by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
Thursday is Thanksgiving and Americans are expected to reflect on their reasons for gratitude.
The Daily Record asked 20 civic leaders to share the current professional, economic or industry trend for which they are most thankful.
Area leaders gave thanks for a lot, including donations of time and counsel, loyal customers and employees, thriftiness, innovation, a renewed focus on Downtown, small business resiliency, low interest rates and much more.
Because the question was posed soon after voters went to the polls Nov. 2, we asked for a focus on professional, economic and industry trends rather than election trends or results.
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Janice Williams Donaldson
Regional Director, University of North Florida Small Business Development Center
We in the Small Business Development Center at UNF are most thankful for our clients. In these tough economic times, we see every day, in the faces of our small business clients, the optimism, resilience, persistence and faith that helps them succeed. It definitely inspires us.
Although our job is to be an outsider looking in and, in some cases, to be the bearer of unpopular news, our clients find a way to make lemonade out of lemons. We are energized by their attitude, their creativity, and their flexibility.
Small businesses are leading us out of the recession, one sale at a time and one job at a time. We are so proud to see the American Dream in action and to play a role in helping small businesses grow and prosper.
Alex Graham
Vice Chair, Scott-McRae GroupI am most thankful for America’s rediscovery of responsible personal finance, smart shopping and thriftiness.
That seems counterintuitive to the interests of the retail automotive business but just like our consumers, our business needed to retrench and we needed to examine our financial strategy. As a result, we have become leaner and more efficient over the past two years.
The lessons that we have learned during the recession, the cuts we have made and the innovative strategies we have used to get through will serve our business well as pent-up demand begins to break through. Our growth will be healthier as a result.
Cleve Warren
President and CEO, Essential Capital Finance Inc.
While the Fed’s management of monetary policy and our government’s management of fiscal policy must be synchronized by unilateral design, I am much more trusting in the actions taken by the Fed to help ‘stimulate’ our economy, particularly its recent show of leadership and courage by initiating a second round of ‘quantitative easing’ by repurchasing roughly $600 billion in U.S. government debt.
I am most thankful for a timely show of leadership and courage. I would agree that this is a very risky and aggressive policy action, but it is one driven by what the Fed describes as ‘stubbornly high unemployment (9.6 percent) and ultralow inflation (1 percent vs. a 2 percent target).’
The intent of the move is to give banks the excess reserves needed to create new low-cost money to lend to consumers and business and hopefully stimulate our economy.
However, if banks opt simply to sit on the additional cash in order to increase their capital reserves in a climate of increasing loan defaults, or if consumers and businesses fail to respond to lower interest rates by buying and investing, we may never see a realization of the desired effect. I applaud nonetheless the Fed’s show of leadership and courage (to act).
Lynné Chappell Harris
President and CEO, Chappell ChildDevelopment Centers
Chappell Schools is thankful on a daily basis to have the opportunity to work with beautiful children.
The current trend for which Chappell Schools is most thankful is the support, guidance and professional coaching by the Jacksonville Children’s Commission and Early Learning Coalition with their Guiding Stars Program.
Barbara Jaffe
Director - Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
I have had the opportunity to travel to several underdeveloped countries since the recession began. I am very thankful to see in recent months a big increase in tourism, which is a very big help to the people of these countries.
I am particularly grateful and proud to see that Americans have reached out during these times to help these poor areas.
The effects of the recession have hit these countries hard and it is very good to see the tide changing.
Doug Wilder
President, Wilder Business Success Inc.
My clients and I are thankful that we have the freedom to be nimble and quick as we respond to the rapidly changing markets.
We are seeing certain industries or even certain companies within depressed industries coming back and making gains. Therefore being able to retool and refocus quickly becomes profitable.
For instance, in my executive coaching business, I have found that my income from my lawyer market has dropped from 55 percent last year to 3 percent this year. Thankfully my commercial construction clients have jumped from nothing in 2009 to 33 percent of my income in 2010.
I am still actively involved with lawyers and law associations, such as my Jacksonville Lawyers Roundtable, but the return on that marketing investment will be delayed.
