May 25, 2012
Fernandina Observer is pleased to announce that Suanne Z. 
Thamm is joining us as a Reporter-News Analyst. Suanne delivers information with a style and wit that connects with our readers. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues impacting our city.
Suanne Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994.
She earned an A.B. degree cum laude in Soviet/East European Area Studies from Syracuse University; she later pursued graduate studies in demography at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Suanne worked for the Library of Congress for 25 years in various capacities, including research, public service, collections management, and technical processing. She retired in 1993 as Assistant Executive Officer in the Collections Services Department.
Her post-retirement volunteer activities are many and varied. She has served on several state, regional and local boards of organizations devoted to history and historic preservation, including the Florida Trust, Northeast Florida Preservation, the Amelia Island Museum of History, the Gen. Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Society, and the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation. She established and co-chaired the local Veterans History Project at the Amelia Island Museum, a partnering institution with the Library of Congress. Civic activities include serving on the Historic District Council for the City of Fernandina Beach, two City Charter Review Committees, and the Steering Committees for both Vision 2000 and Forward Fernandina. She has served on the District Board of Trustees for Florida State College at Jacksonville since 1999 and currently holds the position of Vice Chair for Nassau County.
Suanne is married to author Gerhardt Thamm (gbthamm.com), and they live happily in their little Fernandina Beach Historic District cottage along with their indoor and outdoor cats, occasionally sitting on the front porch to enjoy their garden while sipping an adult beverage with friends.
Articles written by Suanne for the Fernandina Observer include “City Commission Moving Forward,” a report on the May 15 city commission meeting, “City and Port Strengthen Ties,” and “Starting Over . . . Again,” Part I of a series examining the roles, responsibilities and challenges facing our local government today.
Douglas M Newton Susan Hardee Steger
Fernandina Harbor Marina In Capable Hands
Joe Springer, Manager of Fernandina Harbor Marina received the Association of Marine Industries distinction as a Certified Marina Manager. This designation requires extensive classroom training in conjunction with a minimum of five years’ experience.
In 2012, the City of Fernandina Beach entered into a management agreement with Westrec Marinas to take over day to day operations of the Fernandina Harbor Marina. Joe became the marina manager that same year.
With the support of Westrec Marinas and Fernandina Harbor Marina’s dedicated staff, accomplishments include increasing boat occupancies, instituting standards of professionalism for staff, installing retail store, updating the marina’s IT capabilities and accounting functions, providing and implementing an aggressive local and national marketing campaign to promote the Fernandina Harbor Marina.
Joe Springer was the driving force in attracting the Marine Trawlers Association 2012 Rendezvous to the Fernandina Harbor Marina. In April over 50 marine trawlers arrived in Fernandina for this annual gathering.
The marina features 5,875 linear feet of dockage which provides 60 lineal side-tie “slips” and 20 moorings, a 25’ depth at mean low water beyond the attenuator and 6’ at inside 
slips, allowing yachts up to 200’ and boats of all sizes to take advantage of the most modern of marinas while enjoying the amenities the historic community of Fernandina Beach.