Tag: history

Meet Our Board: J.J. Singh

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

History and a Hole-in-One: Jekyll Island Foundation Director J.J. Singh Details Drive for Preserving Jekyll Island’s Charm

Imagine a serene setting, paired with calming beach breezes, rays of island sunshine warming you just so, and then – score. A hole-in-one! Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

The hole-in-one may not happen every time, or nearly as often as golfers hope, but the dream of making that superb shot always lingers in heads and hearts of Jekyll Island’s avid golfing community.

While he may or may not always nab that last picture-perfect moment on the links, the dream is always there for Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) Board Director J.J. Singh, even when merely daydreaming about it back at his home in Virginia.

“The perfect day (spent on Jekyll Island) looks like 18 holes on Pine Lakes,” Singh said, adding that, thanks to the toasty temps found in his island paradise, such a perfect day is ideally “followed by the pool.”

Singh has spent plenty of time on Jekyll Island. As President of Retreat Hotels & Resorts, where he and his team have developed and operate full-service hotels, his company has provided asset management services for 747 hotel keys on Jekyll, which also includes the newly completed Courtyard & Residence Inn by Marriott.

As part of the group which developed The Westin Jekyll Island, Singh said he is proud of the responsible renovations and rehabilitation completed in recent years. He also noted the Beach Village has been the most meaningful change and refreshed detail seen on the island in the past decade or more. Seeing the Jekyll Island Convention Center built responsibly and respectfully from the ground up within the serene setting of the beach-front acreage on the Island was, and remains, purely “monumental,” he said.

“The Convention Center, the retail component, and The Westin properties all perfectly complement each other,” he said.

These renovations have played together nicely to become driving forces behind why he opted to jump on the JIF Board in the first place. He wanted to serve the Island that has been so good to him.

“Public service is very important to me. As a proud former Peace Corps Volunteer, I’m of the firm belief that individuals and businesses have a duty to the communities in which they live and work. As a hotelier on the Island, we have had the great fortune of collaborating with the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) and the JIF on many occasions. Joining the Board of the JIF was a great opportunity to serve the Island,” he said.

Retreat has focused on sustainability in its building design. In particular on Jekyll Island, Retreat has worked closely with the JIA to protect endangered sea turtles, adopt building practices that protect the delicate ecosystem from fine construction particles, and use alternative sources of energy such as solar power.

In his long-term vision, Singh and fellow JIF board members plan to continue seeking out funding opportunities that assist the JIA in its mission to keep the state park island pristine while continuing to renovate and renew it to amplify its beauty.

“The first time I visited, I stayed in Cherokee Cottage,” he said. “I remember the charm and majesty of the historic Jekyll Club hotel.” Fundraising to preserve that history is crucial to the JIF’s mission, Singh said.

In partnership with the Jekyll Island Authority, which oversees the management and daily operations of the Island, the 24-year-old Foundation was created to raise money for Island projects which may be otherwise out-of-reach within the Authority’s operating budget on its own. Managed by up to 25 individuals, all with diverse interests in and with ties to the Island, the Foundation remains focused on raising funds for Island conservation, preservation, and educational initiatives.

As he agreeably and aptly notes, the rare beauty found in the Island’s a little more than 5,500 acres can’t be found anywhere else.

“What makes Jekyll Island special is the harmony and the balance between economic growth and conservation,” he said. “Maintaining that balance is the key for the long-term sustainability of the Island.”

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

Meet Our Donors: Douglas & Karen Rucker

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Douglas and Karen (Mills) Rucker had already decided to spend their Golden Years in the Golden Isles before an almost too-good-to-be-true career choice on Jekyll Island presented itself to him.

“We were living in San Diego…it was the middle of Covid…and we were thinking that California might not be our ‘forever,’” said Douglas.

“We love to travel–and have visited and lived in some amazing places–but we wanted an anchor,” Karen said. “We wanted some place that felt like ‘home.’”

So, sites unseen, the Ruckers and two of their friends bought three adjacent parcels of land on St. Simons Island. “And then this opportunity on Jekyll comes up,” said Douglas, who works with Noble House Hotels & Resorts, the company responsible for operating the Jekyll Island Club Resort after it sold 2021. “I had visited the area some years ago, but this more recent connection through our St. Simons decision was a crazy coincidence. I interviewed for my current role as Area Managing Director and took the job based on the reputation of—and what I already knew and appreciated about—the Island.”

