Carolyn Bricklemyer
Carolyn Bricklemyer was elected to the Hillsborough County School Board in 1994 and served for 12 years. She chaired the Board twice, in 1999-00 and in 2005-06. She volunteered for 23 years at the school and district level. She was active in school and county PTA and served on several district committees including the Central Facilitating Team for school improvement, Wellness Task Force and School Health Advisory Council.
Other community involvement includes 10 years on the Children’s Board (serving two times as chairman), and she continues to be involved in various board committees. She is also serving on the Ethics Commission for the City of Tampa; Hillsborough Kids, Inc. Board, Ophelia Project Boys Initiative Governing Board, the Conn Foundation Board, Junior League Community Advisory Board. She has also been a very active member of Hyde Park United Methodist Church for 25 years. Carolyn has been a resident of Tampa since 1983. She graduated from Queens University in Charlotte, NC, in 1969 with a degree in psychology and an elementary teaching certificate. She has been married 39 years to Keith, a land use lawyer and has two sons – Clayton, practicing law in Tampa with Carolyn’s husband and married to Sarah and Chandler, completed the MBA program at the University of Tampa in May. She has one grandson, Jack.
Elsa Ellis
Elsa Ellis has been the Center Director of PromiseLand of Metropolitan Ministries for over 8 years and in the early childhood field for over 15 years. She has been everything from
a volunteer, teacher, trainer, resource and referral agent, program developer, advocate, lending library support, event specialist, ambassador, center monitor, supervisor, to administrator. Her diverse experiences fuel her passion to “Make a Difference in the Lives of Children and Families”. She has a BA Degree; with concentration units credits in Early Childhood Education, a National CDA and a Florida State CDA-E, as well as an Advanced Administrators Credential. Elsa serves on school PTA and various Parent Groups, Community Committees, Professional Organizations, and Advisory Councils. Elsa has been the Chair of CFH’s Family Advisory Council for four years.
Her duties as a caregiver and administrator seem to never end, even overlap at times, but watching her children and those she serves grow into responsible young people brings joy to her. As her advocacy role with children and families in the community and program grows Elsa envisions being the “VOICE” while setting the tone, and building an atmosphere of empowerment.
Florida State Senator Arthenia Joyner
Arthenia L. Joyner was elected to the Florida Legislature in 2000, served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives and is currently in the second year of a four-year term in the Florida Senate. She is a founding partner in the law firm of Joyner & Jordan-Holmes, PLC where her primary areas of practice are probate, guardianship and real estate.
Arthenia has been a groundbreaker and leader in her profession. She received her Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor degrees from Florida A & M University. She was the first African-American female attorney in Polk and Hillsborough Counties, and she has been in private practice for thirty-nine (39) years – longer than any other African-American woman in the State of Florida.
Arthenia is a fighter for civil rights, and she has always stood up for what she believes. Facing segregation and discrimination, she participated while in high school in one of the first civil rights demonstrations in her hometown, Tampa. She was active in the effort to desegregate movie theaters and churches in Tallahassee, Florida and was arrested twice while attending
Florida A & M University. In 1985, her commitment was demonstrated again while serving as President of the National Bar Association as she protested apartheid outside the South African Embassy in Washington, DC. She was again arrested as she stood for her beliefs in freedom for all mankind.
Arthenia is a true public servant, but most importantly, she is a community driven leader, which is exemplified by her service in the following organizations: Founding President, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Tampa Bay Chapter; Founding Chair, the Minority Economic Development Council, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; Former President, the Tampa Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Former President, Bay Area Legal Services Board of Directors; Former President, the Hillsborough County Chapter, Charmettes, Inc.; Former Chair, the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation; Former Chair, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority; Lowry Park Zoo Board of Directors; Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees; and Florida A&M University Foundation Board of Directors. She is also a life member of the NAACP, and the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Hands on Tampa Bay
Hands on Tampa Bay makes volunteering easy by offering one-time, short-term projects. You only need to sign up for one occurrence of a project. Later, if you become interested, you can choose to volunteer at the same project several times a month. Hands On Tampa Bay is an affiliate of the Hands On Network. Hands on Tampa Bay is currently providing childcare for the Family Advisory Council during their meetings. The Hands On Network inspires, equips, and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world.
