by Troy K. Smith
Here it comes again. You can feel it in the air. This is truly a great time of year — the spring equinox has passed, and last week, the clocks went forward for summer time.
Everywhere, life is bursting forth. Then again we have other commonplace rites of spring such as inclement weather, pollen, allergies, sneezing and the unanticipated, mind-numbing changing of the guard for the Jacksonville Section of the Young Lawyers Section Board of Governors.
Ray Driver, the current lame duck president of the YLS board , will soon finish a successful reign as leader of the board only to be replaced by Ahoskie’s proudest son, Wiley Braxton Gillam IV (and author of the “This Town Needs A Troy-Off Competition). Driver’s tenure was highly celebrated by all and highlighted by such events as the Holiday in January project and . . . er . . . well I’ll have to get back to that one in a minute. Driver ran a tight board with strict regiment. He was fearless in his rule to the point he threatened the social fabric of the Jacksonville legal community by not wearing a tie — ever — even when attending board meetings at the Smith Hulsey firm. Through this article we will learn more about your president-elect.
Wiley, allegedly named after Wile E Coyote of Looney Tunes fame, grew up in a town of 4,391 adoring fans. Wiley received his law degree from Florida State University with honors and was an Ausley Scholarship recipient. His bachelor’s degree was earned at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a John Motley Morehead Scholar. Clearly, this Wiley character doesn’t waste time chasing roadrunners around the desert.
Wiley Gillam is a family man and enjoys hosting social events with his wife and children (yes one is named Wiley Braxton Gillam V). In fact he recently hosted the infamous Pig Pickin at a rural location only accessible by off-road vehicle. All attendees, including Wiley, who allegedly received a black eye walking into a “street sign” in the woods, enjoyed great food and fun. Wiley also spends time away from Jacksonville in the swamps of Louisiana. Wiley, along with other contributors to this article, owns a rundown houseboat keenly positioned in the bayou that is utilized for recreational weekends. Wiley claims the Louisiana house boat weekends provide a great release, barefoot water-skiing competitions and a tax write-off.
All in all this Wiley president-elect is an intriguing character and promises to bring change and excitement to the YLS Board of Governors. Whether Wiley can match the unprecedented passion and valor of the Driver administration remains to be determined. However, just as there is only one Ahoskie in the entire world, there is only one Wiley Braxton Gillam IV from Ahoskie to lead the YLS into new heights for the 2004-05 campaign.