by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
She may have stepped down from City Council, but committee meetings still consume a substantial portion of her daily schedule in order to bring the daughter of the Rev. Billy Graham to Jacksonville.
Ginger Soud was the first woman elected to an at-large seat on the Council in 1994 and went on to serve two terms, the second ending in 2003. As a member of Council, she was elected Council vice president, 1998-99, and president of the Council, 1999-2000. She also served on a variety of committees including Finance, Recreation and Community Development, Public Health, Safety and Education, Special Committee on Legislative Issues, Tourist Development Council and chaired the Education Task Force.
After she stepped down from public service in 2003 due to term limits, Soud focused on the business of real estate at her own office, Ginger Soud Realty. Soud received her real estate license in 1980, but didn’t seek business in the real estate industry to avoid conflicts of interest while on Council.
“Most of my involvement in real estate after my time on the City Council was requests from friends and referrals,” said Soud, wife of Circuit Court Senior Judge A.C. Soud.
A few years removed from public service, Soud found another path to community service. While attending a conference featuring Anne Graham Lotz, Rev. Graham’s daughter, at “The Cove,” a training center for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Soud first contacted Lotz about bringing her in for the “Just Give Me Jesus” conference to Jacksonville.
“Things like this just don’t happen over night,” said Soud. “There is a lot of planning involved and a lot of people working together.”
She has met daily with chair people from about a dozen different committees who are working together to bring the conference to the Veteran’s Memorial Arena April 24-25.
“We are finalizing details for so many things right now,” said Soud. “Following the conference there will be a seven-week bible study that will feature the teachings of Anne Graham Lotz on video. People who attend the conference are encouraged to participate in the bible study.”
The next event on the calendar organized by Soud and masses of volunteers is a prayer rally at Ortega United Methodist Thursday.
“Everything is getting exciting,” said Soud. “It’s been a lot of fun working with women from
so many different congregations and groups who are working together toward a great Christian purpose.”
While preparations can be all encompassing at times, Soud has had time to enjoy other milestones in her life. Her son, Adrian G. Soud, was elected as a circuit judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in November.
“I have been a candidate, a candidate’s wife and a candidate’s mother,” said Soud. “Of the three, being a candidate is the easiest because when something happens or is said about you, you move on. When something is said about your husband or your son it hurts a little more.”
Soud was glad to be able to be an advisor during her son’s campaign and help guide him through the process she had been through before.
“The average person has no idea how hard it is to run for public office,” said Soud. “It’s difficult to raise money. You hate raising money for yourself, asking people for money and explaining to people it is not for me, it’s so I can serve the public. People were extraordinarily generous during Adrian’s campaign.”
The same generosity may be present when Ginger and her granddaughter Emily, 4, get together for a shopping trip.
“The grandchildren are so joyful and fun,” said Soud, who raised three boys. “We play games, sometimes we paint and in the summer we swim a lot. Emily and I go shopping. I’ve never had a girl to shop with.”
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