7/18/25 @ 9:00 a.m. 

July is National Make a Difference to Children Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and encouraging positive actions that support our youth. During this month, people around the world are encouraged to come together to uplift the youngest members of our society.

By offering support, love, and resources, you can make a significant difference. You can do this by serving as a role model to a child you know, supporting organizations that help children, spending quality time with your own children, and promoting education and literacy. Another powerful way to support children is through volunteerism.

With that in mind, we want to take this opportunity to recognize a non-profit organization: Take Stock in Children — a Florida-based program that helps low-income, at-risk students break the cycle of poverty through education.

Founded in 1995, Take Stock in Children works to combat America’s persistent dropout rate by giving students the resources they need to graduate high school, attend college, earn a degree, and build successful futures. To date, the program has served more than 44,100 students, including:

• 8,000+ middle and high school students
• 7,000+ postsecondary scholars
• 10,319 mentors who have volunteered over 3 million mentoring hours, with an estimated value of more than $66 million
• $303 million in Florida Prepaid Foundation Project STARS College Scholarships awarded

Take Stock in Children has had 28 years of success in Nassau County alone, serving more than 800 students and awarding over $8 million in scholarships. Students in the program meet weekly with a caring mentor, receive personalized college support, and commit to a TSIC contract to maintain good attendance and grades, uphold a minimum GPA, attend college readiness programs, and remain drug- and crime-free.

Nassau County’s Take Stock in Children’s Executive Director, Robin Lentz, stated, “Take Stock Nassau has helped hundreds of local students break the cycle of poverty through mentoring, success coaching, and rewarding students’ hard work with four-year tuition and dorm scholarships.  We are grateful for the support we receive from the community from our volunteer mentors and generous donors”. 
​
Ms. Lentz invites anyone wishing to be a mentor to reach out to Take Stock in Children at (904) 432-8584.
Children need positive influences and mentors to help guide them, but not every child has someone like that in their life. Could you be the person they are missing? You might just be the one who helps guide a child to a bright and successful future.
​
Learn more today at https://www.takestockinchildren.org/.
 

7/18/25 @ 2:00 p.m. - Below are photos from the week of July 11 - July 18, 2025. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Communications Officer

7/16/25 @ 4:00 p.m. 
​ 
Please be advised that there will be nightly road closures on Chester Road, between Heron Isles Parkway and Starfish Lane, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., beginning August 4, 2025, and continuing through Friday, August 8, 2025.

This closure is necessary to replace a 19x30 stormwater culvert to enhance drainage in the area.
A traffic detour route has been established and is shown in the aerial map below. Traffic will be maintained in accordance with FDOT design standards throughout the project.

Work will be performed by Vallencourt Construction Company, Inc.

For questions or concerns, please contact:
Zach Brecht, Senior Project Manager
England-Thims & Miller, Inc.
Phone: (904) 328-7757
Email: [email protected]

We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we work to make these important improvements for the community.

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Communications Officer

7/17/25 @ 2:00 p.m.

At the July 16, 2025 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners received a presentation from Cassidy Taylor, Post Disaster Recovery Coordinator for the Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC), highlighting the Council’s recent completion of the Northeast Florida Shrimping Study.

The study, funded through a Community Planning & Technical Assistance Grant from Florida Commerce, focused on the coastal counties of Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler. It explored strategies to support small shrimping businesses, encourage sustainable practices, and strengthen the local food economy.

Ms. Taylor shared that seven regional meetings were held to engage shrimpers, community members, and industry experts, ensuring that the final recommendations addressed real-world needs. Key suggestions from the study include forming a regional cooperative, building a stronger shrimping brand, and expanding partnerships with workforce programs and public agencies.

Next, the NEFRC will work with community partners to bring these ideas to life and secure resources for future projects to help sustain this historic industry for generations to come.

​The final report can be found here. 
​
To hear the full presentation, click here. The presentation is listed under Tab B.

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Communications Officer

7/15/25 @ 9:00 a.m. - The Board of County Commissioners has scheduled a Budget Workshop for Monday, July 28, 2025, from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. for a presentation and discussion of the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 25/26, which begins October 1, 2025. The Board will also set the tentative millage rate and authorize electronic submission of the Truth in Millage (TRIM) forms to the State. 

The meeting will take place in the County’s Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.
 
The public is welcome to attend the meeting. Can’t attend in person? No problem! You can follow along from home at https://www.nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings/. Videos are also available following the conclusion of the meeting so you can watch anytime at your convenience.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Communications Officer
 

7/15/25 @ 9:15 a.m.

