Okaloosa County BOCC — April 15, 2014 — OCCSW annual report for 2013

2013 Annual Report This report includes the activities and accomplishments of the Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women (OCCSW) for the year 2013. The OCCSW was established in 1995 by the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners with the purpose of recognizing and honoring women who have made significant contributions to the improvement of women and citizens of Okaloosa County. The Wall of Honor was established by the OCCSW in partnership with the University of West Florida to accept nominations from the public for women deserving recognition for the sacrifices made to help and encourage members in the community. In May 2013, a ceremony was held on the NW Florida State College/University of West Florida (NWFSC/UWF), Ft Walton Beach campus, for the Women’s Wall of Honor recipients. The 2013 Wall of Honor inductees were Michelle Anchors, Mary E. Burnette, Mary L. Florence, Martha Gorecki, Mary W. Hahn, Valene Healey Harris, Deborah L. Hewitt, Agnes V. “Ginger” Maddox, Tammy McDaniel, Louise Postell Meyers, Rachel Bartek Morrison, LuAnn Pulliam, Gwendolyn Shelton Slife and Gail Waller. Since 1997 144 women have been inducted. A plaque is hung on the wall with the honoree names, and a book with their bios and pictures is also maintained in that room. Each year the OCCSW organizes the Hall of Fame to provide an opportunity to recognize women from Okaloosa County who have made an important impact on women and citizens in the county. In August, in recognition of Women’s Equality Day, a ceremony was held at Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) for all nominees. The 2013 Hall of Fame inductees were Mary E. Burnette, Rogene Anchors Hasty and Sara “Sam” Seevers. Since 1995, 84 women have been inducted. Their pictures are placed in the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Building in Fort Walton Beach, the County Court House in Crestview, and the Niceville City Chambers with the inductees of previous years. Due to the amount and quality of publicity for women obtained through the OCCSW, the awareness of the accomplishments of the women of Okaloosa County has risen significantly over the past few years. More details about the honorees and the events can be viewed at our website www.occsw.org. The OCCSW also maintains a roster of members who are available to speak to clubs and/or organizations concerning the status of women and their needs in Okaloosa County, as well as other topics of interest to all county residents. Barbara Wall (OCCSW commissioner representing District 5) has also been a member of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women (FCSW) since her appointment by Governor Christ in 2010. She served as the FCSW’s secretary in 2012, and was elected to serve as its Vice Chair in 2013. The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women receives no public funding; it relies instead on support from our community. Financial contributions from local businesses, organizations and individuals enable OCCSW to continue its support of women in Okaloosa County through various events and projects, including the Women’s Wall of Honor and Hall of Fame, and the new annual scholarship. Additionally, OCCSW members provide food, beverages, and paper products for all OCCSW’s annual events. Commission funds were used in 2013 to purchase honoree plaques, certificates, corsages, picture frames and scrapbooks; to maintain the website; to fund the scholarship; and to renew membership in the National Association of Commissions for Women. The Commission also makes annual contributions to Children in Crisis, Shelter House and the Children’s Advocacy Center. 2013 Highlights • County Commissioner Kelly Windes installed new officers in January 2013: Shirley Pigott, chair; Valerie McLaughlin, vice chair; Mary Blackwell, secretary; Amy McBride, treasurer, and Jeanne Rief, historian. • We began the year with $2,392.98 and ended in December with a balance of $687.17. • We sent a two-member delegation to represent OCCSW at the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame induction. • In recognition of Women’s History Month, we asked the Board of County Commissioners and each city in the county to sign a Proclamation to proclaim the Month of March as Women’s History Month, and we partnered with NWFSC for its 2013 Women’s History Month program featuring Anna Rodriguez of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking. • We presented our 2012 Annual Report to the County Commissioners in April 2013. • We established an unendowed scholarship with the NWFSC Foundation, and presented our first $1,000 scholarship to Hadley Finn in July. • We established a donor sponsorship program and published it on the website (http://www.occsw.org/donate.htm). • Mary Burnette, the OCSW nominee to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, was shortlisted for the governor’s review. Although not selected for induction for 2013, FCSW will automatically resubmit her in 2014. • The Nominating Committee presented a slate of incoming officers for 2014: Valerie McLaughlin, chair; Amy McBride, vice chair; Mary Blackwell, secretary; Dawn Johnson, treasurer; and Jeanne Rief, historian. (They were installed in January 2014.) • The budget for 2014 was developed and approved. • The audit committee examined the OCCSW account to ensure funds were balanced, and the books were turned over to the incoming treasurer. • The OCCSW membership logged over 189 volunteer hours per month during 2013. So you see we had a very full and fun year. We are hopeful, with the support of the community and the Board of County Commissioners, that we can further our efforts to recognize the many women who have made – and continue to make – Okaloosa the great County it is today and to assist women to improve their status. Valerie McLaughlin OCCSW Chair