Jody Mackle – A profile

Submitted by Don Parker
September 11, 2014 2:00 p.m.

Jody was born in 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her father was an Army man. When the war ended the family returned to his home town, Henderson, Kentucky, where she was brought up with a brother and sister.

She attended Stephens College, a two year girls school in Columbia Missouri and transferred to Newcomb College which was a part of Tulane University in New Orleans. She graduated from both schools earning a BA in Sociology and Psychology.

Jody met Doug at Tulane, but Doug went on to graduate the next year from the University of Miami. You guessed it. Jody moved to Miami too, and lived that year at the local YWCA. She worked for the Neighborhood Youth Corps to help kids who dropped out of high school, get a jobs and work for their G.E.D.

They were married in June 1966. After Doug got his draft notice, he joined the Air Force. Following OTS at Lackland ABF, San Antonio and Tech School at Lowry Field in Denver, he was assigned to nuclear weapons at Castle A.F. Base in California. They ended up spending most of the next 4 1/2 years at Ramstein AB in Germany.

After the military, Doug owned and ran three very successful restaurants in South Florida. Jody was the executive director of the Gold Coast Jazz Society in Fort Lauderdale. In 2000, they moved here, to Amelia Island to be near their daughter Phoebe and son Doug Jr who had settled in Gainesville..

These last 14 years Jody Mackle has run TAKE STOCK IN CHILDREN. There are about 200 children, all with sharp minds but little family money who have received, or are on the way to a 4 year college degree funded by TAKE STOCK IN CHILDREN. Think of how much this means, not only to the students, but to their families as well.

We have all heard how expensive colleges are today. We also know that a well educated person is a true asset, both to the economy and society in general. And what does Take Stock in Children ask in return? Three simple tasks; 1. Maintain a 2.5 average 2. Meet with your Mentor at least once a week. 3. Stay out of trouble.

Obviously Jody had the passion, the concern and the incredible ability to develop and expand this great program. It took a broad range of skills. She had to raise large sums of money. She found and trained a Mentor for each student. She negotiated contracts with both the middle schools and the colleges. She developed a program to find qualified children. She ran seminars and worked hard to let the public know, and participate.

Each of our lives have been enriched because Jody Mackle moved to Fernandina Beach 14 years ago. Congratulation Jody! The world is a better place because of you.

Editor’s Note: One of the founders of the Amelia Island Book Festival, Don Parker is a poet, writer, and author. Parker dedicates this series to introduce some of the many bright, capable and caring people who have help make Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island such a wonderful and exciting place to live. We thank Don for his contribution to the Fernandina Observer.