Previous Speakers
2010: Ernest Wilford / Janet Adkins
2009: Joe Whitaker / Tom Stevens / Dustin Winters
March 11, 2010
Speaker: Representative Ernest Wilford
Entering his seventh season, sixth with Jaguars…Drafted in fourth round (120th overall) of 2004 draft…Spent one season (2008) with Dolphins before returning to Jaguars in August 2009…Began career as wide receiver but moved to tight end this past season…Has played in 85 games with 42 starts…Career totals include 155 catches for 2,142 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Attended Virginia Tech University and graduated with degree in Sociology…Post career goal is to join the FBI as a special agent… The Christmas of 2009 Wilford took more than 45 children from the Bridge of Northeast Florida Christmas shopping…Created the E. Will Foundation in 2006…Established the Ernest Wilford Golf Classic to benefit the First Tee of St. John’s County…Hosted Jaguars’ “Straight Talk” program in 2006…Extremely active with The Bridge of Northeast Florida…Served as mentor to at-risk youth through Big Brothers/Big Sisters…Hosted Easter egg event at Johnson Family YMCA…Won Jaguars/Morgan Stanley Community Leader of the Year award in 2004….Participated in “Shop with the Cops” Christmas event for Nassau County Police Department…Served as player rep for National Football League Players’ Association…Married (Robyn Denise) with daughter Eryn.
January 14, 2010
Speaker: Representative Janet Adkins
Representative Adkins is a full-time lawmaker who resides in Fernandina Beach. She was elected to the Florida House of Representative in 2008. She is married to Doug Adkins, and together they have two children, Emily (age 10) and Douglas (age 7). She is a member of Blackrock Baptist Church. Her current interests include the arts, beach activities, fishing, piano, Sudoku, symphony concerts and volunteer activities.
Representative Adkins was born in October 1965 in Jacksonville, FL. There she attended Trinity Christian Academy and was Valedictorian of her graduating class in 1983. She went on to receive a 2 + 2 College Scholarship, which she used to achieve High Honors with Florida Community College at Jacksonville. She graduated magna cum laude from University of North Florida in 1987, obtaining her degree in Computer Information Science. She went on to further her education and obtained a Master’s degree in Business Administration from University of North Florida in 1990. She was a client Partner with Information Systems of Florida, Inc. from 1987 to 1999. She went on to be elected as a member of the Nassau County School Board, where she served from 1998 to 2008.
Representative Adkins is currently the Republican State Committeewoman for Nassau County. She was elected to this position in 2000 and has served since then. In past years, she has been a Member of the Republican Party of Florida Rules Committee, First Vice President of Nassau Federated Republican Women, Vice Chair and Chair of the Republican 4th Congressional Caucus and Co-Chair of the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign in Nassau County.
Representative Adkins has numerous public and community service affiliations. She has served on Nassau County Community Alliance, Amelia Island Council, Nassau County Drug, Alcohol and Crime Coalition, Fernandina Beach Underground Utility Taskforce, Nassau County Planning and Zoning Board, Citizen’s Budget Policy Reform Committee for County and Micah’s Place Advisory Board. She has also served on the committee’s responsible for drafting County’s Interlocal Agreement and Public School Facility Component of Nassau County Comprehensive Plan. She has also worked to introduction legislation to strengthen school advisory councils, which was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush in 2002. She is a member of Daughters of the American Revolution (Amelia Island Chapter), National Rifle Association, Rotary International and Rotary Club of Fernandina Beach. The has also volunteered at Southside Elementary School, Atlantic Elementary School, Girl Scout Gateway Council and Boys and Girls Club Brick Campaign.
Representative Adkins currently has two district offices located at 905 S. 8th Street, Fernandina Beach and 945 N. Temple Avenue, Starke. She can be reached at janet.adkins@myfloridahouse.gov or (904) 491-3664.
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October 8, 2009
Speaker: Joe Whitaker
Business Recruitment and Retention Coordinator
Business Development Division
Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
Coordinator
Jacksonville Empowerment Zone
Jacksonville Enterprise Zone Development Agency
Jacksonville International Airport Community Redevelopment Agency
Directs JEDC small business development efforts and works with businesses to structure financing and/or incentive packages to facilitate their expansion or relocation to Jacksonville. From October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2008 assisted 90 projects creating 15,049 new jobs resulting in private capital investment totaling $1,148,000,000.
Prior to the formation of the JEDC also served as the Deputy Director of the Jacksonville Downtown Development Authority and Program Director, The Jacksonville Economic Development Company, Inc.
Moved to Jacksonville in 1978 to become Vice-President and General Manager of Gaynon Iron Works, a truck equipment manufacturing company. Served in that capacity for two years before directing the City of Jacksonville’s Small Business Financing Programs.
Before moving to Jacksonville served as a Commercial Loan Officer for the First National Bank of Cincinnati now Star Bank.
B.B.A., Business Management – University of Cincinnati
M.B.A., Business Finance - Xavier University
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March 12, 2009: Tom Stevens
Tom is a transplanted Georgian, having escaped in 1973. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds a B.S. in Economics. The Better Business Bureau is his third career having spent some time in the mortgage industry and 15 years as a general lines insurance agent prior to coming to the BBB in 1995 as a membership representative. He was named President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida in 1999.
Tom is married to Faye and has two daughters. His oldest, Sonya, is a graduate of the University of Florida currently residing and working in Chicago. His youngest, Leah, is a graduate of Florida Southern College and is currently a music teacher in the Polk County, Fla., school system. He serves as a member of the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair Association, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville and is a volunteer at the Tournament Players Championship. He is member of the Lakeshore United Methodist Church where he serves on the administrative team and is the lead sound technician.
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February 12, 2009: Dustin Winters
I would like to thank the Westside Business Leaders for allowing me to present on the topic of payroll law during last month's meeting. I enjoyed meeting all of you and wanted to provide a brief overview of Infinisource Priority Pay as well as my contact information.
You may be asking what sets us apart from other payroll companies?
* Real time processing – no need to import/export changes from an Internet module to payroll software
* Instant access to your data 24 hours a day, anytime, anyplace worldwide
* No new investment in software or hardware
* No monthly, quarterly or annual tax filing
* No payroll tax tables to update
* No need to stay in the office to access or process your data
Plus, with Priority Pay, there will only be one W-2 sent at year-end, no matter what time of year you change your payroll processing to us!
Why wait to start processing your payroll with us today?
A demonstration of our payroll system can be done in as little as 15 minutes.
Please contact me at 800-300-3838, Ext. 1835 or dwinters@infinisource.net.
Dustin Winters
Regional Sales Manager
Infinisource, Inc.
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