Tag: education

Meet Our Donors: Joel and Rosemary McElhannon

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Worth the Drive: Fifteen Years of Family Visits to Jekyll

The drive from home in Athens, Georgia, to Jekyll Island is nearly three hundred miles for the McElhannon family—usually a full five hours in the car. But once Joel and Rosemary and their daughters, Maryn and Cora, reach the shores of Jekyll Island, the road trip becomes just a distant memory. The family hears the soft waves of the Atlantic, smells the distinct salty air, and sees the shimmering sand around them. Time on Jekyll is always worth the effort of the trip.

For the McElhannons, a visit to Jekyll Island means they’re coming back to a place where so many happy life memories and moments unfolded and where so many more are ready to be created. 

It All Started at the Chapel

Though not Jekyll natives, the McElhannons started their life together on this pristine island when Joel proposed to Rosemary in August 2008, right inside the historic Faith Chapel. Since 1904, Jekyll’s Faith Chapel has hosted hundreds of blissful unions, and the McElhannons chose to say their vows in this beautiful little building. The cypress-shingle ceiling, heart pine wood floors, and Tiffany studio stained-glass window created a warm, intimate setting for the ceremony.

After their chapel wedding in February 2009, Joel and Rosemary enjoyed an elegant reception at the historic Crane Cottage down the road, and even made their first donations as a family to the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in honor of their wedding guests.

History to Enjoy Together Now

Since 2009, the family’s adventures on Jekyll Island have continued, combined with personal investment in this island paradise. Spending time together in this place has always been a priority—Joel and Rosemary are bringing their girls along to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary at Jekyll this year. And they’ve donated regularly to the various initiatives of the Jekyll Island Foundation to help make sure that they and others can continue to enjoy this favorite vacation spot.

“We have always been very involved in supporting historic preservation projects,” Rosemary explained. “And we believe it is important to be stewards of the past—to pass it on to future generations. Jekyll Island has so much history, such a legacy, but few people know about it!”

On a recent trip to Jekyll, Joel and Rosemary asked their girls what they loved most about Jekyll, and they had no trouble answering: bike riding, Driftwood Beach, fried shrimp, and sea turtles. During Spring Break, they’ve all found weather on Jekyll to be perfect for bike riding and exploring the island. And it has become a tradition for them to enjoy the week with their grandparents, Ned and Claire Harbeson, who have owned property on Jekyll for nearly twenty years.

“The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a huge draw for the girls,” the McElhannons stated. “Every time they’re on the island, they have to stop by to see the patients. There are few places where you can safely get up close with wildlife, so the center is a great way to teach the girls what it takes to care for the wildlife of the island.”

The girls’ ability to enjoy the natural beauty of the island is another benefit of the family’s Jekyll trips. “I can’t tell you how many hours the girls have spent slowly trolling Sharktooth Beach and Driftwood Beach, bent over at the waist, looking for shells, teeth, and other treasures,” Rosemary explains. “Hours can pass, and they are perfectly content. In this age of screens and videos games, that’s a really incredible thing!”

Meanwhile, Rosemary and Joel love to stroll around the Jekyll Island Historic District to see how things have changed over the years. As the Jekyll Island Foundation celebrates and commemorates its twenty-fifth year, the McElhannons are thankful to be a part of the steady work of raising funds for conservation, preservation, and education initiatives through their charitable giving. “The ongoing preservation efforts make us feel good,” Joel says, “because we know we are part of that effort.”

Mosaic’s Fifth Anniversary!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Patrick Carmody, Museum Educator

Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum is turning 5 years old! April 13th marks the anniversary of Mosaic’s grand opening, and what a wonderful museum it is! Mosaic offers guests a peek into the fantastic and elaborate history of the island and the people who have called it their home. To honor all the hard work of the Mosaic staff and the unique ways history has been told and displayed over the past five years, let’s take a trip back to visit all of the lobby exhibits since the former Jekyll Island Club horse stables were reimagined.

The first transitional lobby exhibit opened in the summer of 2020, beginning a tradition of rotating lobby exhibits to greet guests. The first exhibit was entitled “Women’s Suffrage” and offered guests a look into the fight for the 19th amendment and focused on club members like Consuelo Vanderbilt, Katharine Dexter McCormick, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont and Narcissa Cox Vanderlip. Guests were given an interactive element in all of our lobby displays, and voting was at the heart of this experience. Guests voted to assign a name to the newest trolley Mosaic had acquired at the time.

