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Lunch With Ernest

Home again, she seeks out ways to help those in need

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published July 14, 2006

Kerri McDougald spent nearly two decades building an insurance business before she decided six years ago to return to Brandon, where she spent her formative years at McLane Junior High, Brandon High and Nativity Catholic Church.

Kerri didn't bring just business savvy back to Brandon; she brought a giving heart. Now she juggles three businesses - an insurance agency, a mortgage company and an event planning company - while helping a number of nonprofit organizations. She serves as a member of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce board of directors, is a past member of the Leadership Brandon board and remains active in Brandon '86 Rotary.

During Sunday's Sudan Relief Jam concert at Skipper's Smokehouse, we talked about her business ventures, charitable efforts and a nonprofit she would like to start.

Pull up a chair and join us. ERNEST: What drives you to be so charity-oriented and community-oriented?

KERRI: Because there's a need. With the prior generations, there were people who did VFW work or did Rotary work or Kiwanis work and everything else, but look at the Jaycees. They were big when I was growing up in Brandon, and they hardly exist any more. In the 1980s, people started thinking more about themselves. Social organizations saw a downturn in membership. It's all about what you give back.

It sounds like charity is a real passion for you.

If I'm on my deathbed tomorrow, and someone says to me, If I give you a week, what are you going to do? Well, it wouldn't be working. It would be spending time with my family and giving back. If I can affect one person, if I can make one person's life better, it'll have a ripple effect on their children and their grandchildren. I would be lucky if I could impact three people in my whole life. That's the reason to be here.

I understand you're interested in starting a charity organization.

You've already talked to some other potential supporters. You're serious about this, aren't you?

I want something like it, but every other foundation has payroll, buildings. I do not want an organization or a foundation. I don't want to pay salaries. I just want to be able to help people. Don't get me wrong, I like helping other organizations, but I want every dollar to go towards helping people.

I've been blessed. My kids are alive, my grandkids are alive, but I had a best friend whose daughter died in a car accident. I know how it hurts. If I can give a family with a dying child more time and more ways to create memories, it would be great.

How do you balance your time between your businesses and your charities?

I spend half my time with the businesses and the other half doing charity work. If I worked full time with the businesses, I would probably make a lot more money.

You and Ellany Noriega are partners in your third business, an event-planning business. Tell me about it.

What we've done is give all the money back to charity. We have not made any money for ourselves when we've partnered with charities. We want to help our kids understand they need to give back.

Your other passion is traveling. Tell me about going to China in March.

I didn't think I was going to like Beijing when I flew in because there were huge office buildings, big skyscrapers and construction seven days a week. There is a smaller Beijing, however. It's almost like an Ybor City Beijing. It's all around the Hutan village. I went to a lot of Buddhist temples, and the Buddhist (events) are hugely attended by the young people. The older people kind of grew up outside of the religion because of the politics, but the kids all got into it and they sing and chant all day long. Beijing is amazing.

You and your husband, Rick, went to Brandon High together, but you didn't get married until you were 30. What happened?

He was shy when we were in high school. I dated his best friend. We ran into each other when we were both 30 at a friend's birthday party who was from Brandon, and got married three weeks later. It was 8/8/88 at 8 p.m. in Ybor City.

I guess he had waited the proper amount of time, because you have to wait before you can date your friend's ex-girlfriend.

He had to, and he did. He didn't even get married. He waited for the best, honey.

DESSERT: A postscript from Ernest

Kerri says her husband and younger daughter Chelsea make it possible for her to do so much charity work. Her other daughter, Erin, lives in Kansas, where she raises three children: Dakota, Madison and Aidan. One goal Kerri hasn't accomplished is to quit smoking, but she's hopeful. She also hopes to travel to Italy and Greece, two of the few European countries she hasn't visited. When it comes to the afterlife, Kerri believes reincarnation may be a possibility, but for now, she says, "I'm trying to get it right the first time."

Lunch with Ernest is edited for brevity and clarity. Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Times' Tampa & State section. He can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com.

[Last modified July 13, 2006, 13:40:39]