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EngageJax!
EngageJax is really an opportunity for you to learn what those changes are and how they come about, engage with who is working to make those changes, and most importantly, how you can act to make an even greater impact.
We share posts on a variety of topics, including leadership development, community vision, and opportunities to engage in the community. You’ll also get in-depth, fact-based views of important Jacksonville issues, overviews of JCCI programs, projects, and events, and details about what we’re reading and why. We'll also have an opportunity to ask some of our friends six questions - and share their answers.
We hope that you'll check back with us regularly. If you have suggestions on content, we'd love to hear it. If you have a comment or opinion on what you see here, we hope you’ll post it to our comments, and help us start meaningful discussions.
Bloggers
Administrator
Administrator has not set their biography yet
Recent Posts
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Keepin' things classy.
Something caught me by surprise when I began working at JCCI as a summer intern. The first major project I had my hands in was “Am I My Parents’ Keeper?” It allowed members of the community to gather and discuss end-of-life decision making for Baby Boomers and “the sandwich generation.” For most people in their early 20s like me, that doesn’t soun ...Oct 08 -
Other entries by Administrator
Molly
Molly is our director of development and works on all things fundraising at JCCI. A Florida native, when she’s not at work, Molly is likely walking with her rescued Schnauzer-mutt, Finnegan, in a 6am spinning class, cheering for her beloved Seminoles, browsing on Pinterest, volunteering, or enjoying a bottle of wine with friends.
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Favorite Blogs & Sites
The Bloggess
Rue La La
Mashable
Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
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Favorite Blogs & Sites
The Bloggess
Rue La La
Mashable
Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
Recent Posts
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She's a poet and didn't know it!
I can't think of a single day that at least one person doesn't say to me (or that I hear myself saying), "I'm just so busy!" And as a JCCI staff member, it means that my already full schedule of family, work, community events, volunteering, and just keeping my life going is put under a little more pressure with the addition of a major project. Wh ...Feb 04 -
Meet JCCI's Board of Directors for 2012-13
Today is October 1 and marks the start of JCCI's Fiscal Year. While, that may not mean much to the average JCCI participant, things here are still business as usual, today does mark two significant milestones for the organization.The first, our financial year starts anew. Today is the day we look to a fresh budget. Our board and committees will ...Oct 01 -
What happened to the middle?
I’m looking around and I’m realizing, I can’t be the only one here. I just can’t be. In the midst of a national election, I’m just gobsmacked. What happened to all the people in the middle? I’m not Pollyanna about this. I’m under no delusion that presidential politics are easy or nice…and our country’s history is chock-full of tales of corrupt ...Jul 26 -
Wait....You Mean I'm Supposed to Decide?
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” It’s been hanging on the wall of the family room at, what is now, my parents’ house for as long as I can remember. I grew up with it. I believe it. This statement describes so succinctly who I am, how I value my family, and how caring for each other has alway ...Jun 08 -
Other entries by Molly
Laura Lane
Laura is the Vice President at JCCI and has lived in Jacksonville since 1994. She is grateful to have worked at JCCI for the better part of those years, learning about Northeast Florida and how and why folks get involved, follow their passion, and create positive changes for everyone. She practices yoga which keeps her out of trouble and in the good graces of her partner.
Recent Posts
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Is Mental Health the Next JCCI Inquiry?
Last Sunday the following appeared on the editorial page of Sunday, Feb. 17th Florida Times-Union: "Jacksonville has spent great amounts of time and treasure to reduce its state-leading murder rate. Commissions have been formed, a prayer meeting was held at the Veterans Memorial Arena, experts were brought in, Jacksonville Community Council Inc. ...Feb 21 -
Graduation Rates: Do You Want the Good News or Bad News First?
