Off Center Pottery Announces January Workshops
JANUARY
Make a Planter
Final meeting of three- session classes will reveal finished fired work and include a group discussion of the results before taking pieces home.
Get Started in Clay by Appointment
Virtual Skywarn Storm Spotter Class to be Held January 27, Registration Required
December 31, 2024 – Flagler County Emergency Management is facilitating the National Weather Service’s free, and virtual, Skywarn Storm Spotter class from 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday, January 27, from the comfort of anywhere participants wish to be.
A seasoned meteorologist with the National Weather Service will teach the class.
The Skywarn Storm Spotter class will provide participants with the knowledge to become a part of a nationwide network of volunteers who support local emergency management and the National Weather Service by recognizing and reporting severe weather. Well-trained volunteers help improve weather reports, which allows Emergency Management to better prepare for weather events and protect the Flagler community.
Students will learn about storm formation and structure, as well as how to identify and report severe weather.
To register for the Skywarn Storm Spotter class to secure a spot, go to: www.FlaglerCounty.gov/emergency and click on Volunteering & Training where there is the link to register.
Emergency Management encourages residents to stay informed about significant weather and other emergencies by signing up for the free ALERTFlagler service at http://www.FlaglerCounty.gov/ALERTFlagler.
To stay up to date with the latest information from Flagler County Emergency Management, visit www.FlaglerCounty.gov/emergency and by liking and following FlaglerEOC on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).
Follow Flagler County Government on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FlaglerCountyGovernment.
New Year Sizzle: Experience Tango Apasionado at The Fitz January 9
Start your 2025 mesmerized.
Experience a show unlike any others to grace the stage at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center as they welcome Tango Apasionado on January 9th. If trying something new is on your list of new year’s resolutions, come get inspired!
ABOUT THE SHOW
PointeTango is a unique, “one-of-a-kind” dance company directed by choreographer and dancer, Alexander Richardson and created with lead dancer, Erin Scott-Kafadar. By pushing new boundaries in dance, PointeTango combines the intimacy of Argentine tango with the precision of classical ballet, creating a new dance vocabulary that is both intimate and bold.
Pointe-Tango emerged from the question: ‘What happens when classical ballet meets Argentine tango?’ Having trained and worked in both disciplines of classical ballet and Argentine tango extensively, Erin and Alexander challenged themselves to develop a new dance vocabulary of “pointetango” that respects the codes and connection of the Argentine tango “abrazo” (embrace) while searching for new solutions and opportunities to the challenges encountered when transitioning from heels to pointe shoes. PointeTango is the only dance company in the world to dance authentic, improvised Argentine tango on pointe shoes.
IF YOU GO
SHOW: Tango Apasionado
DATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025 AT 7 PM
LOCATION: FITZGERALD PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 5500 HWY 100, PALM COAST
TICKETS: Tango Apasionado Tickets | Palm Coast, FL | The Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center
Flagler Beach Welcomes New Year with Surfboard Drop and Fireworks Spectacular
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – It’s grown steadily over the past few years and this year residents and visitors turned out to see the surfboard wrapped in colorful lights and suspended in the air by the Flagler Beach Fire Department drop at the stroke of midnight.
Filling Veterans Park excited revelers partied and danced, snapping photos with the oversized 2025 and surfboard before the big moment while DJ Vern Shank, owner of Pyramid DJs and founder of Surf 97.3 FM kept the vibe going with high energy dance music.
Not a spot could be found along the boardwalk either as locals lined the shore ready for a fireworks show. And they were not disappointed. A truly spectacular display of fireworks were launched from the pier, illuminating the 2025 with backlighting and showcasing the iconic A-frame, making for excellent commemorative photos.
Revelers were glad to see fireworks back in Flagler Beach, nabbing front row seats at area hot spots like Tortugas Florida Kitchen and Bar and Finn’s.
Happy New Year: AdventHealth Welcomes First Baby Born in 2025
TAVARES, Fla., Jan. 1, 2025— AdventHealth has delivered Central Florida’s first baby of the new year. We are happy to welcome baby boy Travis Michael Morgan, Central Florida’s first baby of 2025.
Mom Ashley Morgan and dad Allen Morgan, who reside in Leesburg, Florida, celebrated the new year by welcoming their newborn who weighs 7 pounds, 9 ounces and is 20 inches long. Travis was born at 12:00 a.m. at AdventHealth Waterman.
Media Release: AdventHealth Central Florida Division.
SJC Clerk and County Comptroller Returns to Office After U.S. Navy Deployment
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., December 30, 2024 — St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller, Brandon J. Patty, ended his leave of absence and resumed his duties today following his demobilization from the U.S. Navy this weekend.