Part of his personal and professional appreciation for what Jekyll has to offer comes from hospitality management roots developed in his former home base of Michigan. “I twice worked for the family that owns The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, which opened its doors in 1887,” he said. “Jekyll Island Club, although not originally a hotel but a private clubhouse for America’s wealthy, opened its doors in the winter of 1888. A love of history and historic hotels, where we prefer to stay when we travel, were big motivators for choosing this area to make our permanent home.”

“We have also always been attracted to islands, to water, and to smaller communities,” said Karen, a Canadian citizen who was on vacation in the Florida Keys 17 years ago when she met Douglas, who was working at a resort in the area. “And of all the places we’ve been since then, Jekyll has the nicest, most welcoming people. We’ve made so many new friends.”

She vividly remembers her first visit to Jekyll. “The view as we drove across the causeway, the moss on the trees in the Historic District, the Club Resort rising like a castle against the sky. It was all so breathtaking.”

That awe remains as the couple settles into their new home at The Moorings at Jekyll Harbor. “Cycling is our favorite activity and mode of transportation,” said Karen. “Every time we ride our bikes from home to the Club [Resort]—crossing the wooden boardwalk bridge with the view of the marsh, the intracoastal waterway, and the Sidney Lanier Bridge in the distance—we pinch ourselves that we live here…in this state park…surrounded by all this beauty. There is something so soulful, so solid, so genuine about this existence.”

As Jekyll Island Foundation investors, stewardship of that beauty now and for future generations is a personal priority. As Champion corporate sponsors, the partnership between the Club Resort and Foundation spans more than two decades and continues today.

“It’s all about the people, from the grassroots to the state level; they are all committed to preservation and conservation,” said Douglas. “That’s a plus because some of the necessary protection efforts take time and need to be well thought out. The Jekyll Island Authority has done—is doing—a great job of this.”

They greatly appreciate the Foundation’s focus on projects that enhance knowledge opportunities not only for residents but for visitors. “The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is such an outstanding example of how donations can improve and extend the life of historic facilities as well as support educational experiences,” said Karen.

She also complimented the Foundation on its honor bench program. “No matter where they are along the bike paths, the benches always seem to be in the right place. They are such a great way to honor someone’s memory while offering a moment to rest and reflect in Jekyll’s peaceful surroundings.”

While travel will always be part of their lives, Douglas and Karen are enjoying how settled and solid they feel in their new home. “The last two years have been pretty special,” said Douglas. “We’re looking forward to doing all we can to be part of the community and to supporting the projects that protect and enhance Jekyll for everyone.”

Meet Our Board: Johnathan Roberts

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Jekyll Island has been a part of Johnathan Roberts’s life from an early age. During his childhood in Blackshear, Georgia, his family enjoyed day trips to the island, often boating and fishing or visiting his extended family, the Van Iderstynes. Embarking from the Jekyll Marina to nearby Cumberland Island and Christmas Creek became one of Johnathan’s favorite things to do with his dad. The Jekyll Island Club Resort’s Grand Dining Room became his mom’s favorite place to celebrate her birthday with its rich history and charm.

As a young adult, Johnathan settled on St. Simons Island, and he visited Jekyll even more often. Boating trips from St. Simons to Jekyll and fishing around the rivers became a frequent hobby.

In 2009, Johnathan started Roberts Civil Engineering, which offers civil design, construction services, municipal consulting and program management services in St. Simons Island and beyond. By 2012, Jekyll Island Authority had become a repeat client. Some of his proudest projects include the Ben Fortson Entrance Reconfiguration, Camp Jekyll, The Cottages at Jekyll Island and the Beach Village. It was through work on these projects that he became acquainted with the Jekyll Island Foundation. “The Foundation’s value was easy to recognize,” he said. When approached to serve on the Board, he was deeply honored. “I love Jekyll Island and think it’s such a special place. I was honored to be asked to help promote and protect it.”

He loves the unique combination of nature, history and – now – the newer enhancements.

“Responsible development is and has been a hallmark for Jekyll,” he said. “The Jekyll Island Authority has taken great care to ensure a tangible connection between yesterday and today, and to maintain the balance of conservation and commercial viability.”

Johnathan, his wife Meredith, and their two children make frequent neighborly visits to Jekyll for bike rides and excursions. “During the Christmas holidays, our family has a tradition to view the impressive light displays. The Authority does a wonderful job, and Jekyll Island continues to prosper under its leadership.”

