by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Goodwill, Volunteers in Medicine and Hospice Northeast board member. First Coast Tiger Bay, University Club and Taxation, Revenue and Utilization of Expenditures Commission chair.
Ronald Mallett is or has been a voice with them all – and many more.
The Thigpen Heating & Cooling executive vice president and CFO currently sits on 10 different area boards or committees for a total of 26 different civic board ventures since 1990.
“If I had more time, I’d do more,” he said. “There are more out there, that’s for sure.”
His latest appointment as chair of the Clara White Mission’s board of directors is one that he has wanted to tackle for a while.
“Clara White (Mission) has an incredible tradition history of over 100 years of service,” he said. “I’m extremely happy to be there and will be trying to continue their mission.”
In his newest role, Mallett said that he will continue to help Clara White, like other region non-profits have been forced to do, build new resources to compensate for a sluggish economy that has cut into funding.
Officials at Clara White are looking forward to his leadership.
“I’m very excited, as I’ve worked with him (Mallett) on other boards,” said Ju’Coby Pittman-Peele, Clara White executive director. “He’s the perfect fit ... and very familiar with the landscape of the community, how to motivate board members and how to get them engaged.”
Mallett himself has been engaged in the civic and political landscape of Jacksonville since arriving for the first time in 1970 as a U.S. Marine stationed at Cecil Field, with a track record for success.
He’s been on winning primary campaigns of every Jacksonville mayor since Jake Godbold, serving in financial and strategic planning in each. Additionally, he’s assisted with campaigns of numerous State and local candidates including State Rep. Charles McBurney, State Rep.-elect Lake Ray, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, Public Defender candidate Matthew Shirk, State Attorney-elect Angela Corey and Circuit Court Judge-elect Virginia Norton in the same financial officer role.
“I’ve seen the (economic, political, civic) landscape change in Jacksonville over the years,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have met a lot of people in my time here.”
Mallett began his civic endeavors in earnest after he retired with rank of Captain from the Marines in 1990 and elected to stay in Jacksonville instead of returning to his native Ohio.
It’s his wife, Melody, who actually encouraged him to join one of his first boards at Hospice Northeast in 1991. She was a volunteer and wanted to see him involved in some way, so he joined.
It turned into a recurring theme.
“She (Melody) gets involved with them at first,” he said with a laugh, referring to his wife of 14 years. “She’s involved in a lot of non-profits, then I end up becoming involved, too.”
At one point Mallett was on so many different boards and committees that he said Melody encouraged him to slow down — it wasn’t healthy, he was told.
Realizing she might be right and with dwindling spare time, Mallett decided to cut back on some of his ventures — but he said he’ll never stop trying to make a difference.
“I really enjoy what I do,” he said. “I still know of many organizations out there I’d like to assist in some way, but for now, my plate is full.”
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