“I’m thrilled to be back home and excited to serve our residents again,” said Clerk Brandon Patty. “The office over the past seven months did an outstanding job meeting our mission and keeping operations running smoothly—they’ve truly been exceptional. While I am excited to rejoin our team, I am also keeping those brave men and women serving here and abroad in mind. They are true heroes who are under threat one way or another. God bless them and their willingness to stand in harm’s way for us.”
In December 2023, Clerk Patty received official notification of his selection for involuntary mobilization in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. In accordance with Florida Statutes (Chapter 115.02), he submitted a leave of absence request to Governor Ron DeSantis, which was approved. His deployment concluded on December 29, 2024.
On Jan. 7, 2025, Clerk Patty will also take the oath of office to begin his next four-year term as St. Johns County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
Media Release: St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Leadership Lessons with Dr. Saviak … The Most Important Job Of A Leader
A critical responsibility of leaders is people development. It may be the single most important activity of leaders who are always thinking about and planning for the future.
Supervisors, managers, and executives should continuously model, message, teach, and train others to serve as successful leaders now and in the future. Leaders are coaches, mentors, and role models. They can leave a profound and lasting impact on others influencing them and the organization for years and decades after they retire.
In a healthy and successful entity, much of organizational life does not require changing on a regular basis. For example, most policies and procedures do not need to be rewritten by the leadership each month or even every year. This frees up leaders to invest their time and themselves in the positive professional growth and leadership development of others. In fact, much of the workday of a leader should be spent coaching others. If it is not, leaders should ask themselves and each other why not?
Helping a new member of the team grow to the point when they can effectively handle a leadership role is a lengthy process. People are not born leaders. It takes specific types of thinking and behaviors acquired over a lengthy period of time. Many lessons in communication, coordination, motivation, analysis, problem-solving, teamwork, culture, vision, mission, goals, objectives, organization, planning, and alignment take time to teach. Sharpening specific skills such as research, writing, and presentation occurs through repetition and improvement over years.
Successful leaders enjoy aiding others to be their best. They see who the person can be sometimes even before their mentee can recognize it. They work to fulfill that vision of the person optimizing their talents for the greatest contribution in serving others as a leader. They find that assisting others to excel as leaders is highly rewarding. As Maxwell notes, they especially enjoy seeing their mentees now become mentors.
They create and sustain a culture of people development. They see contributing to the success of others as their success. They foster this perspective throughout the organization.
Leaders are not the most intelligent, longest serving, credentialed, or charismatic individuals in the organization. They do have a drive for coaching and mentoring others to be the leaders we all would want to have. If working to make sure members of the team can give others the greatest benefit of their abilities appeals to you, then leadership might be the right role (Abrashoff, 2002; Blanchard, 2011; Drucker, 2001; Grant, 2017; Kotter, 2012; Lencioni, 2012; Maxwell, 1998; Welch, 2005).
#LeadershipLessonswithDrSaviak
Flagler Republican Executive Committee Elects New Board, Re-Elects Mitrano As Chair
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Every election cycle brings out the grumblers in the party but after the Trump-Vance win in November things looked pretty solid for Flagler County Republican Executive Committee Chair Perry Mitrano.
Re-elected to serve a second term as Party Chairman, Mitrano’s calm demeanor and trusted, steady hand are what members are looking for in Flagler County after a number of tumultuous years. Adding several new faces to the REC lineup, he’s looking forward to continuing to build the party apparatus in preparation for the 2026 Gubernatorial race.
“As the recently re-elected Flagler County Republican Executive Committee Chairman it is my honor to serve Republicans here in the county and support the Republican Party agenda,” said Mitrano.
He has housekeeping on his agenda and a determination to establish the local party as a model for the Republican Party of Florida.
“I have time to reestablish some in-house housekeeping, bringing the RCREC into the 21st century, streamlining, if possible,” he said, in addition to building robust subcommittees for “engagement in the community and building strong committees to provide service.”
The Flagler County Republican Executive Committee is chartered under the Republican Party of Florida. The FCREC is made up of volunteers from their respective precincts in Flagler County, representing their section of the community and serving as support and outreach during elections. The Flagler County Republican Executive Committee works in tandem with the Flagler County Republican Club to support candidates and engage Republicans in the community throughout the year.
For more information visit www.FlaglerGOP.com.
Flagler Tiger Bay Club Announces AdventHealth East Florida Division CEO to Open 2025 Speaker Series
Event title: January 22nd Luncheon Meeting with Dr. Audrey Gregory
President and CEO of AdventHealth’s East Florida Division
When:
**Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
**Important note: This is the 4th Wednesday
Location:
Hammock Dunes Club, 30 Ave Royale, Palm Coast, FL 32137
Event cost for members: $35
Event cost for guests: $40
Meal Choices:
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Chicken Champignon w Mustard-Shallot Sauce
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Honey-Lime Grilled Mahi Mahi
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Chef’s Choice Vegetarian Meal
Event Topic: Navigating Workforce Challenges: Building the Next Generation of Health Care Professionals
Overview: A deep dive into workforce trends, challenges in staffing, and how organizations like AdventHealth are addressing them.