Starting this year, and forever more, all graduation rates will only measure standard diplomas. So the students who get a GED or certificate of completion are no longer considered graduates. This affects the trend line for graduation.Old Calculation MethodNew Calculation MethodThe graduation rate dropped about 10 percentage points because of the ne ...Dec 17 -
Perception is Not Reality
One of the indicators in the Race Relations Progress Report is giving people heartache. The first reaction, from everyone— no matter their worldview or political leaning— is: “Are you sure?” I’ve observed several discussions of this indicator during the fall and winter, and one of the strongest responses to the “are you sure?” question is this: “Da ...Dec 04 -
Single Mothers and Poverty
The Quality of Life Review Committee had an interesting discussion last week. They discussed the trend line showing the percent of births to single mothers. The trend line shows that nearly half (47.5%) of all births in Jacksonville are to single mothers. The committee found this alarming.The increase in the percent of births to single mothers is a ...Nov 05 -
How I Got My House and Why Nonprofits are Different
This is my house in November 2002. Just the other night I realized that I bought it 10 years ago.It was not possible for me to do such a thing at the ripe age of 38 (now you know how old I am) mainly because I was in school earning a doctoral degree until 30. The First Time Homebuyer's Club was a great program that allowed me to buy these digs wit ...Oct 11 -
Other entries by Laura Lane
Michelle
Goddess/Mentor/Dream Killer/Little Miss Bossy Pants...whatever the name they call her, she will answer. Made in Canada, Michelle moved to Jacksonville in 1997 and has worked on a variety of programs with JCCI for almost 15 years. She became a grown up here and believes Jacksonville has grown up along with her. She loves people, theatre and any great event where everyone leaves knowing something and meeting someone new. She has been known to respond directly when someone has the audacity to say there is nothing to do in this town…her motto is ALWAYS ask the questions you don’t want to know the answers to…it’s the only way things get better!
Recent Posts
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You were asked to: Start Your Engines!
And so we did! Vroom, vroom...! Those who followed along with Matt @jccitweets saw all the #jccifun and great pictures! The Garage in Riverside played host to the Kick-off for the upcoming JCCI Forward Issue Forum...as Lee Poechmann, JCCI Forward Chair, said, it's a long one...title-wise...Shifting Gears: Building a Road Map for 21st Centu ...Sep 21 -
Other entries by Michelle
Tonia
Tonia is JCCI's Program Planner; she coordinates community Inquiries. She loves dancing at receptions, JCCI Forward's Prom, and in her living room. The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is her happy place. Her Radioio.com station of choice is Indie Rock. Chocolate is a weakness she embraces. She reads Shakespeare's sonnets and nerdy thesauri for fun.
Favorite Blogs & Sites:
TheBloggess.com
AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
mhajax.org (Mental Health America, Northeast Florida)
Favorite Blogs & Sites:
TheBloggess.com
AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
mhajax.org (Mental Health America, Northeast Florida)
Recent Posts
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"Racism Is Over"
Before I tell you this story, you should know two things: 1) I used to host and wait tables at a popular bar and grille, and 2) I am white. I was teaching freshman composition, using our required textbook’s essays for discussion and response. The Presence of Others included tales of human triumph and the shameful acts our history reminds us to w ...Jan 31 -
The Aspiration House
Leaders from Global Jax give the BEST presents! JCCI is privileged to host Global Jax delegates for cross-cultural exchanges examining topics ranging from leadership and ethics to culture and society, as well as government and foreign policy. At their recent visit to JCCI, visiting leaders from Indonesia presented this gorgeous, hand-carved Aspi ...Jan 23 -
It's Going to Be EPIC!
“It’s going to be EPIC!” It sounds like we’re talking about a fabulous party with outrageous entertainment, but we’re actually talking about neighborhoods afflicted for decades with blight, diminished property values, education gaps, health and safety hazards, and the complications of poverty and disinvestment that have worked to create a self-ful ...Dec 31 -
Senior Friendly?
Is Jacksonville a senior-friendly city? If you had joined me and my 86-year-old grandmother at a fairly swanky downtown nightclub for a night of dancing, you might have answered, “Well, no . . . and yes.” The pretty twenty-something bartender flashed a frown and gave Grandma a sideways look while begrudgingly pouring her a Sprite, but maybe it wa ...Nov 21 -
Tell Us What You Really, Really Want
Do you ever find yourself (or hear others) saying, “Well, if it were up to me . . .”? This time, it actually is. Today we celebrated a year of community volunteers’ achievements in improving Jacksonville. At our annual meeting we recognized the work of those involved in our Race Relations Progress Report, our Quality of Life Progress Report, our ...Sep 14 -
Other entries by Tonia
Steve
Born and raised in Ohio, Steve has lived in Northeast Florida since 1980. A graduate of Northwestern University with a Master's Degree from Ohio University, Steve spent most of his business career (22 years) with the PGA Tour, watching that organization grow from a mom-and-pop operation to an enterprise worth hundreds of milliions of dollars.
