by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
Picture this: you have a big show that you, your organization or business is putting together. You need help with catering, help with setting up, someone to take pictures, someone to direct people where to park and a list of various other jobs. Who are you going to call?
Jim Mace.
In his day job, Mace is a systems engineer at Fidelity National Financial. Like the comic book heroes Clark Kent and Peter Parker, he quickly sheds his alter-ego as soon as he gets a call about someone needing Team Black.
But what exactly is Team Black?
It’s a mixed group of people that comes together for one purpose: volunteering. Mace is the group’s leader and founder and he oversees an organization comprised of everything from college kids to business executives.
“It all started with the Jacksonville Film Festival a few years back,” said Mace. “And we started out with just a handful of volunteers and grew every year.”
The name Team Black comes from the black T-shirts the volunteers wear, said Mace.
“Someone started calling us Team Black because of our shirts and the name stuck,” said Mace.
Mace’s volunteer resumé began 18 years ago, at the Jacksonville FoodFight. Mace admits he didn’t expect to be used very much and was surprised at how much work he put in. But he enjoyed it, as he does now.
Coordinating over 400 volunteers that are in every way mixed is part of his job. And it’s a job he loves.
“I love to work,” said Mace.
When it comes to getting in touch with volunteers, Mace utilizes technology.
“I do a lot of the work over the phone,” said Mace. “And e-mail makes things much easier when it comes to getting in touch with people to volunteer.”
Mace added that he also gets a lot of business cards at events from people who are interested in volunteering with or using Team Black at another event. At the Sulzbacher Center’s Transformations 2008 event at the Florida Theatre, Mace went home with six business cards and 10 people that asked to be on the direct e-mail list for the group.
“They are simply incredible,” said Heather Surface, who helped organize the Transformations 2008 event as she was setting up the event with the group’s help. “And we couldn’t be more grateful.”
Surface added that Mace attended many of the planning meetings that took place weeks before the event.
“His professionalism, dedication and attention to detail were key factors in (the event’s) success,” said Surface.
But Mace remains modest.
“It’s not about me,” said Mace. “It’s about the event and the show.”
To get in touch with Mace to inquire about volunteering with Team Black, e-mail him at [email protected].
356-2466