Bright Holidays - A Jacksonville, Florida Charity for Underprivileged Students and Families

Board of Directors

Bright Holidays' Board of Directors came together in July, 2006 and is comprised of the area business leaders and educators identified below. Bright Holidays plans to expand its Board in the coming months.

David Garrard

Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback, David Garrard, is the Co-Chairman of Bright Holidays’ 2007 fundraising campaign (learn more about David's Bright Holidays involvement at Jacksonville.com). Over the past six years, Garrard has shown his commitment to the children and families of our community in many ways. During the 2006 off-season, he visited youth camps across the country for kids suffering with Crohn's Disease, making stops in Rutledge, GA, Los Angeles, CA and Detroit, MI within a 10-day period. In 2005, he partnered with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America to help raise awareness for the disease. Having lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 14 years old, Garrard has served as local co-chair of the Race for the Cure to help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research, and worked with Baptist Cancer Institute to promote breast cancer education. In 2002, Garrard served as the Jaguars' spokesman for American Lung Association of Florida’s Unpuffables anti-tobacco program geared toward fifth-graders. In addition, Garrard makes frequent visits to the local children’s hospital and elementary schools, as well as supporting his team mates’ charitable interests. Before signing with the Jaguars, Garrard was graduated from East Carolina University and attended Southern Durham High, where he was a Prep Stars All-America choice and rated best quarterback in North Carolina. He now lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Mary, and their young son.

John Forrester

John Forrester, founder of Bright Holidays and currently the Chief Operating Officer at Load King Manufacturing, d/b/a LK Industries, has more than 25 years of sales, marketing and business development experience. Immediately prior to joining LK Industries in 2003, Mr. Forrester ran his own consulting practice where he helped several companies address critical commercial and communications issues. Mr. Forrester has also held senior management positions with CSX Transportation and Buildscape, an Internet start-up focused on the home building marketplace. Other work experience includes Mars Electronics, a wholly owned subsidiary of M&M/Mars Corp., KPMG Peat Marwick, Wang Laboratories and IBM. Mr. Forrester has also published several business articles and taught at the University of North Florida's Business School. He holds a BA in Mathematics/Russian Studies from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business.

Mr. Forrester is a former board chair and board member of the Otis Smith Kids Foundation which serves underprivileged children in the greater Jacksonville area. Earlier in his career, he campaigned for the United Way.

Charlie Chupp, Jr.

Charlie Chupp, Jr. is the third generation Chief Executive Officer of Load King Manufacturing Company. During the 15 years he has been with the company, he has held executive level positions in Sales, Marketing and Operations. Since becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2002, he has encircled the company with the principles of "Good to Great" and servant leadership and has had the privilege of working with an outstanding group of individuals to deliver high value services to clients worldwide. Today, Load King ranks as the number one supplier of turnkey store package systems in the United States.

Charlie is active in the community, serving on the board of directors for Compass Ministries, and River City Church. He holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Florida and attended the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Young Executives Institute.

T.J. Fraser

T.J. Fraser has been involved in many community organizations, including acting as a Director for the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, acting a Director for the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association, being a Program Director for the Holiday in January project (which provides gifts to children entering the Jacksonville foster care system during the month of December), and being involved with the "Back to School Jamboree" project (which provides school supplies to children that are underprivileged or in the foster care system). T.J. is the managing partner and one of the founding members of Reznicsek, Fraser & Hastings, P.A.. Prior to his current position, T.J. has been a member of the management team of several companies, and was formerly an associate at Rogers Towers, P.A. T.J. earned his B.A. (in economics) and his law degree from the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Editorial Board of University of Florida Law Review.

Karl Hanson, Jr.

Karl Hanson, Jr. is an attorney with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York City. He has been a commercial real estate lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida for 36 years. Mr. Hanson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (1968) and received his law degree from the University of Florida (1971). Mr. Hanson has served on numerous civic and charitable boards, including as a board chair and board member for the Otis Smith Kids Foundation.

Mr. Hanson is the former managing partner of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP. Prior to joining LeBoeuf he was a partner in the Jacksonville law firm Smith & Hulsey.

Melanie Jennings Husk

Melanie Jennings Husk, vice president of marketing for Baptist Health, has 28 years of experience in developing marketing communications solutions that has included working with clients such as AT&T, CSX, Marriott, Onyx North America and Siemens. A graphic designer by training, Husk graduated with honors from the University of North Florida, where recently, the College of Arts & Sciences named her an Outstanding Alumnus. In 2005, Husk became the first woman to receive the Silver Medalist Award from the Advertising Federation of America, North Florida Chapter, in recognition of her contributions to and accomplishments in the industry and the community.