Key Points:
Strategies for recruiting and retaining top talent in a competitive health care market.
Education partnerships with local schools and universities to create a pipeline of future health care workers.
The role of innovative programs, like virtual nurses and simulation centers, in reducing workload and enhancing skills.
About Our Speaker
Audrey Gregory, Ph.D., R.N., is an accomplished leader serving as Executive Vice President and CEO for the AdventHealth East Florida Division. She also serves as a member of AdventHealth’s Executive Cabinet for the organization.
In her role, Dr. Gregory oversees the strategic development and execution of key initiatives for the area’s largest hospital system, encompassing a growing network of care and seven hospitals across Flagler, northern Lake, St. Johns, southern Sumter and Volusia counties. Additionally, the AdventHealth East Florida Division employs more than 11,000 team members – including a group of nearly 400 physicians and advanced practitioners across 30 medical specialties in 70 practice locations.
Dr. Gregory’s career spans more than 30 years, with over 20 years of experience as a health care executive and a decade as a trauma and emergency room registered nurse. Entering the health care industry as a clinician deeply influenced her and she continues to be passionate about nursing education and growth.
Dr. Gregory has served in progressive leadership roles in health care organizations across the country, including Memphis, Detroit, and Southern California. She joined AdventHealth in September 2021 and under her leadership, AdventHealth:
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Opened a $45.7 million surgery center and medical office building and launched a $220 million expansion project in Daytona Beach
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Opened the organization’s northernmost hospital in Florida (AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway) to serve the fast-growing Flagler County community.
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Recognized by Modern Healthcare as an Innovator for addressing nursing challenges
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Led the organization’s first cohort in the $660 million transition to the Epic electronic health records system.
Her leadership and contributions have been widely recognized nationally, including:
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Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Minority Leaders in Healthcare (2020)
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Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders (2022)
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Becker’s Hospital Review’s Black Healthcare Leaders to Know (2023 & 2024)
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Becker’s Hospital Review’s Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know (2024)
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Lynn University’s Distinguished Alumni Award (2023)
Dr. Gregory earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus in Savannah, Georgia. In 2011, she completed her doctorate in global leadership from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.
Within the health care industry, Dr. Gregory serves as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, which has a mission to advance leaders and the field of health care leadership excellence. She also serves as a member of the American Hospital Association/Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) Black Women CEO Roundtable.
She previously served on the Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s board of trustees and was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities.
City of Palm Coast Launches New ADA Functionality on Website to Enhance Accessibility for All
Palm Coast – The City of Palm Coast has implemented a new ADA (Americans with Disabilities) Widget on its official website, palmcoast.gov, designed to improve accessibility and inclusivity for all users. This feature provides a variety of tools to enhance the online experience for individuals with different accessibility needs.
ADA is a landmark law that ensures people with disabilities have equal access to public spaces, services, and information. This new functionality on the City’s website reflects Palm Coast’s ongoing commitment to providing equal access to all residents and visitors, regardless of ability.
“This new ADA functionality is a significant milestone in ensuring everyone has equal access to essential City information,” said Doug Akins, Palm Coast’s Information Technology Director. “I want to thank our I.T. Department for their dedication and hard work in improving services for all residents. Their innovative solutions and relentless efforts are creating meaningful changes that truly benefit our community.”
Key Features of the ADA Widget:
- Font: Choose a clear, easy-to-read font for improved readability.
- Font Size: Adjust the text size to personal preference.
- Text Spacing: Modify spacing for better clarity and comprehension.
- Cursor Size: Increase the cursor size for easier navigation.
- Contrast: Adjust screen colors for enhanced visibility.
- Highlight Elements: Make buttons and links stand out for smoother navigation.
- CSS: Apply custom styles for a more intuitive page layout.
- Focus: Highlight active sections to maintain orientation on the page.
- Animations: Turn off animations and videos to reduce distractions.
- Audio: Control audio settings for a personalized experience.
- Hide Images: Switch to a text-only format by removing images.
- Alternative Text: View descriptions for images when hovering over them.
These features reflect Palm Coast’s commitment to making its digital services accessible to all, including those with disabilities. The City will continue to monitor and improve the site’s accessibility to ensure it meets the community’s needs.
The ADA Widget is part of the City’s broader efforts to provide equitable access to online information and services. Residents and visitors are invited to explore the new features and share feedback to help the City further enhance the website.
If you require ADA accommodation to participate in any City of Palm Coast events or activities, please contact Virginia Smith at 386-986-2570 or by email at vsmith@palmcoastgov.com. We are committed to ensuring accessibility for all residents and look forward to assisting you.
Stay informed with the latest news and information from the City of Palm Coast by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You can sign up for weekly updates by visiting www.palmcoastgov.com/government/city-manager/week-in-review
