Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman today announced that 54 Florida mayors are participating in the second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, a nationwide bipartisan effort to highlight the impact of national service in tackling city problems. Over 1,760 mayors across the U.S. are participating in the event.
“National service is a vital resource for our state,” said CEO Spellman. “AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps participants have a positive and lasting impact, making our cities better places to live. I am grateful for their dedication, which is helping to make our state stronger, safer, and healthier.”
Given the many social needs facing communities – and the fiscal constraints facing government at all levels – mayors are increasingly turning to national service as a cost-effective strategy to meet city needs. More than 16,000 people of all ages and backgrounds are helping to strengthen communities and increase civic engagement through national service in Florida. Serving at more than 1,700 locations throughout the state, these citizens tutor and mentor children, support veterans and military families, provide health services, restore the environment, respond to disasters, increase economic opportunity, and recruit and manage volunteers.
The Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is a nationwide bipartisan effort to recognize the positive impact of national service in cities, to thank those who serve, and to encourage citizens to give back to their communities. The day is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the National League of Cities, and Cities of Service, and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Scott Smith, Mayor of Mesa, Ariz.
“I am proud to be working with Volunteer Florida and Florida’s mayors as we continue to strengthen communities through national service,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Mayors are leaders who get things done. They know first-hand the value of national service in tackling city problems. I commend Florida’s mayors for working with us to improve lives and strengthen communities through national service.”
As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at more than 60,000 locations in 8,500 cities across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. National service participants address the most pressing challenges facing our cities and nation, from educating students for the jobs of the 21st century and supporting veterans and military families to preserving the environment and helping communities recover from natural disasters.
Across the country, mayors are participating in a variety of activities, including visiting national service programs, hosting roundtables at City Hall, issuing proclamations, and communicating about national service through social media. By shining the spotlight on the impact of service and thanking those who serve, mayors hope to inspire more residents to get involved in their communities.
The following Florida mayors showed their support of national service by issuing proclamations, participating in service projects, and other events.
| Alvin Brown | Jacksonville |
| Anthony Aramendia | Casselberry |
| Ashton Hayward | Pensacola |
| Barrington Russell | Lauderdale Lakes |
| Beverly Zimmern | Gulf Breeze |
| Bob Buckhorn | Tampa |
| Bob McPartlan | Sebastian |
| Bruce Mount | Eatonville |
| Buddy Dyer | Orlando |
| Carlos A. Gimenez | Miami-Dade County |
| Charles Lacey | Winter Springs |
| Cindy Lerner | Pinecrest |
| Craig Cates | City of Key West |
| David Archie | Tarpon Springs |
| Dick Winger | Vero Beach |
| Ed Braddy | Gainesville |
| Frank Ortis | Pembroke Pines |
| Gary Bruhn | Windermere |
| Harry Dressler | Tamarac |
| Howard Wiggs | Lakeland |
| Jack Seiler | Ft Lauderdale |
| Jeff Triplett | Sanford, Seminole County |
| Jeri Muoio | West Palm Beach |
| JoAnn Faiella | Port St. Lucie |
| John Marks | Tallahassee |
| John Masiarczyk | Deltona |
| John Sorey | Naples |
| Jon Netts | Palm Coast |
| Judy Paul | Davie |
| Karen Golonka | Jupiter |
| Kathy Meehan | Melbourne |
| Kenneth Bradley | Winter Park |
| Linda Hudson | Fort Pierce |
| Lori Moseley | Miramar |
| Luigi Boria | Doral |
| Matthew Surrency | Hawthorne |
| Michael Ryan | Sunrise |
| Patricia Gerard | Largo |
| Peter D. O’Bryan | Indian River County |
| Philip Levine | Miami Beach |
| Philip Stoddard | South Miami |
| Ralph Hammond | Springfield |
| Rick Kriseman | St. Petersburg |
| Rocky Randels | Cape Canaveral |
| Sam Henderson | Gulfport |
| Samuel Ferreri | Greenacres |
| Sarah “Sam” Seevers | Destin |
| Tomas Regalado | Miami |
| Valentin Rodriguez, Jr. | Lake Clarke Shores |
| Vernon Myers | Palatka |
| Vincent Boccard | Coral Springs |
| Wayne H. Poston | Bradenton |
| William Capote | Palm Bay |
| William G. Brooks | Belle Isle |
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
For more information on the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, visit: www.nationalservice.