An avid runner who has competed in ten marathons to date, Johnathan also has praise for Jekyll’s trail system. “It’s second to none. The route along the ocean in the early morning is one of my favorites.”

Looking forward, Johnathan says, “My hope for Jekyll is that it continues to thrive as one of the most unique destinations in the country with an appropriate balance of the natural environment, appealing amenities and rich history.”

A Celebration of Preservation

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

Hollybourne Cottage is set to celebrate Historic Preservation Month this May with a whole host of new developments. The Jacobethan-style cottage was built in 1890 for the Maurice family. Charles Stewart Maurice, the patriarch, was a partner in the Union Bridge Company. His passion for his work directly translated into the design of his family’s Jekyll Island home, where a bridge-like truss helps to support the first and second floors of the house. Charles, his wife Charlotte, and their nine children were fixtures at the Jekyll Island Club for more than half a century. They hosted Christmas parties for employees, welcomed Club member families to their house, and wrote about the broader history of Jekyll Island. Notably, Hollybourne is the only Jekyll Island Club cottage whose ownership stayed within just one family.

Today, Hollybourne is the focus of a decades-long preservation effort. A four-year-long window rehabilitation project was just completed in April, thanks to volunteer, intern, and staff efforts. These groups rehabilitated each of the cottage’s windows with new wood and glass bead, restrung them with new sash cord, painted their exteriors, and oiled their interiors. Every window in the house is now operational.

Thanks to pieces and parts from Historic Resources’ historic fixture collection, one of the three original Hollybourne bathrooms is now operational as well! Volunteers, staff, and interns installed a high-tank toilet and sink. They also ran a new 100-foot waste line and fresh water line to the building. Interestingly, this is the first time that the house’s waste line has run to the sewer rather than the river. Alongside the use of the gun room and servants’ dining room as bride and groom dressing rooms, the newly functional bathroom supports the cottage’s use as an historic venue space for weddings and other special events.

Currently, the Authority’s preservation team is working on an extensive basement structural repair. The team replaced a supporting beam and two damaged joists. They will soon add a vertical support to the basement structure. While working in the basement, members of the team discovered a 1902 contractor’s signature near an electrical fixture—likely left as the Jekyll Island Club prepared for the electrification of the island in 1903.

Finally, work in Hollybourne’s dining room continues. The preservation team applied finishes to the dining room’s interior. The dining room was cleaned and cleared out, while the walls were finished to exhibit level. In the cottage’s next phase, this room will house an exhibit interpreting Hollybourne’s decades-long preservation process. The rest of the cottage’s first floor will be included in the exhibit as well. While Hollybourne is an incredible and unique structure, the new exhibit will reach beyond its architecture to tell the story of the Maurice family and the house’s ongoing preservation. In the meantime, guests can join Mosaic for a daily tour of Hollybourne Cottage and see one of Jekyll Island’s most unique historic homes for themselves!

Mosaic’s 4th Anniversary

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

This April, Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, celebrates its fourth anniversary. Thousands of visitors have walked through the museum’s big red doors to experience Jekyll Island’s history. And what a rich history it is! In the museum gallery, visitors can listen to accounts of Wanderer survivors or a recording of the first transcontinental phone call, spearheaded by Jekyll Island Club member and AT&T president Theodore Vail in 1915. They can virtually “try on” outfits from the Gilded Age, explore an eagle’s nest, or take a spin around the island on a Red Bug. The museum’s lobby entrance, which features rotating exhibits, is preparing for its next exhibit launch in April as well. The gift shop pays homage to the building’s historical roots—it features some of the original structure that made this building the former Jekyll Island Club stables, complete with hay loft and a single (facsimile) horse.

Mosaic has certainly grown and remained dynamic since its opening day in 2019. Visitation numbers have grown, especially since the museum reopened after temporary closures due to the pandemic. In fact, at the end of the 2022 fiscal year, Mosaic’s annual visitation exceeded 50,000 people! Visitors take part in the museum’s trolley tours of the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark district, which run four times daily. They also come to the museum for special historic tours and programs, which have continued to grow over the past two calendar years. These programs have taken guests all over the island, from St. Andrews Beach for a Dolphin Club Days tour to the Horton House for Pistols and Privateers. In the near future, Mosaic will begin to host a slate of new and exciting programs. Guests can enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Mistletoe Cottage with April’s Cottage Spotlight, or can step back in time with Jekyll Island Club visitor Jean Struthers as part of the museum’s ongoing Living History Presents program.

