Message from the President | |
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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
On Sunday, May 14th, we honored and celebrated mothers all over the United States. Noting their hard work and sacrifice should be a daily occurrence!! Every day, women – biological mothers, mother figures, mothers-at-heart – are changing and shaping the world through nurturing, guidance, instructions and most importantly, the love and caring they provide in the home, schools, church, community, workplace and wherever they have opportunity.
God endowed women with a special capacity to love, support, and protect those around them. This is clearly seen in the role of motherhood. We can all point to the indelible impact our mothers—living or departed—have had in our lives. As we shared during a recent Board of Directors meeting, some of our mothers’ instructions and counsel are hardwired into who we are. Perhaps, some of these are familiar and resonate with you:
- “You can do anything you set your mind and heart to do!” (Barbara Darby)
- “Because my mom believed in me, it gave me the confidence to believe in myself, which made me believe I could do anything.” (Kim Holland)
- “Do your best.” (Jennifer Holland)
- “Where is your lipstick?” “Where are your earrings?” (Meg Folds)
- “Never pass a bathroom.” (Kendra McCrary)
- "My mom championed me from the beginning when no one else would.” (Amanda Gorman – Poet Laureate)
We are thankful for our mothers, mother figures, women with the heart of a mother who taught us lessons that we will always carry with us. Special thanks to JWN member Snowden McFall for sharing the photo and affirmation included in this letter!
Keep changing the world with much love,
Barbara
Dr. Barbara Darby
President
|  | “JWN friends this is the fabulous woman who raised me while my mother was terminally ill. Cinderella Hubbard gave me my love and hugs and values and made such a huge difference in my life. She taught me about unconditional loving, acceptance, joy and faith.” - Snowden McFall | |
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Mega Luncheon Ladder
Wealth of Wisdom from Our Members
June 15, 2023 | 11:15 am to 2:00 pm
Florida Blue Conference Center
4800 Deerwood Campus Parkway | Jacksonville, FL 32246
Join us for immersive networking and a delicious plated lunch, followed by two engaging breakout sessions!
Member Price: $30
You must pre-register to attend this event. Walk-ins not permitted.
Deadline to register: June 7
Please choose 2 member presentations from the options below. The sessions are first come, first served and are limited to 26 participants per session.
❒ Travel Tips and Apps to Save You Money - Jennifer Ryan, Volunteers in Medicine
We all work hard and need time to relax and explore outside our comfort zones. Bring phone and apps: Trip Advisor, Evernote, The Fork, to learn tricks for planning travel year-round.
❒ Own Your Power and Speak with Confidence™ - Snowden McFall, Fired Up! Professional Speaking and Coaching Every woman has the ability to speak confidently and present herself with poise and strength. Far too many women leaders let comparisons and negative beliefs hold them back. Learn how to own your power and present with confidence in any situation.
❒ 5 Simple Things You Can Do Today to Make an Impact on Social Media - Jenn Kjellman, JSK Marketing Learn 5 simple and practical steps you can take today to help take your social media to the next level!
❒ Lesser Known But Still Mighty Non-Profits Panel Each of these non-profits is doing amazing work in the community. Learn about them and how you can get involved:
Helen Jackson: Women of Color Cultural Foundation
Terri Barton: Aging True
Rachael Tutwiler-Fortune: Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF)
Melissa Fulmore-Hardwick: Brown Girls in the Boardroom
Diane Tuttle: Angelwood
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Farm to Fork Experience: An Evening at Green Legacy Farm
What a delightful time JWN members and guests had at Green Legacy Farms! This event upheld two important tenets of JWN: to support a worthy cause, Green Legacy Farms, and to celebrate an emerging female leader, Ashantae Green. These tenets reflect the interests and values of JWN members, who thoroughly enjoyed their time at the event.
Members had the pleasure of sipping on a refreshing Hibiscus Craft Cocktail adorned with an edible flower, while touring the farm and indulging in farm fresh edibles plucked straight from the source.
During the exquisite chef-curated meal prepared by the renowned chef Andrea Bryant-Smith (who also happens to be Ashantae’s mom), guests were serenaded by live guitar music, creating a lovely ambiance amidst a backdrop of blooming field flowers. Emerging photographer Ashlyn Bri Miller was also engaged, capturing intimate moments between both members and guests throughout the event.
Chef Andrea graciously shared details about each freshly grown and prepared dish just before serving each course. Plus, attendees had the opportunity to explore and shop at the “farm fresh” store, stocked with an array of Green Legacy Farm offerings. Hats off to Meg Folds for securing a plethora of Green Legacy Farm offerings!
Perhaps the most entertaining part of the evening was the impromptu auction that unfolded over the last jar of specialty jam from Green Legacy Farms’ brand, The Farmery! The entire group enthusiastically cheered on the bidders, creating an atmosphere of surprise and delight for “farmher” Ashantae.
