Advocate for women stays close to home

By JEAN HAYES, Times Staff Writer
Published February 2, 2008

DATE TO RUN HAS CHANGED

How long have you lived in Hernando County, and where do you live? Where did you live previously?

In the early '80s, my dad and I built a house in Spring Hill at night and on the weekends. We were only the second house on the little street just off Mariner Boulevard; it was a quiet place. We moved in the summer of 1982, just after I graduated high school.

I married Jeffrey in 1985 and we remained in Spring Hill while I commuted to college in St. Pete. We stayed here until 1988, moving briefly to Citrus County and then Marion County. We came back here to raise our family 13 years ago. Even when I lived out of Hernando County, I worked most of those years here. I just couldn't break away from this place.

Who are the members of your family?

My husband, Jeffrey, and I have been married 22 years. Our oldest, Jodi, is currently studying veterinary medicine in Tampa, and our youngest, Sara, is studying elementary education in Pasco. They both graduated with high honors from Central High School.

Our four-legged family members have dwindled in numbers since the girls graduated, but Bud is our spoiled Jack Russell/chihuahua mix, and Peanut is our large, playful Lab/shepherd mix. Daffy is a lazy, fat cat that misses the girls terribly, and there is an assortment of other things living in our back yard.

I have two sisters with their families in Spring Hill. My mom and sister live in Clermont, and I have a brother who lives in Arizona with his family.

Tell us about your career.

I graduated from Eckerd College in 1986 with a degree in psychology. Our daughter was born just a few months later, and I hit the road looking for a job in which I could utilize my degree and feed my baby. In October of that same year, I opened the doors to the Hernando County Rape Crisis/Spouse Abuse Center, which later became the Dawn Center. I spent 10 years there as counselor, administrator, grants writer, crisis intervention coordinator, court advocate, expert testifier, fundraiser, public speaker and more. I was very proud of our 21-bed shelter, multifaceted intervention programs and outstanding court advocacy program when I left in October 1996.

I spent a brief time working with youth in Tampa, and I have been the 4-H youth development agent for Hernando County nine years this January. Any way you look at it, I have been in education, administration and fundraising since 1986.

What I like most about being the 4-H agent is that I have the opportunity to meet and interact with children from all walks of life. They are fascinating and have so much to offer. We are often caught up in our jobs, paying our bills and doing the adult things in life that we don't stop and listen to the kids. They have wonderful, creative minds, and they are so ready to learn and experience.

What kinds of activities are you involved in now?

I started bowling as a teenager, and we introduced our children to it when they were 2 and 4 years of age. I continue to bowl with my children; they come in from college to spend that time with me. They far exceed me in scores, and they have earned quite a bit of scholarship money with their talents, but they let me act as their team handicap. That's the extent of my free time. I enjoy working with Junior Achievement, bringing their educational programs into the classroom jointly with our 4-H programs.

Do you have any special hobbies?

I love jigsaw puzzles. I love a good challenge, and some word puzzles are great, but a jigsaw puzzle about 1,500 pieces is my ideal. I have one set up on my "puzzle" table most of the time (except when training puppies), and I can sit for a few minutes or hours just working on it, seeing what beautiful picture develops. I love a challenge: a puzzle of all marbles, all Hershey kisses or a field of similar flowers. When I'm done, I like to seal up the box and pass it on to another puzzle enthusiast and, hopefully, get some in return.

What are your favorite things to do in Hernando County?

Bowl with my girls. We love the people at Spring Hill Lanes. My husband and I love to spread our money around to the area restaurants. Not much for cooking, we enjoy the variety of foods and atmospheres to choose from.

What do you think would make Hernando County a better place to live?

Open that dog park. We would love to have more places to take our furry friends and meet other pet lovers.

I, personally, would like to see more cooperation between Brooksville and Spring Hill. So often we are challenged to find a location for a program that would attract both those from the beach (west) side and those from the south side of the county. It just seems like the people stay separate and the kids do not get to see what it's like on the other side of the county.

It is also my personal belief that all our schools should think of themselves as "magnet level," and people should not think their children have "lost out" because they did not get into a particular building. Every teacher should see the gifts in every student and help develop them.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.

I am a coupon cutter. I love to teach kids smart shopping techniques and consumer savvy. I can save $20 to $30 every time I go food shopping if I have done my homework. We put that savings into a special "account" and have used it for vacations, special buys and some unexpected needs.

Hernando Neighbors is an occasional feature of the Hernando Times. Do you know someone who would make a good profile? We'd like to hear from you. Contact Jean Hayes, community news coordinator, at jhayes@sptimes.com or 848-1438.

[Last modified February 1, 2008, 20:44:17]