There are exciting physical additions at Mosaic, too! Work has recently begun in earnest on the exterior paddock,” Mosaic’s outdoor education space. The paddock will host annual and seasonal programming and events. Work on the space is expected to be completed in mid-April, and the museum looks forward to utilizing this space to its fullest potential. To learn more or give to  this new addition, visit Mosaic Initiative. Make sure to keep up with all things Jekyll Island history by visiting Mosaic’s website.

Rich & Lynn

Meet Our Donors: Rich & Lynn Van Iderstyne

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

It’s fair to say their heads are often in the clouds, but Rich and Lynn Van Iderstyne are very aware and very connected to what’s happening on the ground at Jekyll Island.

Both long-time Delta Air Lines employees—he’s retired after serving 40 years as a pilot, she’s nearing just as many years of service as a flight attendant—they are caretakers of the Jekyll Island Airport, owners of Red Bug Motors, and proprietors of Red Bug Motors Pizza.

“I’ve known Jekyll since I was a child,” said Rich. “Most of my mom’s family is from southern Georgia and all the cousins would come here.” Years later, after moving to Atlanta, he owned a small airplane and was always looking for places to fly. He ended up cruising down to Jekyll almost every weekend because it was a “calm and relaxing” place in contrast to Atlanta’s hustle and bustle.

“It was also his favorite place to go on dates,” quipped Lynn. The two met on an airplane—by chance—while headed to Colorado’s Aspen Snowmass for a ski weekend. Married now for 27 years, they would split their time between Atlanta and Jekyll until son Daniel, now a pilot for Delta, graduated from high school and Jekyll then became their primary residence.

In 2005, when Delta filed for bankruptcy, they decided a back-up life plan might be wise. “We’d heard about the red bug cars that the millionaires brought to use for fun and easy transportation around the Island,” said Rich. So, they did their research on the original vehicles and reintroduced a modern, environmentally friendly, rentable version for residents and visitors.

“Then one year we were on Island for the Super Bowl and discovered that you couldn’t get a pizza delivered, so we opened up a pizza restaurant,” he said. For this venture, they carefully repurposed the former Great Dunes golf course  pro shop.

“It’s a beautiful little building that’s more than a business,” said Lynn. “It’s a family-friendly place for people to get together and make memories as well as share a good meal.”

While those businesses were taking flight, the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) recognized the couple’s commitment to the Island with the keys to welcome visitors to the the airport. “We completely redid the inside of the office and spruced up the outside,” said Rich. “We staffed it to greet pilots and their guests with a smile, helping them know where to visit while on Island and offering them two hours of free red bug rental.”

That enthusiasm for Jekyll led the JIA to tap the Van Iderstynes again when the state couldn’t help with critical repairs to some of the Historic District’s buildings. Rich was invited to become an advisory board member in the early days of the Jekyll Island Foundation and, along with several other very dedicated people, worked hard to raise funds through activities such as a golf tournament, family weekends, and festivals.

But Rich was also able to offer a unique opportunity. “I have a restored World War II plane and would offer rides to people, especially war veterans,” he said. “They would marvel at Jekyll from the air and when they tried to pay me, I would refuse by asking them to instead make a donation to the Foundation.”

The first project the Foundation helped to raise funding for was the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which currently operates in the Historic District’s Club-era power plant. A more recent Foundation fundraising initiative—Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum—also benefited from the Van Iderstynes.

“There’s a little area about the red bugs,” said Lynn. “We were so happy to have that piece of history highlighted and to contribute to Jekyll’s story.”

A story, they both feel, that keeps getting better. “There have been so many positive changes over the years,” said Rich. “The Island looks nicer than ever, and that’s because the JIA has done a great job of maintaining the balance between nature and development.”

“Being able to walk along the bike paths and see all the wildlife is so amazing,” said Lynn. “And living here with so many friends, such great neighbors, and so many things for people of any age to do and enjoy is also amazing.”

Asked to narrow down their Island ‘to do’ recommendations to one ‘not to be missed’ attraction, neither hesitates. “The heart of Jekyll is the Historic District,” said Rich. “It’s what really sets this Island apart, and I hope people spend time there…learning about the history and marveling at the architecture.”