Locally, Husk was selected as a Florida Times-Union EVE Award finalist, and as a Tribute to Women (TWIN) winner. In 2002, Husk Jennings (co-founded by Melanie Jennings in 1978) was recognized as Jacksonville's number-one ranked woman-owned business. Active in her community, Husk has served on the boards of various community organizations, including 12 years with Easter Seals in Jacksonville, which recognized her as the first individual outside of the medical profession to receive its Professional Advisor of the Year Award. Currently, she serves on the University of North Florida Foundation Board and is a member of the International Women’s Forum.

Sylvia McDonald Johnson

Sylvia Johnson, now in her 36th year as an educator, is Principal of Eugene J. Butler Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida. Sylvia has served on the Executive Boards of Leadership Jacksonville and the Children's Resiliency Project for Orphans of AIDS in South Africa. In addition, Sylvia is active in her church where she teaches a young adult Sunday-School class, leads the Women’s Ministry, and sings in the Mass Choir and the Women's Choir.

Sylvia was born April 10, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to Rev. & Mrs. Chester A. McDonald, Sr. She was educated in Alabama, Maryland, California, Germany, and Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from Howard University in 1971 and her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida in 1992. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.

Throughout her life, Sylvia has been recognized many times for her contribution and received many honors, including:

• University of North Florida Outstanding Alumnae Award (1992)
• Regional Outstanding Elementary Principal (1997)
• Member of Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society (1997)
• Florida Times-Union EVE Award Winner in Education (2000)
• True Bible Character Award from Truth for Living Ministries Seminary (2000)
• Member of Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2001
• Featured on the poster for the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women (2001)
• Mary Singleton Award for Education (2002)
• Nominated for Pi Theta Lambda Honor Society (2002)
• Living Through Giving Community Hospice Award (2006)

Betty Metz

Betty Metz is the Chairman of the School Advisory Council (SAC) for West Jacksonville Elementary School. In her seven years with the School, she has initiated programs for art enrichment with classroom discussions about famous paintings, rotating art galleries in the halls, a "Draw your Dreams" art packets for all students to take home for drawing and coloring in their free time and, 75 foot mural in the cafeteria which she painted with friends. Betty has worked with businesses, schools and organizations to collect almost 2,000 books that are given to the children for their home libraries. She has secured finding for the school’s field trips to the Zoo, St. Augustine, the Cummer Museum and other local attractions. She wrote a grant for the Cultural Council that created a Garden of Dreams on the school grounds, a source of inspiration, beauty and calm for the students and community. Mrs. Metz is also on SAC for Eugene Butler Middle School.

In addition to being a professional artist, Mrs. Metz is a Vice President of Markfirst, a wholesale industrial supply company, and Metz International, a public relations firm for major publishing houses. Previously, she was the Employment Manager for Westinghouse Financial Services Inc., and she has written and administered federal grants. Mrs. Metz is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

Bonnie Upright

Bonnie Upright, Executive Director of the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, oversees the strategic direction of the organization, as well as the programs and services it provides for underprivileged children in the Jacksonville area. Before becoming Executive Director, Bonnie served the Foundation as Community Development Director, managing all public relations activities, corporate and donor relations and volunteer activities. Other experience includes three years with Husk Jennings as a public relations account executive.

In addition to her work with the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, Bonnie is active in the community with several organizations. She is a graduate of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2005 and a Board member of Child Guidance Center. She also serves as immediate Past President of the North Florida Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and will serve as Chair of PRSA’s Sunshine District in 2008. As a volunteer, Bonnie has worked with many non-profit organizations including I.M. Sulzbacher Center, Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, and brAIDS.

Bonnie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Violetra C. Ward

Violetra C. Ward, currently in her sixth year as principal at Pine Estates Elementary, has served Duval County Public Schools for over twenty two years. Ms. Ward’s experience includes eight years as District Cadre with Professional Development, three of which she served as a visiting professor for the University of North Florida’s Excel Program for pre-service teachers. Ms. Ward went on to serve as a Design Coach for an America Choice School and then as Vice Principal for Pinedale Elementary. Ms. Ward also served as a Vice Principal at Chimney Lakes Elementary for two years. Throughout her career with the County Schools, Ms. Ward has implemented several innovative Safety Nets. She has also served the school and community to provide assistance for families in need through her collaboration with organizations such as the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, United Way, and now Bright Holidays.