100-Year Celebration Continues

FLC Annual Conference, Legislative Action Days and Hometown Health are marking centennial

by Joy Dickinson, Florida League of Cities

The Florida League of Cities’ (FLC’s) 100th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the past while looking to the future. Nowhere is this opportunity more evident than in the plans for the League’s Annual Conference to be held August 11-13 at the Diplomat Beach Resort – Hollywood.

The Annual Conference will have a return to the formal event held in former years that includes a sit-down dinner with entertainment. The event will be black tie optional.

Starke City Manager Russell Mullins, with Starke Mayor Janice Mortimer, wears his 100-year pin at Legislative Action Days.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Fraser

The conference also will include a History Hub near the registration area. Attendees can visit the booth to reflect on the 100year history of the League. The display will show the League’s history through mementos, scrapbooks and a video that includes voices from the past. Stop by to share some of your fondest League memories with the Ambassadors and other staff who have their own stories to share.

The Annual Conference isn’t the only League event that’s been tied to the centennial. At Legislative Action Days, participants had the opportunity to provide video testimonials and have their photos taken with large “100” numbers. Those same numbers, along with large letters that spell out FLC and LOCAL VOICES, will be available for selfies at the Annual Conference.

HOMETOWN HEALTH JOINS THE CELEBRATION

Hometown Health has planned multiple activities as part of the League’s centennial, including one at the FLC Annual Conference. Hometown Health is an employee health promotion program for municipalities that have group health insurance with the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust (FMIT).

City Clerk Audrey Sikes (right) of Lake City with personal trainer Nikki Griswold.

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Duncan

Here are some of the activities held during the year or planned:

▸ Practice yoga at the Annual Conference. A sunrise yoga event is planned for the August conference on the beach. It is open to all conference attendees and all fitness levels. Those who plan to attend the Annual Conference can sign up for the yoga event when they register.

▸ Take a health pledge. Members can take a pledge to put their health and wellness first. When they sign it, members also list their reason for taking the pledge. They explain what aspect of health they’re going to focus on daily and how they will practice self-care. Once members have signed the pledge, they are encouraged to submit a photograph and post their pledge on social media. This event concludes at the Annual Conference.

▸ Walk 100 miles in 100 days. Beginning March 2, Hometown Health challenged its members to walk these miles over a 100-day period. “One hundred miles sounds like a lot, but they can do it on lunch breaks or after work,” said Gwen Mahabir, Hometown Health Manager. “All of it counts.” They can break up the 100 miles any way they choose, as long as the total is 100 miles. Members can track the miles via an app, a smart device or manually. Every week, members report how many miles they’ve completed.

▸ Bike 100 miles. Beginning in July through FLC Annual Conference, members are encouraged to ride a cumulative total of 100 miles or more. They can ride a bike or an exercise bike. Once members have completed their 100th mile, they’re asked to send in a photograph to commemorate their accomplishment.

▸ Complete 100 repetitions of an exercise. During February, Hometown Health challenged its members to complete 100 pushups, squats or situps in one day. They were given the option to exercise in a single session or break up the repetitions throughout the day. Once they completed the challenge, members were encouraged to invite three municipal officials to the challenge. They were instructed to send in selfies and the names of those they nominated.

For more information about Hometown Health or any of these activities, email hometownhealth@flcities.com.

Joy Dickinson is Editor and Creative Project Manager at the Florida League of Cities.

From left: Commissioner Jill Luke, Commissioner Debbie McDowell, Commissioner Alice White, Mayor Pete Emrich and City Manager Jerome Fletcher II at Legislative Action Days. All are from the City of North Port.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Fraser

FLC HISTORY DID YOU KNOW?

▸ The Florida League of Cities (FLC) has a time capsule at the Tallahassee building that will be opened in 2048.

▸ The FLC is two years older than the National League of Cities (NLC).

▸ In the 1970s, all chartered counties became eligible for membership.

▸ In the mid-1980s, the League offered the FLC Bulletin Board with 24/7 info to computer-enabled cities.

▸ Former FLC Presidents have served as Governor (Bob Martinez) and Florida Secretary of State (Glenda E. Hood).

▸ Three past League Presidents served as NLC Presidents: Hans G. Tanzler (1976), Glenda E. Hood (1992) and Clarence Anthony (1999).

▸ First FLC paid staffer was a colonel. Colonel E.P. Owens was first Executive Director.

▸ The Special Investigation Unit has caught 74 people committing fraud against cities.

100TH ANNIVERSARY

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Florida League of Cities

August 11-13, 2022 · Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood | Registration information coming soon! flcities.com/annualconference

SPEAKERS

MICKEY SMITH JR.

Educa-tainer Mickey Smith Jr. is a Grammy Music Educator Award recipient who hails from a forgotten community in Louisiana and now stands on phenomenal stages encouraging people to “See the Sound and Keep On Going.”

MICKEY SMITH JR.

Smith is an acclaimed international speaker, saxophonist, author, master development coach and self-management strategist. He is committed to encouraging and equipping all with the tools to “Discover Their Sound” of significance and “Keep On Going” with resilience. Smith specializes in engaging, educating and elevating every audience member to excellence. Smith believes that everyone has a “sound” (a significance) that has the power to resonate with others and create a shift in thoughts and perspectives.

Smith’s motivational mixture of music and message teaches how to reach people with consistency, intention and strategy.

BEN NEMTIN

Ben Nemtin is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?” and a star of MTV’s highest-rated show on iTunes and Amazon called “The Buried Life.” As the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Nemtin’s message of radical possibility has been featured on the “Today” show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” CNN, FOX and NBC News. President Barack Obama called Nemtin and The Buried Life “inspiration for a new generation,” and Winfrey declared their mission “truly inspiring.”

In his first year of college, Nemtin was unexpectedly hit with a depression that forced him to drop out. To feel more alive, he created the world’s greatest bucket list with his three best friends. They borrowed a rickety, old recreational vehicle, crisscrossed North America and achieved the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream, they helped a stranger cross something off their bucket list. From playing basketball with Obama to having a beer with Prince Harry, from reuniting a father and son after 17 years to surprising a young girl with a much-needed bionic arm, Nemtin’s bucket list quest has inspired millions to thrive personally and professionally.

JUSTIN WILLMAN

Magician/comedian and recent Critics’ Choice Awards nominee Justin Willman has cemented himself as one of today’s most prolific entertainers.

In 2018, Willman premiered his six-episode magic series on Netflix titled “Magic for Humans.” In the series, Willman brings his skills as a magician to America’s strange and misunderstood subcultures while incorporating his disarming demeanor into street magic and social experiments that will boggle the mind. IndieWire called Willman the “perfect magician/hybrid prototype with incredible comedic timing,” and Rotten Tomatoes has the show listed at an 85% audience approval. The Los Angeles Times exclaimed that Willman is “a new breed of magician who’s making magic cool again for grown-ups.”

Before “Magic for Humans,” Willman was known for his multiple appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and “Conan.” He also performed live at the White House for the Obama family. His debut comedy/ magic special “Sleight of Mouth with Justin Willman” premiered on Comedy Central in 2015 to rave reviews.