Recent Posts
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Looking at Economics of Early Childhood Development
Noted University of Chicago economics professor Dr. James J. Heckman, an expert on the economics of early childhood development, made the linked presentation in Monterey County, CA, on March 8, 2012. Of particular note is that investing in early childhood development has proven long-term rates of return of 7-10%, higher than the return on equity f ...Aug 08 -
Let's Get Moving on Pension Reform
Following the release in 2009 of JCCI's inquiry on City Finances (Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville's Future), a subcommittee of the project's advocacy task force began the process of looking closely at the growing crisis in funding shortages in Jacksonville's three public pension plans. It was, and still is, the elephant in the room tha ...Jul 25 -
Later is Better
JCCI's Children: 1-2-3 implementation work is gearing up this summer. As we found in the nine-month inquiry, brain development occurs rapidly in the first year after birth, particularly the first three months. This study suggests the more time in the mother's womb, the better:http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20120702/US.MED.Timely ...Jul 02 -
Balancing Career and Family
Here's a link to the nationally syndicated Diane Rehm radio program exploring the ongoing struggle to balance career and family, a critical issue facing all parents in the early development of their children:http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-06-25/ongoing-struggle-balance-career-and-family Steve Rankin ...Jun 25 -
So What?
Have you ever wondered, “What happens when JCCI inquiries are completed?” We call it the “so what?” question, and it goes to the core of JCCI’s mission of impacting the quality of life in Northeast Florida in a positive way. At the conclusion of each community inquiry, a two-year implementation period is initiated for the purpose of advocatin ...Jun 21 -
Other entries by Steve
Ben Warner
Ben became the President & CEO of JCCI in 2011. He's been working with JCCI since 1998 in a number of capacities, and has been the lead consultant for CommunityWorks (JCCI's contract arm) for a number of years. The most exciting JCCI moment for Ben was standing on the floor of the European Parliament in Brussels representing JCCI as the only sub-national group working to find a new way to measure global progress. Ben enjoys playing with his 8 kids and sometimes wins at Words with Friends against his wife, Gianna.
Recent Posts
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It's Time to Build It
JAX2025 has been an exciting opportunity to have the community come together to craft a vision for our future. We began the process by asking the community to Imagine It -- and the outpouring of responses was nearly overwhelming. You had thoughts, hopes, dreams of the future of this community, and over 16,000 people let us know what you wanted the ...May 03 -
Doing Democracy
JCCI makes democracy work - that's why after 15 years, I still love this organization.Now that I'm approaching 15 years of working with JCCI, I'm often asked what brought me to the organization and what keeps me here. I'd like to share a few thoughts on why I feel that JCCI is such an important part of our community, and why we've been helping comm ...Apr 09 -
Greetings from Washington, D.C.!
I'm in Washington DC for the annual conference of the National Association of Planning Councils. JCCI is a founding member of this organization, which brings together like-minded organizations from around the country (and Canada!) to improve the human condition through encouraging research-based community planning and action. These are organization ...Apr 06 -
JAX2025 Process
As the JAX2025 meetings move along, I thought we might take a moment to explain the process and invite your comments and questions. The JAX2025 process is based on JCCI's research-validated Model for Community Change, and it's how we've been successful helping other communities create a different future. Let's see how all of the pieces fit togeth ...Feb 11 -
Building EPIC Communities - One Vision at a Time
I'm quite excited that JCCI's Community Works arm is able to help the Local Initiative Support Corporation in their Building EPIC Communities effort. We're working with two partners, Northwest Jacksonville CDC and Operation New Hope, to bring together residents and others to envision better neighborhoods.This is being done alongside and in conjunct ...Oct 22 -
Other entries by Ben Warner
GuestBlogger
JCCI is a community and volunteer driven organization. That means, from time to time, a community member or volunteer will be granted access to author a post on EngageJax. We hope you enjoy this varied perspective on our community and how it has, can, and should change.
Recent Posts
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Six Questions with Michelle Simkulet
Name: Michelle Simkulet Role with JCCI: Chief Financial Officer, Director of JCCI Forward, Volunteer Coordinator, GoddessJCCI: What do you do from 9-5? From 9-5, I split my time between being the Chief Financial Officer and the JAX2025 Volunteer Coordinator. After 5, my focus is JCCI Forward, our leadership development program. In the past 15 ...Apr 01 -
Six Questions with Carolyn MCClanahan
Name: Carolyn McClanahan Role with JCCI: Happy to be a resource to JCCI on all things about health care reform & Guest for March 2013 Mystery Guest Lunch JCCI: What do you do from 9-5? CM: My primary job is as a financial life planner helping people who need help aligning their finances and their life so they can be on a happy path. My secon ...Mar 15 -
Six Questions with Sheree Washington
Name: Sheree Washington Role with JCCI: JAX2025 Facilitator and Mystery Guest Lunch Facilitator JCCI: What do you do from 9-5?SW: At Shands, I am a performance improvement specialist. I work within the quality management department of an academic medical center to improve system processes to strive for the best patient experiences and minimiz ...Mar 01 -
Six Questions with Laura Lane
JCCI's Six Questions usually focuses on volunteers, speakers and participants. But this month, we're turning the tables....and featuring Staff! Learn more about the folks in the office and let us know what you think!Name: Dr. Laura LaneRole with JCCI: Vice President and Chief Operations OfficerJCCI: What do you do from 9-5? LL: I am Vice Pres ...Feb 22 -
Six Questions with Daniel Austin
Name: Daniel Austin Role with JCCI: New Communications Coordinator for JCCI JCCI: What do you do from 9-5? DA: I am the newly-hired Communications Coordinator for JCCI. I will be working with the staff to tell the story of the organization; how we work, what our goals are, etc., to the community and beyond. My role includes writing our featur ...Feb 13 -
Other entries by GuestBlogger
Daniel Austin
Communications Coordinator
JCCI- Jacksonville Community Council Inc.
Phone: 904.396.3052 ext. 309
Email: daniel@jcci.org
Twitter: @dnaustin
Originally from San Diego, Daniel is excited to return to living in Jacksonville after graduating from UF and subsequently living in NYC.
Daniel's articles on the JAX2025 process are featured three times a week on the Florida Times-Union's jacksonville.com website.
JCCI- Jacksonville Community Council Inc.
Phone: 904.396.3052 ext. 309
Email: daniel@jcci.org
Twitter: @dnaustin
Originally from San Diego, Daniel is excited to return to living in Jacksonville after graduating from UF and subsequently living in NYC.
Daniel's articles on the JAX2025 process are featured three times a week on the Florida Times-Union's jacksonville.com website.
Recent Posts
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Six Questions with Susan Cohn
EngageJax's Six Questions is proud to be featuring JCCI's newest staff addition!Name: Susan Cohn Role with JCCI: Research DirectorJCCI: What do you do from 9-5? I am the newly-appointed Research Director at JCCI. I love digging into projects and working with the community to derive solutions and guide growth. I’m looking forward to researching ...May 10 -
Health: A JAX2025 Target
JAX2025 Ten Targets Series: Health As part of our JAX2025 Ten Targets Series, we’ll be bringing to you each one of the Ten Targets selected as priorities by the community for our city over the next twelve years. To see the entire list of Targets and the accompanying vision statement for each, read our post: Visions Boldly Stated. Issues raised ...Apr 04 -
Environment: A JAX2025 Target
JAX2025 Ten Targets Series: Environment As part of our JAX2025 Ten Targets Series, we’ll be bringing to you each one of the Ten Targets selected as priorities by the community for our city over the next twelve years. To see the entire list of Targets and the accompanying vision statement for each, read our post: Visions Boldly Stated. Issues ra ...Mar 28 -
Arts & Entertainment: A JAX2025 Target
JAX2025 Ten Targets Series: Arts & Entertainment As part of our JAX2025 Ten Targets Series, we’ll be bringing to you each one of the Ten Targets selected as priorities by the community for our city over the next twelve years. To see the entire list of Targets and the accompanying vision statement for each, read our post: Visions Boldly Stated. ...Mar 28 -
Visions Boldly Stated
The first three JAX2025 meetings have provided citizens a chance to voice their opinions on what they wish to see in Jacksonville’s future. Taking a look at the “vision statements” for the year 2025. Thousands have gathered at the Prime Osborne Convention Center over the past three months to participate in envisioning a future for Jacksonville. Th ...Mar 21 -
Other entries by Daniel Austin