Following Women’s Suffrage, exhibits honoring the servants who worked hard to make vacations at the private Jekyll Island Club special, with exhibits known collectively as “In the Service of Others.” This exhibit had a life-sized version of long-time employee for the Maurice family, Charlie Hill, standing next to an historic carriage. Charlie Hill worked on Jekyll Island for 51 years, serving the Maurice family initially as their Coachman and later getting the role of Caretaker for Hollybourne Cottage. For anyone who would like to see the carriage and Charlie Hill, they are still on display, within the lobby of The Westin Jekyll Island.

One of the of the displays within this lobby exhibition included a family tree of the servants like the Hills, Parlands, and Denegals and how their descendants would work on Jekyll during the Club era and the State era. In the Service of Others championed the hard work done by all the different employees over the decades, and the roles they played in keeping the Jekyll Island experience pristine as the Island shifted from a gilded age winter resort to a year-round state park.

In the Service of Others wasn’t the only display featured in Mosaic’s lobby in 2021. Following In the Service of Others was the Tiffany Centennial. These exhibits celebrated the life and works of Louis Comfort Tiffany, stained glass, and the iconic Tiffany window in Faith Chapel, David Sets Forth Singers before the Lord. A very topical exhibit given that it was the 100th anniversary of the installation of this one-of-a-kind window and the museum wanted guests to engage with the history of Tiffany and the crown jewel of Faith Chapel’s beauty.

The centerpiece of the exhibit was an interactive display utilizing a partially clear version of the Tiffany window with outlines that could be shaded in by colors of all kinds by museum guests. The Tiffany window was put together by both Louis Comfort Tiffany and members of the former Jekyll Island Club to honor the life of original Club President, Frederick Gilbert Bourne.

With three great lobby exhibits to its name, Mosaic had very little room to dazzle, and yet it astounded guests once again in 2022 with two excellent displays of Jekyll Island history:

Fabulous Jekyll Island and Diamond Jubilee! Both displays commemorated the 75th anniversary of Jekyll Island being a state park. The Fabulous Jekyll Island sign greeted guests as they entered the museum and different exhibit panels explored the history of Georgia governor M.E. Thompson, the use of Jekyll Island as a year-round vacation destination, and the stories of people’s lives on Jekyll Island in the early state era.

For the Diamond Jubilee, Mosaic hired Patrick Harsch, a sand sculptor from Clearwater, Florida to create custom artwork from sand. Over the course of several days, Harsch was able to sculpt a sandcastle celebrating Jekyll Island’s 75 years as a Georgia State Park, with specific features recognizing some of the island’s iconic emblems including a sea turtle.

This brings us to 2023 and now 2024, where our lobby currently displays the Morgan Family Spotlight. This lobby presents Jekyll Island locations as spaces on a make-believe monopoly board, with a miniature recreation of the Corsair IV yacht, the Morgan Family silver dining set, a painting of Jane Morgan, and life-sized depictions of J.P. Morgan Senior and Junior.

These exhibits reflect the skills and hard work of Jekyll Island Authority staff who concept, design and install these displays annually to bring the history of Jekyll Island to life for guests. Each one dives further into Jekyll Island’s diverse natural and historical culture. Happy Anniversary Mosaic!

To partner with Jekyll Island Authority’s Historic Resources department as they continue to bring these stories and more to life, click HERE. For more information about or to visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, click HERE.

Meet Our Board: Del Ross

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

According to the Oxford definition of the word, an expert is an individual who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. Del Ross is an expert.

More specifically, Ross is an expert in hotel profitability optimization. He serves as the CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) of Hotel Effectiveness, a role in which he has notably reduced labor costs for more than 754,000 hotels. His extensive experience in the hotel industry includes every aspect of the business and a number of branches, including management in distribution channels, sales, customer loyalty and lifecycles, digital marketing, operations and e-commerce. 

Ross also holds multiple patents in the field of marketing technology, has served as conference chairman for Eye for Travel and serves on the board of directors of Lucena Research, a machine learning/artificial intelligence company. 

To boot, he is also a musician who enjoys coaching youth sports as well as entrepreneurial mentoring. He and his wife Jamie, of more than 27 years, reside in Sandy Springs where they have four children, ranging in age from 15 to 25. Oh, and a golden retriever named Charlie.