Steve Otto
Steve Otto is a child of the islands (he was born at Tampa General). He grew up in a military family and lived around the world from Japan to Germany and exotic locales such as Nebraska and South Dakota. In October he will start his 39th year with The Tampa Tribune. He has been a sportswriter; food, movie and television critic, political writer, editor and columnist. The Tribune has shipped him to Super Bowls, political conventions and aircraft carriers. He has traveled the Oregon Trail, crisscrossed the country re-discovering America, headed an expedition to find the Skunk Ape, played tennis with Chris Evert, shared beignets with Sean Connery, wrestled with the Great Malenko, judged the world championship of chili and searched for UFOs in Nevada. Steve’s own annual chili contest raises thousands for a different charity each year. He annually coaches his all star Beep ball team to a loss against the Lighthouse for the Blind and he plays Santa for the Kiwanis Christmas show for children.
His second book “Spirit of the Bay’’ is a history of the Tampa Bay region and a copy is in the city’s time capsule downtown. He is the winner of numerous awards in journalism but is proudest of his community awards. He has been named the Humanitarian of the Year by the Judeo Christian Clinic, Man of the Year from the Rough Riders, National Hospice Award, Gift of Peace award from the Spring, the Service to Mankind Award from the Sertoma Club, and a Point of Light award from Alpha House. Steve is married to Diane and they celebrated their 31st anniversary in September. They have three boys, two have graduated from the University of Florida and the third is currently at Florida State University. Their dog Tennessee graduated with honors this month from the Petco obedience school.
McDonalds - Caspers Company G3
Caspers Company is the largest McDonald’s franchise in Florida and one of the largest in America. Caspers owns and operate 51 McDonald's in the Tampa Bay area. Their history began in 1958, when Fritz Casper opened the first McDonald's in Tampa (second in Florida) at 3515 S. Dale Mabry. Fritz retired in the mid 1970's and his son Joe bought the business. Through Joe’s drive for growth and innovation we were able to expand the Golden Arches throughout Tampa Bay. In 1997, Joe's son Blake and daughter Allison Casper Adams became Joe's partners, assuring a third generation of family ownership. In early 2005 Joe Casper passed away leaving Blake and Allison with ownership of Caspers Company. Joe’s legacy of excellence is a tribute to this great visionary and outstanding entrepreneur. All combined, as of 2008 there are 51 McDonald’s locations, a products distribution center, an equipment and service company and an office building in the Casper name with a total of about 3,300 employees. Testimony to Caspers reputation as a great place to work is the fact that approximately 85% of the management and executive staff started as crew. The average length of service of the fifty employees at the company office is over 20 years with the president (their original fry guy) logging 43. They are committed to their people. Their values have been their primary building block. They operate their business ethically, give back to countless non-profits in the community at every turn, and support the education system at unsurpassed levels to help strengthen tomorrow’s workforce today. We do this as our responsibility and desire to improve the communities where we work, live and play.
The Glazer Family Foundation
The Glazer Family Foundation is dedicated to assisting charitable and educational causes in the West Central Florida region. The foundation aids established not-for-profit organizations that work with youth and families to help identify and create programs that support positive social and economic development within their communities. Since being founded in 1999, the Glazer Family Foundation has donated millions in grants, tickets and merchandise to the Tampa Bay area.
Florida State Representative Betty Reed
Representative Betty Reed (Democrat – District 59) currently serves as a Member of the Florida House of Representatives. While serving as a Member of the Florida House of Representatives, she is the Ranking Democrat on the Committee on Economic Development. Her other legislative capacities include serving as a Member of the Committee on Education Innovation & Career Preparation and the Economic Expansion & Infrastructure Council.
Representative Reed, known for her “grass-roots” advocacy and commitment to community service, has been recognized publicly in 2007 by the St. Petersburg Times “as a quite but productive member of the Florida Legislature.” Such extensive public service in the House of Representatives, however, does not begin the career of Representative Betty Reed as a public servant in the State of Florida. Her contributions to public service include appointments to the Hillsborough County Citizens Advisory Board, the Hillsborough City -County Advisory Board, the Cable Advisory Board, and the Hillsborough County School Board’s Advisory Commission.
Other public community affiliations include the North Chamber of Commerce, the Florida State PTA Board, NAACP Political Action Chairperson, and President of the Lucy Dell Civic Association. Past memberships include the Florida Child Abuse Council, the Hillsborough County Council of PTSA, and the Hillsborough County Children’s Board.
Her sense of fair play have earned her a reputation for being compassionate with innovative compromise and cooperation to improve the lives of her constituency, especially as legislation affects education, the elderly, those with disabilities and health initiatives.
