TThe Florida Commission on the Status of Women met to conduct business during their 3rd Quarterly meeting on September 11, 2007 in St. Augustine, FL. The Commission was addressed by Dr. Pricilla Berry of Jacksonville University, Davis College of Business and the Jacksonville Major’s Commission on the Status of Women. Following the meeting, the Commission held a ceremony and reception to honor two outstanding women for their work in improving the lives of women and families in their Northwest Florida communities. Tanya Austin and Sandra Thompson were awarded the FCSW Florida Achievement Award from the Commission and received a congratulatory letter for their dedication to Florida’s women and families from Governor Charlie Crist.

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is a nonpartisan board, statutorily created in 1991 consisting of 22 appointed members, administratively housed in the Office of the Attorney General, Bill McCollum. The Commission is dedicated to empowering women in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

The 2007 4th Quarterly meeting of the Commission and next FCSW Florida Achievement Awards ceremony will be held in Tallahassee, FL on November 16, 2007. All meetings of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women are open to the public.

Tanya Austin is a woman who is committed to serving women and youth in her community. She generously volunteers her time to the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where she assists with the ACT-SO program, which is a major youth initiative of the NAACP and “WIN” (Women Involved in NAACP). Tanya volunteers with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and is a parent Advisor to the B.R.A.T.S. (Brilliant, Responsible, Alert, Talented, Scholars) program, where she coordinates a food and book drive for the homeless and assists with many other outreach initiatives. Tanya has also served as a volunteer for the Teen Parents Program where she taught teenagers how to care for their babies and encouraged them to stay in school. In addition to the countless hours of volunteer work Tanya devotes to her community, she is also an entrepreneur with her own catering business and proud mother to a 16 year old son, who recently was awarded the “2007 Nestle Very Best in Youth Award” due to his numerous hours of volunteer service. Tanya is a tireless community leader and has received the “Alpha Kappa Alpha Service Award” and the “Unsung Hero” Award from the Jacksonville Free Press and Publix Super Market for July 2007.

Sandra Thompson is a dedicated community volunteer who has served countless hours to improve the lives of women and youth her community. Sandra serves as Secretary for the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She is the State Coordinator for ACT-SO, a major youth initiative of the NAACP and serves as a mentor and coach to promote academic and artistic excellence among African-American high school students. She is also a Coordinator of “WIN” (Women Involved in NAACP). Sandra is a Youth Coordinator at the West Union Baptist Church where she mentors to youth, assists with fundraisers and promotes cultural enrichment for young people. She is actively involved in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gamma Rho Omega Chapter, where she chairs the Education Committee and its many outreach initiatives. She is also a volunteer with Links, Inc., Bold City Chapter through which she supported a “SIDS” (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Conference in Jacksonville and distributed SIDS Kits to day care centers in an effort to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of SIDS. In addition, Sandra also served as a Coordinator for the Duval County School District Teen Parents Program where she mentored and inspired student to get their lives back on track. Sandra has been recognized by former Governor Bush for her work with the Teen Parents Program, she has received the Rutledge H. Pearson Service Award, Iris Knox Durham Service to Youth Award, and the NAACP State Recognition for service to ACT-SO.