When his children were young, they vacationed on Jekyll. They loved to bike all over the Island, play on the beach, enjoy [Summer Waves] water park, play miniature golf and croquet, and spent nearly the entire time laughing and smiling at each other. It was magical and peaceful and fun – exactly the kind of getaway their busy family needed. Today, they continue to return again and again, always discovering new things to love about this great treasure in our home state of Georgia.

Ross’ combined hotel and hospitality know-how, paired with his long-time love for Jekyll Island, came together to make the role of board member at the Jekyll Island Foundation a perfect fit.

Del joined the board in 2020.  Prior to his appointment, his family had been regular visitors to the Island for many years and have come to love its beauty, attractions, and history.  His father, Danny Ross, served on the [JIF] Board for 9 years and recommended Del to succeed him.  They served together during Danny’s final year on the Board during which time he imparted much of his perspective and passion for the mission of JIF and its potential to expand its impact.

Del’s passion to serve also stems from the belief that Jekyll Island is a national treasure which has been carefully curated and nurtured by the State of Georgia via the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA), the managing entity. “Over the past 15 years, various state leaders have been wonderful supporters of Jekyll Island and the JIA and have helped prevent runaway development and exploitation even as they have encouraged the economic growth of the Island,” says Ross.

During his tenure, the Foundation has grown and has attracted many new donors, members, sponsors, and key board members. They have also built the groundwork for future efforts. For his part, Del would like to be instrumental in attracting significant donors and sponsors for the Foundation’s efforts and in particular, supporting the efforts to expand the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rare gem that serves a vital purpose.

“One of the things I love and respect about Jekyll Island [leadership] is the commitment to growth, while maintaining the authenticity and integrity of its history, simplicity, and natural beauty. [Previous JIA Executive Director Jones Hooks] was a remarkable leader who oversaw a dramatic growth in tourism to the island while at the same time avoiding the commercialization,” says Ross.

Going forward, he “… would love for more people to experience the magic of Jekyll and do so in a way that adds to our [Jekyll Island Foundation] mission of preserving and improving the historical and environmental assets which are unique to the Island,” he said.

Meet Our Board: Sean McGinnis

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

As head of publishing for Atlanta Magazine, Sean McGinnis lives in a hotbed of happenings. Day in and day out, he is on the phone, on the road and on the go capturing the ins and outs of what is currently creating headlines in the state’s capital city and beyond.

But for a few blessed days, maybe a week or more if he plays the luck card right, he makes his way down with his family, or even on a solo trip, to Georgia’s most enchanting barrier island. As an added bonus, those days spent beachside can occasionally double as work trips, or triple as pleasure trips, work trips and prime opportunities to serve in his distinct role as Vice Chair of the Jekyll Island Foundation Board.  

For more than five years, McGinnis has served on the JIF Board, striving alongside his board partners to help keep the state park as pristine as possible. Even before being invited to join the board by past members, McGinnis had his eyes on the island, collaboratively launching 31• 81, the Magazine of Jekyll Island, several years ago, as well as developing friendships and business contacts island-wide.

Once any needed business is set aside, his dream Jekyll agenda involves the simpler sides of life, beginning with a beachfront view of the sunrise. Well, first, he admits, it starts with a cup (or two) of coffee, then the sunrise. Caffeine in hand, he would make his way out for a dawn-tinted walk on the beach, waiting for the sun to peak and come over the horizon. It is a great reminder “you’re not in Atlanta anymore,” he said.

With the coffee and sunrise checked off his agenda, that dreamy day would unfold with a fishing excursion, then digging in, fingers first, to some signature peel-and-eat shrimp, accompanied by the tunes of “whoever’s playing that evening on the (Wharf) dock,” he said, quickly adding: “And never having to change out of shorts, a beat-up T-shirt and some worn out flip flops.” 

Long before those flip flops were worn out and such dreamy days became more regular on his calendar, though, McGinnis had a keen interest in Jekyll Island. When the idea of becoming a JIF board member was presented to him, he was quick to agree.

Sitting on the JIF board, and prior to the many phases of much-needed renovation which have swept through the Island for more than 15 years, McGinnis recalls holding fond memories of Jekyll. However, he admits some of those memories include the Island when it needed a breath of fresh, though slightly salty, air. Back then, he said, he saw the grand potential just waiting to sprout again on the Island, to revamp it into its yesteryears of glitz and glam.