I am thankful that the demand for coaching is stronger than ever and that, when liquidity returns, the future looks bright indeed.
Dan Bean
Partner, Holland & Knight
Former president, The Jacksonville Bar Association
I am most thankful for the City’s transportation and logistical bright future.
Jake Schickel
Partner, Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay
Member, The Florida Bar Board of Governors
I am seeing more and more lawyers step up to help others in this time of economic distress. The Florida Bar has established numerous pro bono programs, including those in the foreclosure area, and it is gratifying to see lawyers devote their time, talents and energy to those in need.
Broderick Green
Senior Manager, Business Development, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership
I am most thankful for the opportunity to live in a community that offers a diverse business environment. Cornerstone has a good track record attracting financial service, aviation and distribution companies to Northeast Florida.
We look forward to capitalizing on new and emerging industries, such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences and IT.
Leah Donelan
Vice President of Operations, Nonprofit Center ofNortheast Florida
As an employee in the Northeast Florida nonprofit sector, I am most thankful for the innovation and dedication of my nonprofit colleagues.
The nonprofit sector has been hit hard by the economic recession. Funding at all levels has decreased, while the demand for services we provide has risen substantially.
When faced with these grim circumstances, nonprofits in our community came together and got to work, determining what resources they needed to be most successful in this new environment.
The result is a movement, ‘Moving Forward Together,’ created by and for the nonprofit sector, which will identify what organizations are serving our community and what they are doing; create more powerful links among nonprofit organizations; and develop unified messages that describe the value of what we do.
Barbara Gubbin
Director, Jacksonville Public Library
I’m thankful that during these tough economic times, people are rediscovering the library’s programs and services and realizing the value of these free resources. I’m incredibly thankful that we can make a real, tangible difference in people’s lives.
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent, Duval County Public Schools
I am thankful that the community is beginning to understand that all students will have to receive a high-quality education in order for our community and nation to move forward and acknowledge that to reach our goals it will require a communitywide effort.
Roy Schleicher
Chief Commercial Officer, Jacksonville Port Authority
I am thankful that the cargo business has started to pick up so our customers will have better results and then Jaxport will realize additional business also.
Mac Brunson
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville
I am thankful that there seems to be a re-evaluation of what wealth really is.
Ron Barton
Executive Director, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
I am thankful for the elevated discussions on the revitalization of Downtown. If we can get more of our community leaders and everyday citizens to care about our Downtown and be committed to fund the efforts to achieve success, we have won half the battle.
Millie Kanyar
Realtor, Watson Realty Corp., Attorney, Affinity Law Firm
On the real estate side, I am most thankful for the increase in consumer confidence and the return of cash investors to our area. The record low interest rates available in the market today are giving folks an opportunity to take advantage of the current home values. The increase in investor purchases will hopefully increase the number of affordable homes in the area and help reduce the inventory.
Add to this the fact that we currently have the lowest new home inventory in the past 30 years, there is no doubt we will see continued improvement in our market.
On the legal side, I’m thankful for all the pro bono attorneys who are helping with foreclosure defense in our area. Those attorneys are doing a fantastic job and helping many families and thereby helping to stabilize communities in our area.
Melanie Messer
Director of Community and Donor Relations, Cathedral Arts Project
I am most thankful for the trend of mentoring, particularly those mentors who consistently give sacrificially of their time and offer wise counsel and encouragement, not for their own gain or recognition, but for the sake of their mentees’ growth and well-being.
Tommy Grimes
President, Grimes Logistics
I’m thankful for the people who work in our company. They have been creative, productive and loyal. It hasn’t been fun getting through this recession, but our people have exceeded every expectation.
Jeff Sheffield
Executive Director, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization
The North Florida community is recognizing the value of a balanced transportation network that includes not only roads, but buses, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, walking and cycling that contribute significantly to clean air and our quality of life.
Courtney Grimm
Partner, Bedell Firm
President, The Jacksonville Bar Association
I am thankful for the incredibly giving lawyers within this circuit who have unselfishly given their time not only to help members of our community but also to better our profession and improve public perception of the legal community.