Lynn, who had just recently been in Italy for work, added,” I walk through many historic places with my job as a flight attendant—places like Rome—and walking through the Historic District or really anywhere on Jekyll is just as satisfying to me!”

Meet Our Donors: Michael and Judy Hartley

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Judy and Michael Hartley’s appreciation for Jekyll Island can trace its roots to…elementary school.

“We grew up together in Marietta (GA),” said Michael. “We met in sixth grade but didn’t start dating until our senior year.” They went to college together, got married, and moved to Chicago for graduate school.

Judy got her MBA at Emory University – “one of the few women to do so in the 1980s,” she said – and then carved out a name for herself on Wall Street from their homebase in Atlanta. Michael got his MBA at night and started a successful career in the telecom industry. Judy has since retired while Michael continues to consult.

“My family had a place on St. Simons, so we would visit the area often,” said Judy. Michael knew of the barrier islands as a child but didn’t come to know them well until later. “We would drive over to Jekyll for the traditional things: golf, the water park for kids, visiting the (Georgia Sea) Turtle Center,” he said.

The first time he and Judy experienced sunset to sunrise on Jekyll was when they were empty nesters. “We went to Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife in 2017,” said Judy. “We attended an event benefitting the (Jekyll Island) Foundation, met some great people, and went on a boat ride that enabled us to truly understand and appreciate how undeveloped the Island is.”

Today they split their time between Smyrna (GA) and Jekyll, where living in a planned community has been a pleasant surprise. “We love our Ocean Oaks neighbors,” said Judy. “They make us want to spend more time here, so it’s a balance to also be nearer to our grandchildren.”

Asked to name their favorite thing about Jekyll and neither hesitates: “The beauty.”

“As environmentalists, we like that it’s a priority to keep the Golden Isles beautiful,” said Judy. And they gifted the opportunity for others to soak in that beauty when they donated (through the Foundation) a bench by the river along the wharf in honor of her parents.

“We love that the human activities are part of the natural elements, like that you can see the water from the bike trails that wind through the trees,’ said Judy. “And the (Jekyll Island) Authority has really done a great job of ensuring things are in good repair, like the bike paths and the dunes,” said Michael.

Both laud the Authority and Foundation for the Mosaic (Jekyll Island Museum). “The interactivity offers such an opportunity for people to really understand the past, present, and future need to protect the Island,” said Michael.

Speaking of the future, the Hartleys are excited to see what’s next for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. “Just like the Mosaic, it needs to expand and be more interactive,” said Judy. “We hope it shows more of the medical miracles.”

They also look forward to more opportunities for different communities on the island to interact regularly. “North and south, new and established,” said Michael. “The uniqueness of—and appreciation for—Jekyll provides an easy common denominator.”

Meet Our Donors: Mike & Joy Cook

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Mike and Joy Cook joke that they “almost” don’t want to tell anyone how special Jekyll Island is.

“That lets the secret out,” they said, smiling in unison.

As the now former educators—she a librarian, he a teacher—were contemplating where to sunset after their careers, Joy read something about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC), which prompted their first visit to the Island.

“We wanted to do something in retirement that helped animals and the environment,” she said.

Jekyll’s beauty made an indelible impression on these beach-loving Florida transplants and protecting it is especially important to them. “We’re from Miami…and saw what happened there with the skyline covered in skyscrapers,” Mike said.

“Here the moss-covered trees are our skyscrapers,” said Joy, “and even the gas station blends into the landscape.”

Once they bought a house on Jekyll and settled in, they got busy volunteering. “Let me put it this way,” teased Mike, “we’re DINKs (dual income no kids) with cats.” They signed up for a class on how to get involved and found out the GSTC had a virtual education program for youth, which they then supported for several years. They also got to know the park ranger and helped with some of nature programs such as Gatorology, the history, biology and conservation efforts related to the American Alligator, and Ranger Walks, a bald eagle nest viewing tour.

These days, in addition to any volunteer activities, they can often be found contributing to the Golden Isle’s edutainment through their Native American flute performances.

“We’ve been playing for about 20 years,” said Mike. “Before that, I’d never played an instrument.” It was a trip out west that first introduced them to the unique musical genre. They started to build a CD collection at their previous home in Florida, went to a dedicated school for the instrument in North Carolina, and eventually brought their talents with them to the Georgia coast.

“We like to share the idea of the flute circle, which is to help one another,” said Joy, speaking about their opportunities to perform for people on and off the Island.