“I don’t actually remember the first time I was introduced to Jekyll Island, but it was definitely prior to the revitalization plan. Back then it felt dated and (in) need of updating, for sure,” he said. “Years later, I remember coming back and staying, and seeing the new Convention Center and Beach Village coming to fruition. (I) couldn’t believe the progress that was made. All the while, (the island remained) walkable for miles on an undisturbed beach.”

Now, fast-forward through those years, months and days of change into its current state of beachside shine, and McGinnis finds the island to be a top bragging post for his publication. The impact of a new Jekyll had such an impact on McGinnis, that “when we decided to launch a new travel publication that we call Southbound, I knew I wanted to spotlight Jekyll Island on the cover. It’s still one of my favorite covers we’ve ever done,” he said.

During his stays on Jekyll, both pre- and post-revitalization, McGinnis knew the Island to be a second home, a place for relaxing and reviving away from the metro maze of Atlanta, both years ago and now.

“I found it was becoming a ‘retreat’ for me,” he said. “It offered everything I was looking for in a coastal getaway. Nowhere else could you find wide open expanses of beachfront and marsh that was undeveloped. Every time I enter the Jekyll causeway, everything changes, and I feel like I’m home.”

As a more modern, renovated Jekyll Island has unfolded in the past decade or so, that unique feeling of solace and untapped beauty has not faded, a marvel McGinnis credits to the meticulously planned blueprints developed by past, and present, Jekyll Island leadership.

He especially is excited to further showcase to readers and Island guests the responsible vision of a fresher Jekyll Island through the reopening of the now-renovated Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, as well as a new annual fundraising getaway and gala weekend the Board is planning, which will serve to distinctly promote and celebrate Jekyll as it was, as it is, and for what it is continuing to become. This gala, he said, is set to be an “important, sustaining annual event that promotes the Island to new potential patrons while raising awareness for JIF’s core mission of Conservation, Preservation, and Education.”

Dancing through Dolphin Club History

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Patrick Carmody, JIA Museum Educator

During the 1960s, Jekyll Island was the home to the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel, the only hotel by the beach African Americans could stay at in the entire state of Georgia. The state of Georgia had acquired the island in 1947 but offered no accessibility for African Americans until 1950. The portion available to African Americans was the St. Andrews Recreational Beach Park, located on the southern tip of Jekyll Island.

The Dolphin Club was built in 1959, and under the management of Dave Jackson and his family, became a thriving hotel, restaurant, and music venue on the Chitlin Circuit. The Chitlin Circuit was a collection of venues in the Jim Crow era that entertained African Americans with popular music from the 1930s to the 1960s. The Chitlin Circuit had venues across the nation, with musicians that are now synonymous with the best of R & B, Blues, and Soul music. Performers like Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, B.B. King, Clarence Carter, and Millie Jackson are just a sample of the artists to have played on the circuit and performed at the Dolphin Club Lounge.  

These legends of music came to Jekyll Island to perform for black vacationers and locals alike. These artists performed at either the Dolphin Club Lounge or, if there was a big enough audience, at the St. Andrews Auditorium. The Auditorium hit its peak in 1964 when Otis Redding played there. This would be the last major performance in the Dolphin Club Complex before Jekyll Island desegregated its facilities.

As integration of more and more public spaces gave African Americans access to spaces they had been previously denied, the Dolphin Club and the St. Andrews Auditorium began to suffer financially. Even though the St. Andrews Auditorium had been built to host the 1960 Black Dental Association convention, it didn’t have the capacity to support integrated groups. By the mid-1960s, the venues mainly utilized for events on Jekyll like the Aquarama and Gould Auditorium, provided the needed space for bigger crowds. While the Dolphin Club is gone, the site is now utilized as Camp Jekyll, a 4-H youth camp operated through the University of Georgia, and has exhibit panels all over the site detailing the history of the Dolphin Club and those who worked to make the place as special as it was.

In celebration of the Dolphin Club, Mosaic will be offering its Dolphin Club Days tour on February 10th and 24th at 10 AM and 1 PM. The tour is an hour and 15-minute-long exploration of the history of African Americans on Jekyll Island with a stop at the site of the Dolphin Club, a live music performance by Jacksonville artist Ace Winn, and oral histories from those who experienced the Dolphin Club.

