2024 Women of Honor
Congratulations to the 2024 Women of Honor, recently recognized at the Women of Honor event held at the University of West Florida (UWF) Emerald Coast Campus. The “Women of Honor” was first established as “Wall of Honor” by the The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women (OCCSW) in 1997 as an idea of its members who thought it would be a nice way for someone to honor the women in their lives whose works might be unknown to most others. Details about who they are and the impact they had are shared and each woman’s name is added to a plaque that hangs on the Wall of Honor at the UWF Emerald Coast campus library along with a letter placed in the Book of Honor near the plaque.
The 2024 Women of Honor are as follows:
- Audrey Adams – Assistant Director for the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Communications Division
- Megan Blancho – President of Okaloosa Chapter of Florida Association of Women Lawyers, dedicated to the development of professional relationships among women lawyers
- Daquiri Champion – Retired Registered Dietician in Nephrology, Pediatric Nutrition, Counseling and Geriatric Nutrition
- Sherry Cronley – Active volunteer with Fort Walton Beach Elk’s 1795, formerly a school teacher and now homeschooling her 14 year old grandson
- Sheryl “Sherry” Jones – Community & Public Relations Director for One Hopeful Place, Sheryl is responsible for securing funds
- Pam Lee – Volunteer with Elks Lodge 1795, Mardi Gras Club, River Rats, Destin Elementary, Corvette Club, Arc of the Emerald Coast and American Business Women’s Association
- Kathy Miller – volunteer, teacher and leader for 59 years at First Baptist Church’s International English School, longest running in the State of Florida
- Amanda Negron – CEO of Hsu Foundation and serves on the Senior Board of the Snowden-Horne Society, Children of the American Revolution
- Elizabeth “Liz” Qualiana – Residential Stability Coordinator Supervisor who works with people to find housing at One Hopeful Place
- June Scroggin – an activist volunteering with Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated (RWOF), Fresh Start, 100+ Women Who Care, Sleep in Heavenly Peace (building beds) and more
- Melinda Sousa – Founded Visiting You Senior Home Care dedicated to helping seniors find companionship.
- Neko Stubblefield – Vice President of Membership & Community Development for Eglin Federal Credit Union, fostering valuable partnerships
- Debbie Tate – Community Affairs Office Manager for Okaloosa County Public Schools Foundation
- Sabina Zunguze – A certified suicide prevention speaker and CEO of the Tatissa Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Social Justice Inc.
Niceville Police Department’s “Operation Save the Day”
The City of Niceville’s Police Department concluded its speed enforcement initiative ‘Operation Save the Day’ on Friday, April 26. The three-day initiative aimed to combat speeding and reinforce safe driving on State Road 20 between Rocky Bayou Dr. and Government Ave.
Over the course of the operation, the department issued a total of 77 citations, 67 of which were for speeding. Each speeding violation issued was for exceeding the posted speed limit by 9 MPH or more. From the start of the initiative on Wednesday, April 24, until the end on Friday, April 26, there was a 40% decrease in the number of citations issued. Chief Lovering stated, “We’re trying to change people’s habits. The initiative would have been a success if no tickets were written at all.”
Destin Charity Wine Auction Raises $3.3 million for Children in Need
The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) is pleased to announce that the 19th Annual Destin Charity Wine Auction presented by the Jumonville Family raised $3.3 million for children in need in Northwest Florida. Hosted April 26 and 27 to a sold-out crowd of more than 600 guests, proceeds from the auction benefit DCWAF’s 17 partner children’s charities in Northwest Florida. The funds raised will be distributed to 17 local non-profit organizations for specific projects and programs that benefit children. DCWAF’s charity partners for 2024 are AMIkids Emerald Coast, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Caring & Sharing of South Walton, Children in Crisis, Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation, Emerald Coast Autism Center, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, Opportunity Inc., Point Washington Medical Clinic, Shelter House of Northwest Florida, The Arc of the Emerald Coast, Westonwood Ranch and Youth Village.
Interested in Volunteering to Help Children? ECCAC Hosting A Volunteer Orientation June 18
The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) will be hosting an informative Volunteer Orientation on Tuesday evening, June 18, 6-7 pm. in its Niceville Center, 401 McEwen Drive. Volunteers are needed to help at its center in Niceville, or volunteers can help in other ways such as community events and more.
ECCAC’s mission is to heal and prevent the trauma of childhood abuse and neglect by providing advocacy, child-friendly therapies and a safe environment for kids to feel seen, heard and understood. In 2023 alone, ECCAC assisted 1,585 kids and 17,480 students received Safety Matters prevention education in area schools. Though ECCAC doesn’t house children, it provides services to children and their families at no cost in its Okaloosa and Walton County centers.
Call or email ECCAC Client Care Manager Hailey White to attend: 334-343-4541, Hailey@eccac.org. Visit www.eccac.org.
If abuse is suspected, report it by calling the anonymous Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
