Celebrating Education & The Arts

Honoring our educators, community leaders and students

Congratulations,
Vickie McWilliams

The Jefferson County Educational Foundation, Inc. named Vickie McWilliams its 2025 Mini Grant Teacher of the Year. Vivian Beltran, Ed.D., was first runner up and Polly Day placed second place at the Annual Foundation Celebration on April 8.

Vivian Beltran, Ed.D.
First Place

Polly Day
Second Place

2025 Mini Grant TOY Celebration & Silent Auction

Featured local and guest artists

Penny Stiff Hackett
Narrative
mixed-media artist

2025 Community Arts Advocacy Award recipient

Penny dedicated 30 years to teaching art at her former high school, Prince Edward County High School, in Prospect, Virginia, before moving to Monticello, Florida. Upon her relocation, she joined the Jefferson Arts Gallery. Her personal experiences—growing up on a farm, listening to her mother’s childhood stories, and reflecting on her African American heritage—serve as inspiration for her narrative mixed-media artwork. Penny’s pieces incorporate acrylic paint, inks, fabric, paper, found objects, and natural elements to create rich, storytelling collages and paintings.

Christopher Barnhart
Razor Etchings Artist
R

Meticulously detailed and carefully etched to Precision Christopher Barnhart’s artwork cannot be seen from the traditional gallery stance. Using blades instead of brushes and coupling an infusion of meaningful symbols and inscriptions has given Barnhart etchings an eye-catching, attention grabbing edge.

CONTACT: Cbdartist30@gmail.com, (954)-534-1381

Stan Johnson is a photographer, fine artist, and graphic designer. Born in Quincy, Florida he gained an interest in photography while in high school after he was given a camera by his father – a novice photographer who purchased the camera in Germany while serving in the U.S. Army. Stan began honing his skills photographing family and friends and further developed his love for photography as a graphic communications student at Florida A&M University. But it wasn’t until he captured the images of foster children that were to be used in adoption marketing materials that he started to take photography seriously as a career.

Instagram: @stanjohnsonpg Facebook: Stan Johnson.39 Blog: www.stanjohnsoncreative.com/blog
Email: stanjphotos@gmail.com

Sylvester Peck, Sr.

Sylvester Peck, Sr. has been teaching Art for 30 years but considers himself an artist all his life. He is the senior faculty member at Florida A&M University High School.

He was born to Marcus and Lucinda Ross Peck and raised in Jefferson County, Florida. He graduated from JCHS in 1978. His art inspiration came early from images from books in his grandfather Mack Peck’s library and later from school Art Encyclopedias. He drew so much that his father made him promise to keep drawing because one day, it would become the source of his income.

Born in New York, New York Raised in The Bronx

Wiltsher’s artistic endeavors span from being a Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) recipient, visiting artist, lecturer, independent curator, program administrator for the Florida Art in State Buildings Program, professor and Gallery Director at Florida A&M University. In addition, his work is included in collections by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Sande Webster Gallery Collection, Carver Federal Bank, Art Academy of Honolulu and The Black Archives Research Center & Collection Reserve.

Harris Wiltsher

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Jimmie Wilson, Posthumously

A native of Sumter, SC, Jimmie Grant Wilson, Posthumously, was an esteemed Band Director and Educator, He graduated from Alabama State University in Montgomery with a B.S. degree and earned a M.S. degree from Florida State University. Wilson also performed further studies at Florida A&M University. Beginning at Howard Academy High School as a teacher, he developed countless musicians throughout his stellar 47-year career in Jefferson County. He was affectionately known as “Doc” by his students and earned the title “maestro” for his expertise in music. Wilson also taught at Jefferson County High School and was the founder and saxophonist for the BRAVADOS in the 1960’s-1980’s.