For tour information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.jekyllisland.com/mosaic.

Support preservation efforts to retain important history like the Dolphin Club through a membership with the Jekyll Island Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation and ways to give, visit: www.jekyllislandfoundation.org.

Meet Our Board: Mark Williams

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Six hours is a long time to sit side-by-side with six siblings, in the heat of a Georgia summer. Each stretch of mile seems longer than the next. Each hour feels twice as long. Each second ticks, ticks, ticks away until… there it is! The gently arched entryway to Jekyll Island, that leisurely paradise on Georgia’s coast which was once the luxurious vacation landing for some of America’s industrial millionaires.

“As a kid, that six-mile causeway seemed like 100 miles. We always had a great week here, fishing, bike riding, swimming, shark tooth hunting,” said Mark Williams, the new Executive Director for the Jekyll Island Authority. “I can remember driving by all the residential houses and thinking, ‘those must be the luckiest people in world to get to live here year-round.’”

Despite having traveled through those historic gates annually for years, the grandeur of it all was never lost on Williams. He considered the island a genuine state treasure during all those childhood vacations. He continued to hold the same admiration for Jekyll during his nearly 14 years serving three state Governors as Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner, and during his years serving in the Georgia General Assembly.

By the time he gracefully entered his 60s, his perspective on life shifted a bit, as the wisdom of his life lessons learned thus far took a new hold. With little pause for soul-searching, he saw an opportunity worth reaching for, when now-retired Jekyll Island Authority executive director Jones Hooks announced his exit from the role after more than 15 years of successfully leading Jekyll Island revitalization efforts.

“When Jones Hooks announced his retirement, it seemed as though this potential opportunity and timing collided, which is rare. (The) JIA has been under great leadership with Jones Hooks. The island re-vitalization has been phenomenal (during) the last decade and a half,” Williams said. “The island is bound by (Georgia) law over its developable acreage, and that is a good thing. I see my role not as overseeing future development but overseeing improvements to these developed areas.”

This commitment to maintaining the island’s character led Williams not only into the JIA leadership venture, but also to turning his attention to the intricate realities of keeping the island shining. This is where the Jekyll Island Foundation steps in. Its role is to raise funds for key Island projects, with a focus on Jekyll conservation, preservation and education, that otherwise could not be completed through JIA budgets alone.

“We are a busy island and getting busier each year, so we (need) to keep our amenities up to what our nearly four million visitors and our residents have come to expect from us,” Williams said. “The Foundation is critical in supporting the mission of the JIA and is beginning to plan its first ever annual fundraising gala to further support this mission. I am so excited to see the planning come to fruition, and to celebrate the 25-year mark for the Foundation.”

To learn more or keep up with Foundation projects and activities, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or visit our website.

Bandit Steals the Show

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Rachel Overmeyer, GSTC Rehabilitation Program Manager

Guests visiting The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) have the opportunity to meet different sea turtle patients during their visit. Currently, the largest patient, Bandit, steals the show, fully living up to his charismatic name.

Bandit is a juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that stranded on Little St. Simon’s Island, GA on April 21, 2021. When Bandit arrived at the GSTC, there were a couple of things that stood out to the GSTC rehab staff that made Bandit special.

The first being Bandit’s size. On arrival Bandit was almost 2 feet and weighed 60 pounds. The average green sea turtle patient admitted to the GSTC weighs around 7 pounds and is less than a foot in length, so Bandit was certainly a sight to see!

Something else that the staff noticed were some small lesions on the skin and plastron (bottom shell) that were consistent with a virus called Fibropapillomatosis, causing tumors to form. The tumors can become large and impede movement, vision, and the turtle’s health overtime. After a few months of care, Bandit’s tumors were surgically removed with a CO2 laser purchased from funding support with donations acquired through the Jekyll Island Foundation.

The most significant finding, however, was a healed boat propellor wound, which damaged the spine, causing Bandit to have partial paralysis of the rear flippers as well as floatation issues. To aid his movement, Bandit currently has a weight pouch attached to the carapace (top shell) that aids in controlling buoyancy.

