th class to complete Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s long-running leadership-development initiative. Gulf Coast Community Foundation commissioned the training and provided all resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to use their new skills to benefit our region through community service. Unlike many civic leadership programs that aim to educate participants about community institutions and processes, Gulf Coast Leadership Institute is structured to help community-minded individuals develop their own leadership knowledge and capacity so they can more effectively serve their communities. At the same time, the Institute connects participants from diverse backgrounds into a tight-knit group of skilled, action-oriented leaders. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Manatee Memorial Hospital received the Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award for the fifth year, for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association, for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. Manatee Memorial Hospital earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for quick and appropriate treatment through emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries in heart attack patients coming into the hospital directly or by transfer from another facility. 

Manatee Memorial Hospital

Thanks to a partnership of Goodwill Manasota and Manatee Technical College – along with financial and coaching support from Goodwill – Kashani Abnar, 22, was able to earn her GED and take the next step toward a better future. She began working at Goodwill’s Mecca location in April 2017. Like all employees at Goodwill, she began meeting with a GoodPartner Coach shortly after beginning her new job. The first goal Abnar identified was to earn her GED and, at that time, MTC was providing a GED class at her work location. Her leadership team was flexible, enabling her to work toward her diploma while both on and off the clock. Abnar will pursue her paralegal certification, beginning classes in January 2020. Her certification is being funded by Goodwill’s Rick and Coni Fawley Scholarship Fund. 

Goodwill Manasota

Ringling College of Art and Design and Semkhor Productions announced earlier this week the wrap of Season Ten of the Ringling College Studio Labs, and that the 2019 Summer Studio Labs feature film, Acting: The First Six Lessons, with Beau Bridges, began shooting on July 5th in Sarasota. The film has been in pre-production for the past three months with Ringling College Film Program graduates and seniors staffing key positions on the project. More than 30 Film students are also working on the film under the guidance of Ringling College Film Program Head Bradley Battersby. The opportunity for experiential learning that enables students to work alongside industry professionals before graduation is a hallmark of the Ringling College Film Program and one that distinguishes it from many of its peers. 

Ringling College of Art and Design