by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Cindy Stover rang the bell to call the meeting of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville to order Monday at the Wyndham Hotel on the Southbank, her final meeting as the club’s 98th president.
Next week, Stover will pass the leadership of Florida’s first Rotary Club to Howard Dale, who will preside over the club’s centennial year.
One of Stover’s initiatives during her term as president was for the club’s members to know each other better. Monday, some club members were called on to share their insights about life and their careers.
Frances Bartlett Kinne, a past club president and Jacksonville University chancellor emeritus, said the best job she ever had was as president of JU. Kinne also shared her philosophy of life and told the club how she begins each day.
“I start the day by looking at myself in the mirror and laughing. You can’t take yourself too seriously,” said Kinne.
Howard Kelley recounted his two careers, each 22 years, first at TV-12 beginning in the 1960s and then at Sally Corp., from which he recently retired.
Kelley said when he became a television news reporter, he gave up a job in radio and took a cut in pay from $95 a week to $85. Twenty-two years later, he was the vice president and general manager of the station.
He worked for a past president of the club, Gert Schmidt. Kelley said Schmidt was one of the happiest men he ever met and had quite a story in his own right.
“He went from being a night clerk at the George Washington Hotel to president of the National Association of Broadcasters,” said Kelley.
When Kelley made the decision to leave television, his next job also came by way of a club past president, Prime Osborn.
Osborn discovered Sally Corp. when the company’s founder, John Holland, brought one of his robots to a club meeting. Osborn asked for a tour of the factory and later became an investor.
Kelley said Osborn came to his home one day to ask if he’d be interested in a new career.
“I’d like for you to take over this little company and see what you can do with it,” Osborn said to Kelley.
Allison Korman Shelton, director of media relations at Stellar, said the best job she ever had was when she was policy adviser for the late Sen. Jim King.
“I really miss him,” she said.
Richard Mueller, vice president and general manager of Evergreen Cemetery Association, said he has had many jobs over the years.
“I’ve fried food and I’ve worked on a garbage truck. I learned something from every job,” said Mueller.
Matt Kane, president of Greenshades Software Inc., said the best business advice he ever received was from Audrey Moran, former president and CEO of Sulzbacher Center.
“She told me you don’t find talent among people looking at want ads. You have to find talent and then poach it. Then you have to enjoy it while you’ve got it and be ready for the day when someone will poach it from you,” said Kane.
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