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Bay County Leaders Lunch, Listen and Learn

With the rising sun glaring in their rear view mirror, Campaign Executive Director Linda Alexionok and Campaign Coordinator Naomi Maingot sped along the highway going west to Panama City. They were on their way to the Bay County Candidate Connection, “Lunch, Listen and Learn”, an event with an uncharacteristically brief gestation period – only two weeks from vision to implementation. The past couple of days had been a dizzying swirl of planning calls, outreach, e-invites, and media advisories.

It was Friday, September 1, only three days in advance of the primary election. All knew the candidates would be thinking about being out in the neighborhoods talking to voters. All also believed the candidates needed to be educated about children’s issues.

Scott Clemons

The event was the brainchild of Children’s Campaign chairman Scott Clemons, a former legislator who knew the ropes both running for office and what to expect once elected. He had recruited Steve Southerland II, Chairman Elect of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, to co-chair the event. They were bringing together advocates, providers, citizens and candidates to focus on the children.

The site was Gulf Coast Community College. Red, white and blue balloons held in place by miniature Red Flyer wagons led participants from the parking lot to the registration area. Inside the lecture hall, each Promise area had a table set up with information and hand-outs. A buffet lunch was provided and everyone mingled for a half hour, until the formal program started at noon. Candidates in attendance included those seeking to replace outgoing Speaker Allan Bense in the Florida House of Representatives, District 6. Joining them was gubernatorial hopeful Rod Smith. United States Congressman Allen Boyd, though not on the ballot, attended as well.

Clemons spoke of Bay County’s bountiful natural resources, including its beautiful beaches, and emphasized the critical importance of protecting the area’s most precious resource, its children. As Clemons spoke and local television cameras rolled, children from the Chapman Center, presented each candidate a picture of their future aspirations to grow up and be doctors, police officers, teachers – even political leaders. These childhood dreams painted a stark contrast to the bleak futures that many of Florida’s children face without early intervention and educational nurturing: dropping out of school, repeatedly churning through the juvenile justice system or becoming a teen parent.

Experts across the 5 Promises took the candidates through the basics and a parent spoke about child welfare services. One message was consistently clear in Bay County: the need for state-elected officials to focus on policies beneficial to children and their families. Each promise and success story presenter spoke of the importance of supporting families in the community through resources that involve public, private and faith-based initiatives.

Steve Southerland

Southerland had spent the previous evening reviewing the 5 Promises policy briefs and realized how blessed he is at being able to provide these promises for his own children and family. Southerland told the candidates that it is incumbent upon them, if elected, to ensure that the 5 Promises are available for all children.

Linda Alexionok provided a call to action, requesting those who would be elected to go to Tallahassee primed to pass laws and appropriations supporting the 5 Promises.

After helping with the clean-up, Linda and Naomi were back on the road, now with the sun behind them from the west. They were returning immediately to Tallahassee to get ready for an event – a community briefing on girls - the following week in Orlando.

Local Sponsors in Bay County included: Julian-Bennett of Harrison, Rivard & Bennett Law Firm; Scott Clemons, Chairman, Children’s Campaign, Inc.; Bill Cramer of Tommy Thomas Chevrolet; Arthur Cullen, Chairman, Bay County Republican Executive Committee; Alvin Peters, Chairman, Bay County Democratic Executive Committee; Steve Southerland II. Chairman-Elect, Bay County Chamber of Commerce; Lisa Walters, Former Chairman, Bay County Chamber of Commerce; and Ed Wright, Former Dean, FSU Panama City Campus.

Speakers in Bay County included: Scott Clemons, Steve Southerland II, Lourdes Sanchez-Rodriguez, Mike Watkins, Randy Butler, Dr. Pam Fleege, Jennifer Speakman, Lynne Eldridge, James McCalister, Pastor Phil Edwards, Darlene Richardson, Barbara Cloud, and Linda Alexionok.

For more information about Candidate Connection events taking place in other parts of the state, please visit www.iamforkids.org