That esprit de corps is also on display several times a week while they lead a class for practitioners of Qigong, an exercise flow of coordinated body-posturing along with breathing and meditation that supports health and spirituality.

When asked what they hope for Jekyll’s future, both agree that striking the right balance between what humans want and the environment needs has to be an ongoing commitment.

“The (Jekyll Island) Foundation does a good job [assisting with funding for] restoration projects in the Historic District and around the Island, [that help to] keep things preserved,” said Mike.

When ‘selling’ Island visits to family and friends, they make sure to mention how “laid back and comfortable” the atmosphere is, how the beaches aren’t as crowded as some of the other coastal destinations, and, of course, all the attractions—the GSTC, Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, the great restaurants, fishing off the pier, Driftwood Beach (“a must see”), Horton Pond—as well as the trolley tours.

“Even as residents we love to go on the trolley tours,” said Joy. “Depending on the time of year, there’s always something new to learn about the Island.”

They are especially fond of the Christmas holidays. “The Island events are a lot of fun,” Mike said. “We’ve decorated the (golf) cart and driven in the parade around the Island looking at all the light displays.”

For Joy, the best light displays Jekyll has to offer come twice a day. “A dawn and at dusk,” she offers, “the colors of the sky are just breathtaking.”

Meet Our Donors: David & Julie Fisher

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

David and Julie Fisher have travelled all over the world. And when you ask them to name their favorite place, they answer—in unison—without hesitation: Jekyll Island.

“When we drive over the bridge, my heart rate slows down, my pulse slows down, I breathe easier,” Julie said.

And that’s really saying something given the pace she and David keep due to their very successful architectural photography business.

“We started the business before we retired,” David said, “back then it was more of a hobby. But now it’s a way of life.” He laughed, “We’re always on the go. We even live out of suitcases at home!”

Laughing and travelling are major themes with this couple who met at David’s 50th birthday party and started dating shortly thereafter. “When I gave her a ring, she said she wasn’t ready to get married yet,” recalls David. “So, I told her to let me know when she was.”

Julie did just that one night by spelling out ‘will you marry me’ in candles, and David jokes that he answered, “No way…(pause for dramatic effect)…can I turn down an offer like that from you.”

Though neither is a native Georgian, they both had individual experiences with Jekyll before buying a place together in the early 2000s.

“During the summer, it has a resort feel,” said David. “Then in the winter,” Julie adds, “the snowbirds come down and it feels more like home.” And while their primary residence is in Stone Mountain, they visit Jekyll about once a month and suspect they might have more friends on the Island than in the city.

“That’s one of the things we love about Jekyll,” said Julie. “There are just so many wonderful people.”

The people and the place itself seem to hold endless fascination for this duo who have taken—and donated—thousands of pictures capturing the Island’s unique geography, wildlife, and lifestyle.

“The landscaping is remarkable,” said David. “And we love that Jekyll is still being developed but in a responsible way.”

That, he said, is in large part due to the tenacity and vision of the Jekyll Island Authority Board of Directors and its Executive Director Jones Hooks. “There were—are—a lot of hurdles, but he leads through them quite well.”

David and Julie also credit Jekyll Island Foundation Executive Director Dion Davis with getting them engaged in ways that don’t always involve their camera. “She has a love for Jekyll Island that you can feel, and she has the ability to inspire that same love in others,” said David.

“We’re just so impressed with what the Foundation is doing,” said Julie, who acknowledges the work of the Foundation to raise funds to support several island initiatives. “The Mosaic [Jekyll Island Museum], the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Horton Pond, the historic homes…all of these things keep Jekyll special.”

Indeed, they feel the entire Georgia coastline is one of our country’s best kept secrets. “We use a plane and love to take people up to show them just how beautiful this area is,” said David.

They also believe that continuing to examine the need for revitalization—balancing that with critical versus non-critical utilization—is important. “Especially because of the aging homes [on Jekyll], our infrastructure definitely needs attention,” said David.

When asked what they hope for the Island’s future, David jokes, “We have some mighty fine restaurants, but what Jekyll needs is a good barbeque joint.”

There’s a smile behind Julie’s answer as well. “We hope more people experience Jekyll. We love to introduce new people to the Island. And every time we go, we discover something new.”

“In fact,” said David, “every time we leave, we always look at each other and say ‘that was the best trip ever!’”