After analyzing the boat strike injury and determining the likelihood of recovery, Bandit has been deemed a non-releasable sea turtle. The GSTC is in the process of finding a forever home within a Zoo or Aquarium. Bandit’s care is the top priority for the staff and while Bandit has been deemed a healthy turtle, the staff are making sure that Bandit has the proper nutrition, medical care, and enrichment needed to maintain physical and mental health, until a permanent home can be found.

So be sure to stop by and visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Bandit but be careful because your heart might just be stolen too!

The Jekyll Island Foundation’s funding supports the Center’s rehabilitation mission helping every turtle’s journey to heal, with a goal of making it back home. To help support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE. To learn more about the Jekyll Island Foundation, click HERE.

Meet Our Board: Ember Bishop Bentley

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

It’s not an uncommon response to what is a common question: “What is an ideal day like for you when on Jekyll Island?”

For island-dwellers and well-acquainted guests alike, the answer for many is nearly as old as the state park itself: sunset walks on the beach and general quiet time away from the daily grind are likely common answers to this common question. Ember Bentley’s answer isn’t too far off the mainstream line of thought. But the way she says the words, with such dreamlike ease, it feels as if the moment is occurring right then.  

Take a breath, and now, envision an ideal Jekyll Island day. What would this look like for you?

Bentley is quick to answer. That day starts with coffee in-hand, taking a sunrise walk on the beach. Then with coffee complete and the morning breeze still intact, the day shifts to a morning bike ride. With the cardio casually complete, she would ideally head to brunch at The Pantry, then spend an afternoon by the pool at Jekyll Island Club Resort.

To wrap up a calm afternoon, she and her family would head back beachside, for a sunset stroll, taking in one of the many reasons she fell in love with Jekyll in the first place. On this ideal day, she can even picture the perfect conversation: talking about the lives of the people who owned the homes in the historic district, who could have easily been forgotten if it weren’t for the thoughtful preservation work ongoing.

Bentley, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jekyll Island Foundation and has just been appointed Chair for a two year term, knows the island as well. After all, she has been coming here most of her life.

“I can still remember the sunrise one morning during camp in 5th grade,” she recalls.

While her memories of the island are solid, her ideas for its future likewise carry the confidence of a player on a winning team. Thankfully, Bentley and her teammates on the Foundation Board are all striving to see Jekyll move forward with respect to its unique history and belief in its even more dazzling new future.

Looking ahead, Bentley and the Foundation Board have a laundry list of goals to achieve. Those include focusing on specific Jekyll Island Authority-directed projects and ensuring long-term viability of those projects. That in itself is no easy task, especially with a major milestone for the Foundation about to occur.

“We must be laser-focused on our mission and what the Foundation was created to do,” she said. “The 25th Anniversary of the Foundation will occur next year and I’m excited to be working on ways to celebrate this milestone.”

Bentley credits Jones Hooks, who served as executive director for the JIA for 15 years, until he retired this year, with providing a solid footing for the Foundation.  To hear Bentley put it, Hooks repaved the way for Jekyll island’s brilliant future by making the impossible, possible. He not only served to keep the Island on a forward track of progress, but he did so in a way which filled any room, or beach, with brightness, she said.

“Jones is the king of hospitality, and he has a way of making you feel like the most important person in a room,” Bentley said.  She is quick to compare Hooks with another formidable Georgia leader, former First Lady, Sandra Deal. 

“I had the honor of serving as Mrs. Deal’s assistant for four and a half years. As a former teacher, she loved encouraging children to read because she knew that it was the key to unlocking learning,” Bentley said.

As such, Bentley added that Deal was also known as a staunch advocate for Camp Jekyll and its 4-H Learning Center, which now bears Deal’s name. When the reimagined 15-acre Center reopened its doors on Feb. 1, 2017, it signaled that the Sate Park Island is constantly improving, which is a signal Bentley and her crew on the Foundation Board know they will continue to see.

“Seeing (Former First Lady Deal’s) delight as she cut the ribbon on the Sandra Deal Learning Center at Camp Jekyll was a special moment,” Bentley said, noting she served as Chief of Staff to Deal. “The Governor was happy he was able to pull off an early birthday surprise. Of course, she didn’t feel deserving of it, but she was so proud. She believed that the kids are our future, and she wanted every child to have the opportunity to learn and experience camp.”

Bentley has a similar education-based passion. She is currently the Chief of Staff and Government Relations Officer of Middle Georgia State University and serves as a key member of the president’s leadership team.

