Name: Matt Spohrer
Age: 28
Family: Living with my girlfriend, Patti Ihara.
Pets: Buddy the dog and Beverly the cat.
Education: Undergrad at FSU and law school at Florida Coastal.
Admitted to the Bar: 2009
Employed by: Spohrer & Dodd
Field of practice: Personal injury
Professional Organizations: Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice, The Jacksonville Bar Association.
Community Involvement: HandsOn Jacksonville’s Blueprint for Leadership.
How did you get involved?
I heard about Blueprint from my co-workers and past participants Jay Howanitz and Galen Bauer. It’s a training course on how to work within a nonprofit, with an emphasis on being an effective board member. Participants meet one day a month for six months and then set up a project to help a local nonprofit. My group finished our course by renovating the Family Nurturing Center of Florida. Blueprint opened the door to an internship helping the board of The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
How can someone else get involved?
Contact Lynn Mora at HandsOn Jacksonville. It is a great organization. The city is lucky to have it.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
I learned about the day-to-day work of nonprofits and the importance of good board members. I think strong and self-sufficient nonprofits will be increasingly important in the coming years.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
“On the Road” by Jack Kerouac.