7/18/24 @ 4:45 p.m. - On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-028 designating the week of July 27 - August 4, 2024 as "Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week."

This is an annual celebration of the living legacy of Gullah/Geechee history, heritage and culture. The Gullah/Geechees have an extensive history in Nassau County that includes both the enslavement and self-determination of the GUllah/Geechee people through the history of Amelia Island, Old Town, Yulee, Nassauville, Franklintown, and American Beach. 

To learn more about the Gullah/Geechees, please click here. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

6/18/24 @ 1:45 p.m. - Congratulations to the Prince Chapel African Methodist Church on their 134th Anniversary. This church was established in 1897 by Reverend Prince Albert who dreamed of a wooden tabernacle for African Americans to worship in spirit and truth. While the original facility was lost to hurricane damage in 1953 and again in 1985 from a fire, a new facility was built in 1987 after Brother Charles Albert, Sr. and wife Pearl Albert Blue donated funds and two acres of land on Hendricks Road for Prince Chapel AME Church in Nassauville. 

The Prince Chapel Family began worshipping in the new facility on October 13, 1996 and the church was officially dedicated on August 2, 1997. On Sunday, April 28, 2024, the congregation held an Anniversary Celebration where past members, as well as the community came together to celebrate 134 years of service. The Board of County Commissioners celebrated this milestone with them by presenting Proclamation No. 2024-026 at the June 10, 2024 meeting. The Board congratulates the Prince Chapel AME Church and wishes them many more years of success and service to their community. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

5/20/24 @ 4:45 p.m. - At the Wednesday, May 15 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-025 proclaiming the week of May 19-May 25, 2024 as "Emergency Medical Services Week" in Nassau County, Florida. Representatives from Nassau County Fire Rescue and the City of Fernandina Beach Fire Department were in attendance. 

Emergency Medical Services is a vital public service. Members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury as they fill the gap by providing important, out-of-hospital care. Emergency medical services consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, pre-hospital nurses, emergency nurses, emergency physicians, trained members of the public, and other out of hospital medical care providers. 

Please join us in celebrating Emergency Medical Services Week by recognizing the value and accomplishments of emergency medical providers across the Country, and here in Nassau County.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

5/14/24 @ 1:15 p.m. - At the Monday, May 13, 2024 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-022 declaring May 12 - May 18, 2024 as National Police Week and Wednesday, May 15, 2024 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. 

May 15 was designated by Presidential Proclamation in 1962 by President John F. Kenney, as Peace Officer Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as National Police Week, to honor those who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. 

There are currently more than 800,000 law enforcement officers serving in communities across the U.S., including local agencies such as the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and the Fernandina Beach Police Department. Since the first recorded death in 1786, there have been 26,567 law enforcement officers in the U.S. who made the ultimate sacrifice and were killed in the line of duty. In 2023, 282 new names of fallen heroes were added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, including 118 killed in 2023. 

To date, Nassau County has suffered the loss of thirteen (13) Law Enforcement Officers, heroes who have fallen in the line of duty, including 8 from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, 1 from the City of Fernandina Beach, 1 Florida Highway Patrol Officer, 2 from the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Law Enforcement, and 1 Hilliard Constable. 

We appreciate the hard work and dedication of Law Enforcement Officers for safeguarding life and property in Nassau County and protecting us against violence and disorder. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

4/26/24 @ 1:15 p.m. - At the Monday, April 22, 2024 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-021 proclaiming May 2024 as Lupus Awareness Month in Nassau County, Florida. 

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that can cause severe damage to the tissue and organs of the body, and in some cases can cause death. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans, and at least 5 million people worldwide, suffer from the devasting effecs of this cruel and mysterious disease. There is a deep, unmet net worldwide to educate and support inidivuals and families affected by Lupus. There is also an urgent need to increase awareness of the worldwide dehabilitating impact of Lupus. 

To learn more about how you can help in the fight against Lupus, please visit www.lupus.org. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

4/23/24 @ 4:15 p.m.- At the Wednesday, April 17, 2024 meeting, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2024-020 proclaiming April 2024 as National Volunteer Month and the week of April 21-27, 2024 as National Volunteer Week in Nassau County, Florida. 

National Volunteer Month is celebrated each April to recognize and celebrate the efforts of Volunteers at local, state and national levels. Volunteers provide countless hours of service to residents, staff and the visitors of Nassau County. The knowledge and skills provided by Volunteers enhance our quality of life and improve the social, environmental, and economic quality in our county.

Specifically in Nassau County, Volunteers often give their time, efforts and knowledge in our Libraries, Animal Care & Control facility, UF/IFAS County Extension, Emergency Operations Center and at County events. They are a vital component to Nassau County's future and their efforts reflect a true committment to serving others. 

During the meeting, 4-H Agent Kelsey Irvine had a surprise announcment - long-time UF/IFAS Volunteer, Ms. Wanda Simmons, is being inducted into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame after 33 outstanding years of volunteerism for the County Extension Office! Ms. Simmons has been heavily involved in the annual Northeast Florida Fair, has taken 4-H teams to national competitions, has mentored hundreds of youth in our county, and has even mentored other volunteers, including Kelsey. "Ms. Wanda has not just made an impact here locally, but also statewide", stated Kelsey. Now Ms. Simmons' efforts will be forever recognized in the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame. 

Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers throughout the County. We are so grateful to those who devote their talent and resources to demonstrate love, compassion, and respect for humankind through service. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/12/24 @ 3:15 p.m. - At the Monday, April 8, 2024 meeting, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2024-016, proclaiming April 2024 as "William Bartram Trail Month" in Nassau County, Florida. 

William Bartram was American's first native born naturalist, an explorer, artist and author whose illustrations and descriptions of nature provide a look back at a relatively pristine environment of the new Florida territory in the 18th Century. In 1733, William Bartram began a 4-year journey for the purpose of collecting plants as he explored the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, and documented over 300 plants and many animals that were unknown to science. 

In April 1774, William Bartram landed on Amelia Island which he described as "a fertile island... particularly favorable to the culture of indigo and cotton." An account of his travels was published in 1791 and became an American classic and a success in Europe, inspiring the works of the romantic poets, informing 18th Century scientists about the plants and animals of the New World, and entertaining the armchair travelers on the Continent. The name William Bartram is memorialized in plant and animal nomenclature, numerous places, and sites, including the Bartram Trail, identified by a marker in Fernandina Beach. 

The month of April 2024 marks the 250th anniversary of William Bartram's travels in Nassau County, Florida. As such, the month of April 2024 is proclaimed as "William Bartram Month" to acknowledge and celebrate Mr. Bartram's visit to Nassau County and his contirubtions in identifying its unique plants and wildlife. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/10/24 @ 11:45 a.m. - At the Monday, April 8, 2024 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-017 declaring the week of April 14 - April 20, 2024, as Animal Care & Control Appreciation Week in Nassau County, Florida. 

Animal Care & Control agencies across the country provide essential community functions including the enforcement of animal control laws, protecting the public from diseases such as rabies, and educating the public on the proper care of pets. 

Nassau County Animal Services (NCAS) continues to qualify as a "no-kill" shelter due to their outstanding efforts in ensuring that animals entering the facility leave the facility through various avenues including, but not limited to, adoptions, fostering, return to owner, and transfers to animal rescue groups.

In Fiscal Year 2022/2023, Nassau County Animal Services responded to 6,223 calls for service, Additional efforts included the adoption of 1,482 pets, tranferring of 80 pets to rescue gropus, and hosting of 76 animal adoption events. The employees of NCAS work tirelessly to keep the community informed about animal control laww, how to properly care for pets, and by raising awareness for each pet needing adoption. Most importantly, they keep the shelter clean while providing the animals with the love and care they deserve while waiting for their forever homes. 

The Board extends their sincere appreciation to NCAS for all they do to keep the community clean and safe from infectious diseases and from animals running at large, as well as their efforts to find loving homes for animals in need. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

3/27/24 @ 11:30 a.m.

At the meeting held on Monday. March 25, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners approved Proclamation No. 2024-014 proclaiming March 2024 as National Red Cross Month in Nassau County, Florida. March has been recognized across the nation as National Red Cross Month since 1943 when the first proclamation was issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of voluntters and the generosity of donors.  The American Red Cross responds to more than 65,000 disasters annually, and delivers vital services to members of the Armed Forces, their families, and veterans at home and oversees, and has provided lifesaving health and safety training to more than five million people in 2023. 

The North Florida Region and Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross helped more than 1,200 families affected by home fires or other disasters in 2023. They provided 13,000 vital services to miltary members, veterans, and families and deployedmore than 200 of its 1,000 volunteers in response to hurricanes and other disasters in Florida and nationally. 

The Board of County Commissioners commends the National Red Cross for their continuing humanitarian service to Nassau County, as well as the State of Florida. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

03/26/24 @ 11:00 a.m. - At the Monday, March 11, 2024 meeting, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2024-009 honoring the life of David Berkman, a Nassau County resident who passed away in 2021. Mr. Berkman was a successful business man who worked in many areas of real estate including buying, selling, and development of land and apartment communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. 

Mr. Berkman believed in giving back to his community and was a very generous donor to many charitable organizations.  His most proud opportunity was sponsoring the Berkman Building at Baptist-Nassau Hospital which consists of a 49,000 square foot, 48-bed patient wing added onto the existing hospital, expanding care opportunities for Nassau County residents.

Since his passing, Mrs. Betty Berkman has made it her mission to continue his efforts in giving back to the community in Mr. Berkman's honor. Ms. Berkman has given generously in recent years, making major contributions to the quality-of-life for Nassau County residents including: 

• A donation to the McArthur Family YMCA to assist with plans to expand its youth programs
• A donation to the City of Fernandina Beach for construction of Teddy Bear Playground at Central Park
• A donation to the Council on Aging for an outdoor pavilion and memorial garden
• A donation to the Boys & Girls Club for a new teen center and sponsorship program
• A donation to Barnabas Center for their Health Clinic
• A donation to Nassau Habitat for Humanity for construction of "Berkman Place", a site with new affordable homes in Fernandina Beach

The Proclamation was presented to Ms. Berkman and her family and a special event held at Song & Story on March 18, 2024, by Board Chairman John Martin.  Chairman Martin stated, "Mrs. Berkman has done a lot to honor Mr. Berkman's legacy of kindness, generosity, and selflessness.  On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, we thank David and Betty Berkman for their commitment to serve children, families and the community they love." 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer