Helping Families Ensure Their Children Enter School Ready to Learn

2020 Children’s Champion Honorees

Peggy Bryan

 

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Peggy is known for her commitment to civic engagement, combining her vision, initiative, strategic planning and tireless hard work to support important causes. Examples of Peggy’s legacy of service abound, including Leadership Jacksonville, PACE Center for Girls, Youth Leadership Jacksonville, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, Greenscape of Jacksonville, Waste Not, Want Not, Metro board of the YMCA and its charter school Tiger Academy, and Gateway, Steps to Recovery. Peggy comes by her passion for service naturally, as her father was one of the founders of Gateway Services and she created Serenity Park, a tree-lined and hope-filled park for the staff and residents in his honor. She has been honored Philanthropist of the Year with her husband, J.F. as well as with the EVE Lifetime Achievement Award.

Martha Baker

Martha is a community volunteer who is actively involved in philanthropy and leadership of numerous organizations. She currently serves as the Chair of the board of The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida and as a trustee of The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, The Baptist Health Foundation, the WJCT Foundation, Renewing Dignity, Florida House and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, of which she is the immediate past-chair. Martha is also a co-founder of the Beaches Community Fund and co-chaired the Women’s Collective Giving Network’s 2017 National Leadership Forum. She is a founding member of the Women’s Giving Alliance, a member of the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital and a Christ Episcopal Church Foundation Trustee Emeritus. In the past, she has been a trustee of the Bolles School, MOSH, MOCA, Beaches Habitat for Humanity Advisory and the Episcopal Children’s Services Foundation. A native of North Carolina, she is a graduate of Davidson College (BA) and Duke University (AM). Martha is married to Tom and they have three grown children.

Julia “JuJu” Taylor

Julia, a Jacksonville native, has spent her adult years as an advocate for women, girls and children. She currently is a Trustee of the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and serves on the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center Leadership Council. A sample of past community involvement includes: a founding member and President of The Women’s Giving Alliance; President, Sulzbacher Center; Chair, Barnabas, Inc., and its Endowment Campaign; President of the Junior League of Jacksonville and Vice President of The Association of Junior Leagues International; and Chair of the Guardian ad Litem Board, 4th Judicial Circuit. She is a former graduate of Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida. Among her recognitions are the EVE Award for Community Service; the OneJax Humanitarian Award, the Women of Distinction Award (Girl Scouts), the Tillie K. Fowler Award for Community Service; and the 2019 Outstanding Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Julia and her husband John have two married sons and two grandchildren.

 

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