| Ruskin Community Development Foundation PO Box 549, Ruskin, FL 33575-0549 |
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Fred Jacobsen- president
A native of San Diego, Fred graduated from San Diego State University. He served four years in the United States Air Force (USAF), including one year in Vietnam teaching English as a second language to pilot candidates, receiving the Air Force Commendation Medal. For almost three years, he served in Japan and the Island of Okinawa working in the outpatient psychiatric clinics of USAF hospitals. In his 27 year tenure with the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, Fred improved collection productivity more than 50% through employee training and new data systems. He is an active member of the National Association of Credit Manager and the Credit & Financial Development Division (CFDD). Fred served as chairman of the board of San Diego Credit Association and was an active board member for over a decade. Fred serves on the Hillsborough County Historic Resources review Board, South Shore Regional Library "Friends of the Library", South Shore Arts Council, Ruskin History Project (RuskinHistory.org) and is president of the Ruskin Community Development Foundation. In his free time Fred enjoys spending time on the water or teaching pre-Columbian crafts at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center. |
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Bruce Marsh- vice president
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Sandy Council- treasurer
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Mariella Smith
A fifth-generation native to the Tampa Bay area, Mariella grew up on the bay near Westshore, and now lives with her husband on Tampa Bay’s South Shore, in Ruskin. She has a Master’s degree in Philosophy, and has owned and operated InSight Graphic Design since 1988. She is a regular contributor to Sticks of Fire, a popular local blog. In 2005 Mariella received the Citizen Planning Advocate Award from the Sun Coast Section of the American Planning Association for her work in several planning efforts in which diverse stakeholders came to consensus on plans that have been adopted into the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan. She has also earned awards for environmental activism from both the Florida Chapter and the Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club. Other Affiliations: • Coalition for Responsible Growth (C4RG) (board member) • United Citizens’ Action Network (U-CAN) (board member) • Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Environmental Advisory Committee • Hillsborough County Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee (CEAC) (County Commission appointee) • Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) General Committee |
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Ron Wolfe
A resident of Hillsborough County since 1980 and a resident of Ruskin since 1996, Ron was the founder of a successful manufacturing business in Chicago, Illinois. He sold his business to a NYSE listed corporation to enable his relocation to Florida. Ron is a student of business and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Marketing. He provides a variety of business services to Tampa Bay area businesses as a business consultant, with emphasis placed on business planning. He specializes in helping persons who need to start, buy, sell, grow, organize, finance, value or liquidate a business. A community activist, Ron has participated and served as an officer or board member of a number of volunteer organizations in SouthShore, which are too numerous to list. He wrote 135 weekly community service columns in the Observer News titled The Voice of Ruskin from May 20, 1998 until December 28, 2000 and then 107 weekly columns titled The Voice of SouthShore from August 8, 2002 until September 23, 2004. |
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Miguel Fuentes
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A. Mac Miller
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Mark Dunn
Mark Dunn holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a Masters Degree in Reading Education from Central Connecticut State University. He has taught at every elementary grade level kindergarten through sixth grade, physical education, high school employment skills, and college. Mark is currently in his seventeenth year of teaching in Hillsborough county schools. In addition to his teaching experience Mark has been a contributing editor and author for a nationally published mathematics curriculum and developed local history lessons posted on the Ruskin Historical Project’s website RuskinHistory.org. Mark enjoys kayaking in the wide variety of beautiful areas offered by the Gulf of Mexico. Mountain biking is another pastime that he enjoys. He also volunteers his time with Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center and the South Shore Children’s History and Science Club. Camping is another favorite hobby. |
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Allen Witt
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Dolly Cummings
Dolly Cummings is Camp Bayou's Manager and Nature Center Education Director. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook and has taken several professional development courses ranging from Project Learning Tree, Wild, and Wet to graduate courses which include facilitating GLOBE protocols and activities. She is a member of the League of Environmental Educators of Florida (LEEF), Florida Native Plant Society and is a habitat ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation. She has more than 15 years experience working with children in non-formal environmental education settings. |