Nathan Wilson

A native of Tampa, FL, Nathan Wilson graduated from Howard W. Blake High School, where he received a Music Scholarship to attend Florida A&M University, where he earned his B.S. degree in instrumental music and minored in music education. He was a member of FAMU’s Marching “100” band. In 1973, Wilson began work at Howard Middle School as a Band Director for 11 years. He also served as basketball coach for five of those years. In 1984, he began work as the Band Director at Jefferson County High School until he retired in 2007. Nathan was also certified in Special Education. Overall, Wilson amassed a total of 45 years in combined music education in Florida and Georgia

Pinnacle Award Recipient

COMCAST

Stefanie Bowden Senior Manager
for Community Impact

The Pinnacle Award is the highest presented by the Foundation to acknowledge corporate sponsors that have made significant contributions to educational initiatives in local classrooms.

Chief Kent T. Watson Service Impact Award

Sonja Vaughan Technology Learning Center Manager
Retired

The Chief Kent T. Watson Service Impact Award is presented to Sonja Vaughan for consistently providing financial resources to purchase educational materials for Jefferson County Schools students to help increase growth in reading, math, and/or STEAM.

Cornelius "Neil" Barnhart

Jefferson County Artist

Cornelius “Neil” Barnhart learned to love art at an early age. His love of art became his passion. He has created many different pieces throughout the years. At Lively Technical College, he enrolled in Commercial Art classes and over the years has worked a portrait artist at Disney. In his possession, Barnhart says he has more than a 1,000 creations.

tiger and spotlights from ceiling on a stage_edited.jpg

2024 Foundation Celebration

JCEF names 2024 Mini-Grant Teacher of the Year

The Jefferson County Educational Foundation, Inc. named Willet Boyer III, Ph.D., the 2024 Mini-Grant Teacher of the Year recently at its April 17 celebration event at Jefferson County Schools. Boyer is a historical archaeologist whose research focuses on the historical era in Florida and the Greater Southeast. He has taught at Jefferson K-12 for five years and works with students in the field of archaeological sites throughout the Big Bend region. As part of Dr. Boyer's awards package, he is pictured in front of the newly designated "Mini-Grant Teacher of the Year" parking space available now until a new recipient is named in 2025.

WCTV Anchor Lanetra Bennett served as mistress of ceremonies.

Duke Energy's Danny Collins named
Pinnacle Achievement Award Recipient

The Foundation’s sponsors were spotlighted with a new award designation. Tim Sanders of the Madison County Foundation For Excellence in Education (MCFEE) presented the first Pinnacle Achievement Award to Danny Collins, Government & Community Relations Director, for Duke Energy Corporation.

Dr. Ida Walker is JCEF's first Mountain Mover Award recipient

In addition to honoring teachers who applied for mini-grants through the Foundation, Julius Hackett of Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Stefanie Bowden of Comcast presented JCEF’s first Mountain Mover Award to Ida Walker, Ph.D. Walker, who is nationally certified and is the mathematics instructional coach. She wrote six mini-grants targeting low student performance in math and for teacher professional development.

Celebration Carousel

Photos byS J Photography

Several new sponsors join the JCEF Celebration Team in 2024

Several new partners including the event’s signature sponsor Lucky Goat Coffee, a Tallahassee-based coffee brewery founded in 2010, Publix Supermarkets, First Commerce Credit Union, Trader Joe’s, and Sam’s Club join JCEF’s rank of supporters.

Longtime Celebration sponsors included Duke Energy Corporation, Mr. & Mrs. C. Martin Wood, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Comcast, Lloyd Nursery, James & Tatyanna Hoenstine, State Farm Tommy Surles, State Representative Allison Tant, AFLAC of the Big Bend, Eli Roberts & Sons, Beggs Funeral Home, Property Appraiser Angela Gray, and School Board members Mags Flynt, District 5, and Brenda Wirick, District 3. Other contributors were CMX Cinemas, Taylor Massage, Costco, Kim Pittman, Millennium Nail Salon, Lauri Wildgoose, Gem Nails & More, Full Moon Honey, Breon Parker, Geraldine Wildgoose, Clynell Jackson-Washington, and Ana Portillo.

Grant Funding Partners