Florida Youth SHINE

Recently I spent 6 days in Tallahassee with my "extended family" Florida Youth SHINE (FYS). This made my third year being with them during Children's Week. There were long days and very late nights but I guess that's all part of being a child advocate. I must give Derrick Riggins credit because his "impression" ice-breaker was good enough to give everyone their second wind. I still laugh when I think about Tanya ripping into a bag of chips and flailing around while impersonating Patrick from Spongebob. Maybe that's what sleep deprivation and caffeine does to you. Even Christina joined in on the fun and gave a dead-on impersonation of Lindsay. She tried her shot at me and I must admit it was pretty funny.

There was work to be done since there were two major bills up this year. One bill would reduce the Road-to-Independence stipend by 50%. The other would require a medical review before children are administered psychotropic medication. This bill was brought forth by Senator Rhonda Storms after a 7 year old foster child hung himself while on psychotropic meds. Mez Pierre testified at a Senate Committee hearing and I couldn't be more proud. Needless to say the bill passed that committee and Florida foster youth have him to thank.

Not only is Florida Youth SHINE an advocacy group...this year they became advocate trainers as well. Youth from all over the state came to City Hall as FYS conducted a training program that taught how to advocate as well as the 3 branches of government. Another proud moment for the youth driven organization.

Our annual Tallahassee trip is now over and there are a lot of people to thank. Secretary George Sheldon for his time and friendship, Christina Spudeas for her dedication to this group, Lindsay Baach for the hard work she has put in to this trip, Jesse Wilson and Derrick Riggins for their leadership, and the countless Senators and Representatives that took the time to listen to the hearts of these young people.
I'll miss the time we spent bowling, all the fun we had, and yes...even the work.

2009 Year In Review

As 2009 draws to a close I am finding myself reminiscing about the year. It wasn't just a year full of pointless days...It was a year full of excitement and suprises. I don't remember how I brought in the new 2009 year but I do remember some memorable times.
In March I spent some time to and from Tallahassee trying to get bills passed relating to the foster care system. It was a lot of work but they were passed and signed by Governor Crist. During my time at the Capitol I started to discover a new passion. Not just politics or rubbing elbows with the state legislators but helping to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Could there be a future in politics for me?? Only time will tell. Speaking of politics...Vote Paula Dockery for Governor in 2010.
In October I was offered a trip to England where I had the opportunity to hang out with Myron Rolle and get a tour of both Oxford and London.
I have been appointed to the Task Force on Fostering Success and the Subcommittee on Safe Families. I was asked to be the Author Chair for Jacksonville's Much Ado About Books, a fundraiser to help raise money for the Jacksonville Public Library.
The highlight of my year was in November when my wife and I discovered we would be having a baby. The due date is July 9th and we are both very excited.

2009 has had it's problems...Tiger isn't as true as we all thought, President Obama lacks in judgement, and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't have a good season. No matter what 2009 brought for you, let's all hope 2010 is better. Keep your head held high, think positive, and be good to your children...After all, they are our future.
I wish you and your family all the best. Happy New Year!

England...Now the Journey Begins!

Wow, it seems like I just wrote a blog about being asked to go to London...Now the trip is over.
I thought I was originally going just to get a tour of Oxford from Myron Rolle and then enjoy a little one-sided football with The New England Patriots facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What I got was more....much more.

I arrived on Friday morning after a short flight to Charlotte and an even longer flight to Gatwick Airport in London. (On a side note, I was on the flight to Charlotte with Kyle Brady, former tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars.) Upon my arrival to Gatwick I still had an hour and a half to go until I was in Oxford.
Car models that I have never seen in the U.S. were driving on the opposite side of the road, I could never figure out what the road signs said, and what do I do with this foreign currency I now have? The culture, the excitement, and the change....Now the journey begins!

I made it to Oxford around 10:00am and was dropped off at the historic Rhodes House where I would be staying for the night. I took my bags to my room and sat down for a moment. With all of the excitement I had to explore this place. After walking for what seemed like a forever I came to the conclusion that I need to go back and get the tour from the "professional".

I make my way back to the Rhodes House to meet up with Mckinley Rolle, Myron's brother. While I'm listening to security explain to us why their version of Football is better than American Football, in come David Meltzer and Jeremiah Donati. Dave is CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment and Jeremiah is Myron's agent. As we make our way to The Mitre for lunch, Myron shows up for just a few minutes. After all, he does still have class. He did come back and make time to give a tour of Oxford. During the tour we visited Christ Church, just one of the many colleges to make up Oxford. Christ Church is where Harry Potter is filmed. Now, I'm not much of a Harry Potter fan but my brother in law was able to school me on what was filmed there. After Christ Church we made our way to St. Edmund Hall which is the college Myron is attending. The halls were narrow and the school was built around a graveyard. I remember Myron saying that the graveyard has become quite the hang-out. I was literally in awe when he said that building was built in the 1200's. That just shows how young the United States is. All in all the tour was great and there is a lot of history in Oxford.

Day 2 saw me waking up at 10:30am. Considering the fact I went to bed at 9:00pm the night before, I would say that I was well rested. Security came up to tell me that Myron's father was downstairs and he would like to meet me. As I walk in the room I am greeted by the patriarch of the Rolle family Whitney Rolle. He thought it would be fun for me to watch the interviews about to take place with the Wall Street Journal. In the middle of talking I am greeted by Lee from the Wall Street Journal saying he wants me to be interviewed as well. "Wait a minute...You want me to be interviewed by the Wall Street Journal? I think I should change." Everyone then assures me that my Under Armour hoodie and jeans are fine. I asked the question because they were videoing the interviews. I later found out that information like that is shot one time but shared by stations such as ESPN and FOX Sports. I must admit, I was excited to say the least. I love attention and feel I have a lot people can learn from me and my past experiences. I love to share them. The end result, the Security Guard of the Rhodes House had to attend a "real football game" and he needed to lock up. The interviews stopped with Myron and never got to McKinley and myself. It just wasn't meant to be.

