by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
The Southside Business Men’s Club has a new woman on the scene.
And even though she’s only been working with the organization for six months, she’s arguably the glue that holds one of Jacksonville’s oldest business and civic organizations together.
Bobbye Salisbury became the executive secretary for the club in November 2006 after being appointed by the club’s current president, Tom Harris.
“Bobbye is a wonderful addition to the Southside Business Men’s Club,” he said. “I knew that she was the perfect one to fill (the position) and I couldn’t be happier that she’s with us.”
Prior to Salisbury, a number of individuals, including Joyce Nichols Beard, held the position following the retirement of longtime secretary Pauline W. Smith after 41 years of service.
“It was Tom who kind of talked me into this,” she said. “We were friends from before.”
Founded in 1932 following the merger of Jacksonville and South Jacksonville, the club was started after early community leaders at the time recognized the need for banks, major businesses and adequate schools to be built. The club’s first meeting ever was in the back of the Lane Drug Store.
Since its founding, the club has reached many milestones, including the creation of Friendship Fountain Park. The club is also responsible for creating the popular JACKSONVILLE IDOL, a talent competition introduced in 2003 to benefit Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
Today, 67-year-old Salisbury helps keep things running smoothly by attending and keeping minutes for all weekly meetings, including officer meetings, new member meetings and monthly board member meetings. She also aids in the efforts of the clubs philanthropic arm by assisting the group’s various fundraising and scholarship committees as needed. Most recently the club organized a cookout for students at Kings Trail Elementary School in Mandarin to help fund a trip to Atlanta for the school’s safety patrols.
Salisbury is a Jacksonville native and grew up in the Riverside area where she attended Robert E. Lee High School. After graduating, she studied marketing and Advertising at Florida Community College at Jacksonville before accepting a position with Colomer U.S as executive administrative assistant to the companies senior vice presidents – a position she held for nearly 27 years and retired from on May 1, 2006.
Although her retirement came just six months prior to accepting her current position, Salisbury said she didn’t mind working again if it was with the club because she was passionate about its mission
“I work with a great bunch of people who all donate a great deal of their money and efforts to make things happen,” she said. “They do very good things and it’s nice to be a part of an organization that gives as much as this group gives.”
She currently resides in Mandarin where she says she likes to golf and spend time with her children and two grandsons – when she finds the time.