She was also Executive Director of the Georgia Forestry Foundation and Deputy Commissioner for International Relations for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

These days, Bentley continues to follow Deal’s example of servitude and leadership throughout the state.

Aside from the Foundation, she sits on 11 Georgia-based committees and boards, and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Protocol Partners and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.

On top of these achievements, Bentley manages to raise a daughter with her husband, Will, in Macon. As if these tasks weren’t enough, she and her family also own and operate a cattle farm in Thomaston. 

After hearing her brilliant list of achievements and leadership throughout her beloved Peach State, those early morning walks with a coffee in hand do sound perfect for slowing down and making time for the quiet moments in life, especially the ones she finds when on Jekyll Island. Those mornings of Zen, walking quietly beachside, with a well-deserved cup of coffee, followed by continued rest and relaxation by the pool, sound more than well-deserved.  

For more information about the Jekyll Island Foundation, visit jekyllislandfoundation.org.

Reviving the Magic of Muhly Grass Meadows

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Joseph Colbert, JIA Wildlife Biologist & Yank Moore, JIA Director of Conservation

Picture this: a rare and enchanting habitat, teeming with vibrant wildlife, where lush grasses sway in the coastal breeze. It’s a place where painted buntings, butterflies, and native small mammals frolic amidst the tufts of Sweetgrass, also known as Muhlenbergia sericea, an exclusive coastal inhabitant, which has been a lifeline for numerous coastal species. Welcome to the world of Muhly grass meadows – a world the Jekyll Island Authority is determined to rescue and revive on Jekyll Island!

These magnificent muhly grass meadows are more than just a picturesque landscape. They are a vanishing wonder, threatened by coastal flooding and human-caused interruptions in the delicate coastal sand-sharing system. These stunning habitats, typically found nestled in the dunes of Georgia’s youngest coastal land, are disappearing before our very eyes. Dammed rivers, dredging, and the removal of sand usually deposited on barrier islands have disrupted the natural balance. As a result, what’s left are smaller and more vulnerable patches of these meadows. Currently on Jekyll Island, this natural treasure now covers less than an acre, only located in areas frequently inundated by marsh flooding.

But here is where the magic begins. The JIA’s conservation team is actively embarking on a mission to rescue and restore this imperiled habitat before it vanishes entirely from this beloved Island. Muhly Grass habitats boast incredibly high wildlife diversity. These critters, in turn, support a host of predators, from magnificent birds to slithering snakes and stealthy bobcats.

Sweetgrass, another name for this lush and vibrant vegetation, holds cultural significance, serving as essential components in the creation of sweetgrass baskets by Gullah Geechee communities. Partnering with Georgia Audubon, teams have taken successful strides by planting Muhly grass along Beachview Drive, flanking both sides of Oceanview Beach Park. These endeavors have provided invaluable experience and confidence in ongoing restoration techniques.

But the journey has just begun! Next, attention has turned to the vicinity of Camp Jekyll’s boardwalk, a promising location with higher ground that can protect the habitat from inundation. Even more exciting, it is accretional, meaning there is growth with each passing day through sand deposition – a beacon of hope for the future of these unique grasslands.

The Jekyll Island Authority and Foundation are now calling upon you, our passionate supporters, to join this crucial venture to rescue and restore Jekyll’s native Muhly grass meadows. Imagine the impact that can be made when bringing forgotten, Georgia barrier island landscapes back to life, creating diverse habitats that support rare, threatened, or keystone species.

JIA conservation staff have set their sights on a total area of 30 acres with restoration potential. To achieve this dream, JIF needs your financial support. Your generosity will enable the gradual planting of 5,800 Muhly grass plugs per acre, ensuring the revitalization of this precious habitat.

But that’s not all! This project also paves the way for informational signage and educational programming, thanks to its close proximity to Camp Jekyll. This mission goes beyond restoration; it extends to educating the public about imperiled habitats and the incredible wildlife they shelter.

Together, let us write a new chapter in the conservation history of Jekyll Island, where the magic of Muhly grass meadows blooms once more, and the vibrant wildlife that calls it home thrives for generations to come.

Will you partner to help bring this ecological adventure and make Jekyll Island a beacon of hope for nature’s wonders? Don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible journey – the future of Jekyll Island’s unique ecosystem depends on it.

To contribute to the restoration of muhly grass on Jekyll Island, click HERE.