The trip to London took about an hour and we all went by bus. London was busy and a lot different from Oxford. We made it to the hotel and I was stunned to find an American outlet. I was able to plug in my laptop and talk to Shannon on Yahoo Messenger. From there we all went to dinner at Garfunkel's where I enjoyed some Sausage and Mash. What is Sausage and Mash?...I knew you were dying to know. Well, you take some mashed potatoes and put about 3 or 4 sausage links on top. Then you pour gravy all over it. DELICIOUS!
Garfunkel's was the beginning of my learning process. David began to talk about energy all around us. We can all sense when someone is in the room with us or when someone is looking at us. It's the energy we feel from them. We also give off negative energy and positive energy. That's why if we are having a bad day we can bring down the people around us. *Remember this - I'm going to bring it up again shortly*

Day 3 was the big day. Game day at Wembley Stadium. I was amazed at how many people showed up for an American Football game. I was also surprised at how many other team jerseys were represented. I even saw a Jones-Drew and David Garrard jersey! Wembley was a sellout and as a Jaguar season ticket holder I have to ask; Why is it that a stadium such a Wembly can sellout an American Football game but the Jacksonville Jaguars can barely get 40,000 people in the seat?
I thought is was very respectful that the American National Anthem was sang and so was God Save the Queen. There were even American flags waiving. During the game itself it was a little one sided with the Patriots having a dominant advantage over the Bucs. I sat next to Whitney and he made a comment that Myron could hop on the field now and benefit either team. When I looked at him and heard him say those remarks about his son, I saw the pride in his eye. That's something that I don't see all the time. The relationship they have and watching Whitney interact with both Myron and McKinley shows the feelings and mutual respect on both sides. They are a very close family and all have strong moral beliefs. They support each other and make time for each other. Time....I hardly have that anymore. Remember when I mentioned negative and positive energy? I felt this trip was important for me. Not to get out of the office and take a mini vacation, but to learn from the people I was with. I have learned that there is a big world out there. We can do anything we want just as long as we put out the right "energy" and give it our all. More importantly, I've learned to put family and friends before business. Watching the Rolle family and listening to everyone around me helped me to realize that there are more important things out there than the all mighty dollar. When your time is up, what kind of legacy will you leave behind? Will you be so consumed with work that you have no time for your family and friends but still managed to make some good money? Will you help children in need and be remembered for making their lives better? I've learned that you need to be happy with your decisions no matter what they are. Myron is going to leave a great legacy behind, but he has only just begun. I text a friend of mine just before my flight to London asking what I did to deserve this. On the flight back I realized that I have worked hard to make a difference in the foster care community. I did deserve to be there and to take that trip. At the same time I needed this so I can begin my legacy.

Around the World

Last week sometime I received a phone call that took me by surprise. On the other end was Secretary George Sheldon of DCF. He seemed a little excited when he asked what I had planned this month. Of course I had no idea what was coming next..

"Do you want to go to England?"

England?...I was honestly speechless. Nobody has ever asked me to go oversees before so at first I just knew it was a joke. Well, it wasn't. As the conversation went on he explained to me that the Myron Rolle foundation had a ticket to London that was donated. I would spend about 3 days oversees consisting of a tour of Oxford and an NFL football game. Now...isn't soccer over there called football? So what is American football over there called? Whatever it is...I get to see the Tampa Bay Bucs play the New England Patriots in London. I was a little relieved to find out that the Jaguars have a BYE week when I'm gone therefore I will not miss them play.

I am still in awe of this. Of all the people he could ask Secretary Sheldon called me. That really goes to show that hard work never goes unnoticed. Thank you to Secretary Sheldon and Myron Rolle!

Inspired at the Dependency Summit

I'm back from Orlando and I must say, this past week was exciting. Not because I went to Sea World, Universal Studios, or Islands of Adventure. It was because I attended the 2009 Dependency Summit hosted by DCF. The turnout was astonishing. For the first time ever, DCF had to stop registration. Over 1,900 people filled the Loew's Royal Pacific to hear testimonies from keynote speakers, attend workshops, and network with other child welfare personnel.

The Summit began with Jaiya John, a former foster child who has turned his life into motivating and inspiring other people. He read a passage from his book, Legendary, which you can purchase from Amazon.com. The next day we heard from Myron Rolle, a football standout from FSU and Rhodes Scholar. Secretary Sheldon gave his State of the Child Address and complimented the Northeast Region on an excellent job, we heard from Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, and my good friend Mike Dunlavy did a great job as emcee during a plenary session in front of almost 2,000 people.

I had the pleasure of attending the Florida Youth Leadership Academy's Reception. They have worked so hard to finish the program. I met 2 of the graduates from Jacksonville. Although I don't know them well, I was proud of their accomplishment.

One of the proudest moments was when Florida Youth Shine, which I am a member, was asked by Secretary Sheldon to walk up on stage and present Andrea Moore with the Secretary's Award. Andrea doesn't do well with "Thank You's". She does what she does for the sake of kids. She's an inspiration, a role model, a mentor, and the mother that most of these kids never had. Thank You Andrea!