Recent Honors

JWB Board Member Maria Edmonds Wins Compadre/Comarde Award

The Compadre/Comadre Award is the major award that the InterCultural Advocacy Institute gives each year. A Compadre goes beyond “friend” or “supporter”. It is reserved for a person who treasures you and guides you and defends you.

Maria Nieves Edmonds has been involved with the Hispanic Outreach Center since 2000, when it was created. She was an Advisory Committee member from 2000 to 2006 In 2006, Maria agreed to become the founding Chair of the Hispanic Leadership Council, which she continues to the present.

The Hispanic Leadership Council has 30 member organizations, including City and County Government, Corporate entities, major educational institutions (St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County Schools), and social service agencies. The goals are to address a) the achievement gap faced by Hispanic students, b) access to health care, c) information and advocacy, d) early learning, and e) ESOL.

For the past three years, the Council has hosted the successful  “Embracing Our Changing Community” conference, to promote diversity in health, education, and social services.  The ESOL project has produced eight DVDs to teach English on television and in the home, with content that teaches people about services in their community (e.g. how to call 911,   how to respond to a domestic violence situation, how to successfully deal with a police stop). The Florida Department of Education announced this week that it has created a link to these videos on its website to promote language proficiency. More DVDs will be produced in the coming year, and made publicly available. The Information and Advocacy committee produced, in collaboration with the Clearwater Police Department, a video and public service announcements onHuma Trafficking, which are now widely used in public education in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.

These are just a handful of the Council’s successful projects. All are collaborations among member organizations.

It is Ms. Edmonds’ leadership which has produced this success, and resulted in her being awarded the Comadre Award of 2010.

The Hispanic Leadership Council is funded by the United Way of Tampa bay.

HIPPY Recognition

The HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) program recognized JWB with a certificate of appreciation at the program's August 28th, 2010 graduation ceremony

Certificate in Nonprofit Management

JWB Senior Planner, Yaridis Garcia recently earned the Certificate in Nonprofit Management through the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay and University of Tampa.  The program prepares existing and/or aspiring nonprofit professionals to meet the increasingly challenging demands that are and will be placed on them.  Students participated in engaging, hands-on sessions that directly apply to their day-to-day work.  All were taught by PhD professors and practitioners with substantial experience in all aspects of the nonprofit field, including board planning and fund raising to organizational development and financial/personnel management.  The courses were delivered as intensive cohort-based, one-week seminars representing 12 credit hours of graduate-level instruction.

William B. Sutton Memorial Award

JWB Co-Chair, Martha Lenderman has been presented the William B. Sutton Memorial Award by the Florida Association of Couty Social Service Executives (FACSSE).  The award is presented every other year and named in honor of a long standing member FACSSE.  Among the criteria for selection of the Willam B. Sutton Award are that the recipient work to increase communication among counties; advocate for - and influence -state and national legislation to protect the interest of county health and human services programs; educate and inform elected officials and the public about human services programs; exhibit strong leadership qualities; works within her community to develop comprehensive programs to serve families and individuals in need.

Florida's Children First Honoree

The JWB Children's Services Council was honored by Florida's Children First, Inc. for longstanding commitment to improving the lives of children and their families in the community at their Tampa Bay area reception on June 17th.  Florida's Children First is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to reform in the systems that affect children. 

John U. Bird Distinguished Service Award

The Clearwater Bar Association recognized JWB Board member and 6th Judicial Circuit Unified Family Court Judge, Irene Sullivan with the John U. Bird Distinguished Service Award at the association's May 14th Law Day Awards luncheon.  The award recognizes a member of the judiciary for high ideals, personal character, judicial competence and service.  Judge Sullivan handles delinquency and related family cases with the Unified Family Court.  She also handles truancy court in Pinellas County and previously presided over family law and domestic violence matters.  In addition to her service on the JWB Board, Judge Sullivan serves on a number of boards and commissions relating to juvenile justice.