Historic City News will be on hand when U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission holds its inaugural meeting in St. Augustine on Monday July 18th.
It is certain to be a very important day for the entire community and in particular as it continues to plan for its 450th anniversary set for 2015.
The commission will meet in the Flagler College Auditorium, 14 Granada Street, starting at 10:00 a.m. and the public is encouraged to attend.
In addition to Salazar, Florida Senator Bill Nelson, and Congressman John Mica, are expected to offer remarks at the meeting.
Congress established the Commission as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 and charged it with ensuring a suitable national observance of St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary by complementing the programs and activities of the State of Florida and the City of St. Augustine. Secretary Salazar announced the members of the Commission in April.
“I am pleased that these passionate and accomplished individuals have agreed to serve St. Augustine and our nation by serving on this Commission,” Secretary Salazar said upon announcing the appointments. “As stewards of our nation’s great history, the Department of the Interior and the Commission will work to ensure that the story of St. Augustine and our Spanish ancestors is recognized and preserved for generations to come.”
“The story of St. Augustine is a microcosm of the story of America itself, with a tapestry weaved by Native Americans, Europeans and Africans as the city developed, changed hands in times of conflict, struggled with issues of justice and equality and eventually flourished,” said Director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis in April. “The members of the commission will ensure that the anniversary will be an opportunity to expand the understanding and appreciation of the significance of the founding and continuing history of the city.”
The members of the Commission are:
• Joseph L. Boles, Jr., Mayor of St. Augustine;
• Katharine H. Dickenson, Historic Preservationist;
• Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney;
• Michael Francis, Professor of History, University of North Florida
• Michael Gannon, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History, University of Florida
• Bob Graham, former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator;
• Jay Kislak, President, Kislak Mortgage Corp. and National Park Foundation Board Member;
• Eduardo Padron, President, Miami Dade College;
• Bruce Smathers, Former Florida Secretary of State;
• Robert Stanton, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Department of the Interior;
• Thomas S. Willis, Pastor, Cathedral Parish, St. Augustine, Florida;
• Gordon Wilson, Superintendent, Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monument;
• Andrew Young, former U.S. Representative, Mayor of Atlanta, and U.N. Ambassador.
The Commission’s duties, as defined in its charter, are to:
• plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities appropriate for the commemoration;
• facilitate activities relating to the commemoration throughout the United States;
• encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations throughout the United States to organize and participate in anniversary activities to expand understanding and appreciation of the significance of the founding and continuing history of St. Augustine;
• provide technical assistance to States, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration;
• coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly research on, publication about, and interpretation of, St. Augustine;
• ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting legacy and long-term public benefit by assisting in the development of appropriate programs; and
• help ensure that the observances of the foundation of St. Augustine are inclusive and appropriately recognize the experiences and heritage of all individuals present when St. Augustine was founded.
Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News archive photograph