Mayor’s Youth Council Holds First Meeting of 2024-2025 School Year

On Tuesday, August 20th, 2024, the Douglas Mayor's Youth Council conducted the first meeting of the 2024-2025 term. In the absence of Jr. Mayor Destiny Henderson and Jr. Mayor Pro Tem Dominic Mimbang, the Subcommittee Liaison, Jr. Commissioner Zipporah Wilcox led the meeting and acknowledged Jr. Commissioner Zynia Hunt and Jr. Commissioner Naveah Spencer. The Youth Council spotlighted and recognized Mr. Griege Lott as the outstanding Community Leader for August and Mrs. Shasmine Thomas, owner of Cheer Leads Elite, was the guest speaker.

Each month, the youth council highlights one or two of their current year members. For the month of August, Junior Commissioner Zynia Hunt and Jr. Commissioner Navaeh Spencer were selected. Junior Commissioner Zynia Hunt is in the 11th grade at Coffee High School. She is an AP and Honor Student who is a member of the CHS Marching Band, HOSA, and National Honor Society. Zynia attends Perpetual Praise and Worship Ministries, where she actively participates in many outreach activities to benefit the community. Zynia believes it is a great honor to give back to the community through outreach. Junior Commissioner Naveah Spencer is an AP and honor student in the 11th grade at Coffee High School. She is a member of several school clubs including FCCLA, FCA, and NHS. Naveah is active on the cheerleading and track teams. She is greatly inspired by her family's diligence, motivation, and compassion.

The Youth Council chose to highlight a special teacher at Coffee High School for the community spotlight. Mr. Griege Lott teaches AP American Government and Politics at the high school. He was inspired to teach by the many family members in the profession, including his grandparents Nina Lott, James Morris, and Eunice Morris. He earned a BA in History and Religious Studies at the University of North Florida before completing his Masters in the History of Religion at Florida State University. During his time at FSU, he served as the Sheng-Yen Education Fellow. Mr. Lott has been teaching for six years, and he is currently in his 4th year at Coffee High School. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife Nicole and their two children, Elliott and Rafe. He desires for his students to achieve academic success both within and outside of the classroom.

The guest speaker for August was Mrs. Shasmine Thomas. Mrs. Thomas is the wife of Alphonso Thomas and the mother of two beautiful girls, Gabriella and Gia. She owns Cheer Leads Elite, an athletic development and competitive cheer program based in Douglas that focuses on building leadership skills, self-worth, and team building. She also directs the cheer program for the Title Town Titans. Mrs. Thomas is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) and the University of Central Florida (UCF), where she earned her BA in Business Administration and her Master's in Educational Leadership. While at B-CU, she joined the Gamma Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and dedicated much of her time to community service and building her leadership skills. She founded her first business, Humbled Queens, while at B-CU. This clothing brand prioritized creating meaningful designs that highlighted self-worth and beauty for women. Now, as the owner of Cheer Leads Elite, Mrs. Thomas addressed the group to discuss the challenges of owning a small, minority business and how to overcome them with a positive attitude and a mindset for achieving success.

Jr. Commissioner & Community Service Subcommittee Chairman Emma Russ shared an update about upcoming Community Service events. Tammy Wilkerson, the Director of the GEMS Mentoring Program, told the Youth Council about exciting upcoming youth involvement activities with her program. The next GEMS meeting will be September 28, 2024, and the group will be creating "Junk Socks". Ms. Dinitra Williams (DMYC Youth Coordinator) and Wynetta Bolder (City Clerk) shared DMYC updates and upcoming events with the Keep Douglas Beautiful Committee. A discussion was held concerning literacy issues and how the Youth Council can help create and volunteer at events that will help promote literacy in the community. Lastly, the MYC concluded its August meeting by allowing its members to introduce themselves and share their future goals and aspirations in life.

For more details on the Youth Council or Teen Court program, please contact Dinitra Williams, Douglas Mayor's Youth Council & Teen Court Coordinator, at (912) 331-9398 or call the City Clerk's office at (912) 389-3405.