by David Chapman
Staff Writer
At this point, one would think James Richardson would be used to breaking new ground — yet he continues to find ways throughout the community.
It’s been just over a year since he became both the first male and African-American to become president of the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of the Gateway Council, the local chapter of the national organization that serves more than 17,000 girls and 5,500 adults from 16 counties in Northeast Florida.
“It’s been extremely rewarding,” said Richardson, of his time with the organization. “I was asked eight years ago if I’d consider doing something with the Girl Scouts and eight years later, I was named president of the board (of directors).”
While the question has come up in the past why — and how — a male would lead the board of directors for a traditionally girls organization, the answer is simple.
“One of the main reasons I did this was to draw awareness in the community that men can be just as involved as women in the lives of girls,” he said. “It brings me a lot of pride to do so. The Boy Scouts (of America) is a great organization and the girls deserve just as much.”
He grew up a Boy Scout, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and uncle, and has brought the same type of leadership to the Gateway Council.
“We’re very pleased to have him,” said Linda Hull, chief development officer of the Gateway Council. “He brings such a commitment to young people and the community. When people ask why we’d have a male (as president of the board of directors), I think James is the answer.”
He’s served on numerous boards for various organizations in his life, always having the desire to stay active with his service to the community, but has learned one trait in particular over the past year while leading the 22-member board that does everything from set organizational policy and direction to securing resources and encouraging volunteers.
“Patience,” he said, smiling. “You’ve got to do the best you can given what you have. You have ideas, but other things can impact you.”
The “other thing” that has caused the greatest impact to those plans in the past several years has been a detriment to other organizations like the Girls Scouts of Gateway Council: the economy.
Seeing an opportunity, the organization undertook a capital campaign — the first in the local chapter’s history — for the creation of a new 250-acre camp near Middleburg. North Folk, as they have named it, is the perfect opportunity, said Richardson, to build a new facility “from the ground up” that would provide girls with an arts and fishing village, health and aquatics center, and overnight camping for more than 200 girls. Along with providing an ongoing safe and enjoyable experience for the girls, the camp would help preserve the area.
The $12 million project has been going well, said Richardson, other than the fact at a key time when “the economy has tanked.”
At a time when many nonprofit supporters have held back, Richardson and the board reached out to the organization’s largest donors for support of the project and the camp has progressed amid the economic climate — Richardson and others took part in the ground breaking ceremony June 6.
There are still challenges, though, along with unique opportunities. For instance, in addition to securing the naming rights for the camp’s pond through donation, Wayne and Delores Weaver issued a proposal of $250,000 if the organization could secure two additional matching corporate gifts of $250,000. To date, Richardson said they’ve secured one of the two and are now looking to seal the deal.
“It’s definitely a challenge but we’re grateful for the opportunity by the Weavers,” he said. “We’re working hard and it’ll happen.”
While the past year-and-a-half with his post has been fast-paced and enjoyable, the sense of accomplishment, joy and excitement that came with the historic appointment hasn’t dimmed — though, he jokes that his wife of close to to 20 years, Sandra Hull-Richardson, beat him to the punch by becoming the first African-American to become president of the Junior League of Jacksonville and her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta.
A lifelong Jacksonville resident, Richardson has held numerous positions with organizations like the United Way and JEA, but hasn’t stayed put for too long.
“After about five years or so, I felt I just needed something different,” he said.
That is until now, where he serves as the director of the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund within the City’s Housing and Neighborhoods Department. The Fund was created through the Better Jacksonville Project and provides capital development fund assistance for businesses that are located within Northwest Jacksonville or are expanding there.
The reason he doesn’t foresee himself leaving the position anytime soon? He grew up in the area, went to school at Raines, and has seen firsthand the improvements to the quality of life the capital projects have brought to the area.
“It brings me a great amount of satisfaction and pride,” he said. “The Fund helps bring the area into a more positive light.”
The first project he helped two years ago, City Kidz Ice Cream, celebrated its grand opening earlier this month, with Richardson in attendance.
While he considered it “his baby” as being the first, he’s just as excited with the prospects of assisting the community he grew up in with two other projects in the pipeline.
The Northpoint Town Center and Grace & Truth Community Development Corporation’s redevelopment of the Norwood School would bring a mixed-use centers and viable entities to the area as well as a community center.
Though he’s unable to help every small business owner who fills his voicemail and e-mail systems, being able to help any project succeed in such an unstable economy is a welcome realization for the City and himself.
While he plans on staying with the position for more than his usual five years, the post with the Girl Scouts can last until 2010 if he’s reappointed in 2010. Even after his time there, he plans on staying involved in it and other community endeavors — as if he’d do anything else.
“I don’t think the community will have seen the last of me,” he said, followed by a laugh.
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