By Fred Seely
Editorial Director
Skip Cramer’s love for public policy has landed him his third job - he’s crossing the river to a new career as the executive director of the Jacksonville Community Council Inc., the public-private partnership that serves as a research and public policy think tank.
“When I was in the Navy, I spent a good bit of time working in manpower and personnel policy for the Chief of Naval Operations in the early 80s through 1989,” said Cramer, who has been CEO of the Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross for the last 10 years. “I spent quite a bit of time on Capitol Hill, and I sat across the table from some people who have risen to high positions today.
“I loved the policy discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed that environment. That’s what made JCCI appealing to me. The difference there (Washington) and here (Jacksonville) is even better. JCCI talks about public policy on the local level. It’s where I live.”
Cramer moves to the JCCI’s Atlantic Boulevard offices on July 1. He’ll fill the vacancy left by the March 31 resignation of Lois Chepenek, who has opened her own consulting business.
“Lois put in 10 great years,” said Cramer, who has headed JCCI studies. “I feel I’ve put in 10 great years with the Red Cross.”
Cramer won the job after a lengthy search process.
“When the committee asked me why I wanted to change jobs at age 59, I gave them a Navy saying: ‘It’s a detail made in heaven.’ It’s what I wanted to do.”
Would I stay, they asked?
“I told them that I only had sent out a resume twice in my life: once to the Red Cross and the other time to JCCI. I wasn’t going to jinx myself by trying for three.”
Replacing him may be a lengthy process, said Cramer.
“This chapter is considered very strategic among the 900-plus American Red Cross chapters,” he said. “Identifying my successor will be a process that will have considerable local and national input.”
He said the local office, which is on Riverside Avenue almost directly beneath the Fuller Warren Bridge, is considered “strategic” because this area is close to potential disaster locations, as well as being in an area with a large population and in a transportation hub.
The process should run about 90 days. An interim director probably will be named but, as Cramer said, “There’s no rush. I have 40 days left.”
Cramer, whose official name is “Charles R.”, is a Naval Academy graduate and has a Masters in International Relations from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island.
He retired from the Navy - one assignment was being base commander at NAS - and became active in the community. In addition to chairing JCCI studies, he also has chaired the Ch. 7 advisory board and serves on the boards of Leadership Jacksonville and the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.
He and his wife, Glenda, live in Orange Park and have three adult children.