What a truly memorable evening it was!
A heartfelt thanks to our committee co-chairs, Susan Masucci and Amy Davis, for organizing this unforgettable event. And a huge thank you to JWN’s administrative assistant, Laurrie Campbell, for her “can do” assistance not only on this event but also on behalf of all her JWN efforts. There is also much gratitude for the talented JWN member Renee Parenteau for capturing beautiful photos of the occasion. Lastly, a very special thank you to our JWN member sponsors, Susan Masucci of Ruckus and Anne Urban of Jacksonville Event Rentals, whose generosity elevated the experience and made it truly worthy of our esteemed members.
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An Evening at a Paris Bistro
At JWN, our mission is to be a powerful voice of influence, bringing together highly accomplished professional women who not only nurture relationships with one another but also serve as a collective voice of influence for our community. And what better way to celebrate our mission than bringing our membership together with a fantastic event like this!
We were thrilled to see the outstanding attendance, filled with laughter and camaraderie among our amazing members. It was inspiring to witness these busy women coming together, making time to strengthen their relationships and uplift one another.
Heartfelt gratitude goes to the incredible event program committee, consisting of the Jax Cooking School owner Terri Davalantes, Karen Holley and Jackie Williams. Their hard work and dedication made the evening truly unforgettable.
A special shoutout goes to our host, Terri Davalantes, and her extraordinary team at Jax Cooking School. They created a truly authentic Parisian experience for us, transporting us to the romantic streets of Paris with their delicious cuisine.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and made the evening a resounding success. Stay tuned for more exciting events that bring together and uplift our JWN members!
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Jax Underground Private Walking Tour
JWN members stepped back in time and discovered a whole new side of Jacksonville's history, architecture, and culture while mingling with fellow members. Their expert tour guide took them through buildings to secret underground tunnels, visiting behind-the-scenes places like a 1909 bank vault and other unique sites.
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The Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is working on the nomination form for the 2024 class. Please let Laura Boeckman know if you have any feedback on how we can improve the form. We also plan to make the form available all year so that you can nominate amazing women at any time and not just in June and July. We will still limit our vetting process to June and July and announce our new class in the fall. Be sure to keep an eye out for the fabulous women of the Class of 2024!
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The Bylaws Committee
We want to welcome the members of the Bylaws Committee and express our appreciation for their volunteer service to JWN.
Kim Holland (Chair)
Jennifer Holland
Jill Langford Dame
Kelly Coker Daniel
Barbara Moulding
Johnnetta Moore
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JWN Lunch Ladder — Come out and
meet some amazing women!
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Lunch Ladder Opt-In
The JWN Luncheon Ladder is our favorite, unique, and effective networking opportunity. Because so many members say that the Luncheon Ladder is one of the best features of JWN, we highly recommend that you elect to participate. To participate, click here, scroll to the bottom of the page to Groups and Opt In. We look forward to seeing you around town.
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The JWN Lunch Ladder Committee has been working to provide as many opportunities as possible for our members to spend time together and get to know one another better. We currently have two alternating formats for lunch ladder events and would love for everyone to join us at upcoming monthly events!
Traditional Lunch Ladder
This style of lunch ladder event involves a volunteer leader being assigned a group of 10 JWN members. The leader will reach out to her group to schedule a date, time, and location for an event. The groups will change each month so you will get to spend time with different members at each event. Members who are interested in participating in the traditional lunch ladder events need to expressly opt-in in order to participate. If you would like to either opt-in or opt-out, please notify Missy Davenport at missydavenport1@gmail.com and your profile will be updated.
Please be on the lookout for an email from your group leader for the May and September traditional lunch ladder events.
Around Town Lunch Ladder
With this format, the Lunch Ladder Committee members pick dates, times, and locations in advance for several breakfast, lunch, cocktail, and dinner options for selected months. These options will be emailed to lunch ladder participants, who can then choose the options that work best for them and sign up for as many events as they wish. These events will be for small groups and are first-come, first served. The first person that signs up for each event will serve as the group leader for the event, responsible for making any reservations and contacting the group regarding any changes.
Thanks so much to the wonderful members of the 2023 Lunch Ladder Committee: Laura Boeckman, Amy Davis, Megan Bush Del Pizzo, Sonya Harrell, Linda Kelso and Katie Mitura.
If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Missy Davenport at missydavenport1@gmail.com.
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Dr. Helen Jackson received a Rotary Club of Jacksonville Foundation Grant for The Women of Color Cultural Foundation
Renee Parenteau with Dr. Helen Jackson as Dr. Jackson, President and CEO, receives a Rotary Club of Jacksonville Foundation grant for the Women of Color Cultural Foundation!
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May Lunch Ladder
Tanya Foreman, Linda Nottingham, Kathee Murphy and Mary Fisher at Midtown Table.
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