Commissioners Hupp Huppmann and Klynt Farmer recently completed their Advanced County Commissioner Level II Course, earning their ACC II designation from the Institute for County Government (IHG).
 
The ACC II designation signifies the commissioner's completion of the most senior level of a comprehensive leadership study program designed by ICG. 
 
Commissioner Hupp Huppmann was presented with his ACC II designation during an award ceremony at the Florida Association of Counties Conference in late June.  He stated, “I'm grateful to the Institute for County Government for offering this comprehensive Advanced Commissioner Leadership program.  Completing this program enables me to better serve the citizens of Nassau County with a detailed understanding of public service and government leadership.  The skillsets acquired through ACC II impart vital best practices to represent my district efficiently.”
 
Commissioner Klynt Farmer was unable to attend the conference but was still recognized for completing the program. He stated, “I graduated from the ACC Level I course in July 2024 and have found the training to be very beneficial in my position as County Commissioner. Level II takes Commissioners to the top of their leadership game. It’s been fantastic learning, collaborating, and sharing with other Commissioners from around the great State of Florida. I highly recommend this program.”
 
Only commissioners who have completed the Certified County Commissioner (CCC) and the Advanced County Commissioner Level I (ACC I) programs are eligible to pursue their ACC II designation. The ACC II program focuses on transforming counties and the state of Florida by producing strong, versatile leaders with the necessary tools to address challenges across multiple fields and governing bodies.
 
“Earning the ACC II designation is a significant accomplishment that reflects the completion of hours of rigorous coursework aimed at strengthening the leadership skills of county commissioners,” said Eric Poole, Executive Director of ICG. “What makes this achievement even more noteworthy is that all ICG courses are entirely voluntary, and these commissioners are choosing to participate solely out of their commitment to becoming better public servants.”
 
ACC II encourages commissioners to broaden and refine the skills they learned in previous education programs while promoting collaboration across all levels of government.
 
Alongside Commissioners Huppmann and Farmer, 10 commissioners earned the ACC II designation at the award ceremony and are the sixth class of graduates to complete the program. 
 
ACC II is made possible through a continuing partnership with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension. 
 
To learn more about ICG and the ACC II designation, please visit www.flicg.org.
 
-Sabrina Robertson
 Communications Officer 

7/15/25 @ 6:00 a.m. - For this week's Turtle Talk Tuesday, we're sharing 10 tremendous turtle facts provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

1. Green sea turtles are what they eat. They are primarily herbivores, eating mostly seagrasses and algae. This diet gives their cartilage and fat their greenish color. This is how they got their name. 
2. Sea turtles typically lay around 100-135 eggs per nest, which are dug using their rear flippers. The group of eggs is called a clutch. 
3. Sand temperature is important. The sex of sea turtles (and many other turtles) is determined by the temperature in the nest. Cooler incubation temperatures produce male hatchlings, and warmer incubation temperatures produce female hatchlings. Temperatures that fluctuate between the two extremes will produce a mix of male and female hatchlings.
4. Hawksbill turtles use their beaks to help extract their favorite prey. Hawksbill turtles are typically found on coral reefs and love to eat sponges. Their sharp beak enables them to reach into small crevices in coral reefs to find the sponges. 
5. One sea turtle species nests during the day.  While most sea turtles nest at night, Kemp's ridleys are the only sea turtle species that routinely nest during the day. 
6. Leatherback sea turtles have existed since the age of dinosaurs. They swim more than 10,000 miles per year and are accomplished divers who swim at depths lower than most marine animals. They have spiny papillae in their mouth and spines that allow them to trap and eat jellyfish. 
7. Loggerheads spend the first 7 to 15 years of their lives in the open ocean. Through satellite tracking, researchers found that loggerheads have a high migratory life stage. However, they migrate towards the coast as they grow and mature.
8. Sea turtles don't retract into their shells.  Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles cannot retract their heads or flippers into their shells. 
9. Some turtles nest in large groups called arribadas. Many turtles come together offshore and lay many nests to hatch at the same time. This reduces the number of eggs and hatchlings that can be killed by predators. 
10. Sea turtles are deep divers and can stay underwater for long periods of time. They can remain submerged for hours and can even sleep underwater. 

​
Want to learn more about sea turtles or other types of marine life? Visit fisheries.noaa.gov. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Communications Officer