Our Community

Uplifting and inspiring stories from around the community.

Local Folks: Linzee Ott

Local Folks: Linzee Ott

Community Engagement Coordinator at Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit. That’s the somewhat mysterious title held by San Marco’s very own Linzee Ott. She is often asked, “What the heck does that mean?” It’s a position that was custom made for her. She calls it “a God thing” the way the story unfolded. […]

Local Folks: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham

Local Folks: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham

As the vice president of marketing and communications for Goodwill of North Florida for the past two years, Rebekah Suwak-Worsham spends most of her work time behind the scenes. Other than at grand openings for new locations and at the annual Striving to Succeed event, which she described as “a ton of fun,” Rebekah is […]

Local Folks: Chris & Ashley Woolston

Local Folks: Chris & Ashley Woolston

Chris and Ashley Woolston are a dynamic couple. They are fun, active and community minded. They are San Marco residents who have a passion for children, pets and the outdoors. Chris is originally from England. Ashley is a native of Gainesville. They are both employed at schools in St. Johns County. Chris works at Rawlings […]

Local Folks: Guy Beard

Local Folks: Guy Beard

Guy Beard is the man behind Guy Beard Designs on Hendricks Avenue. He has been designing jewelry for a very long time, more than four decades. But he has been fishing even longer than that. He had a pole in his hand by the time he was four years old. Guy grew up in the […]

Local Folks: Matt Monroe

Local Folks: Matt Monroe

Meet Matt Monroe of Riverside — father, teacher, musician. Matt is a single dad of two sons: 11-year-old Maverick and 9-year-old Quentin. “I love reading to them,” Matt said. They’ve enjoyed H.G. Wells’s “The Time Machine” and “The Invisible Man”. They have a set of Roald Dahl books that they are making their way through […]

Local Folks: Sarah Marshall

Local Folks: Sarah Marshall

Sarah Marshall is the spearhead of JAX Story Art Studio for homeschool families, where a team of three teachers offers classes and workshops all based around stories—reading them, writing them, and depicting them in visual art. The downtown classes and workshops are meant to help local homeschoolers grow a community, to connect with other kids […]

Local Folks: Lisa & Scott Lofton

Local Folks: Lisa & Scott Lofton

Lisa Lofton is a known artist around town. She is on the boards of two local nonprofits, serving as president of the Art Center Cooperative and as vice president of the Jacksonville Artists Guild. She’s also a member of the Art League of Jacksonville. She met her husband, Scott, at the University of Florida. On […]

Local Folks: Loree Gurr

Local Folks: Loree Gurr

By day, Loree Gurr is an insurance professional at Cam Anderson State Farm; she has been there for the past 18 years. By night, some might be surprised to know, she’s a KJ/DJ. Gurr began in 2009 as a KJ — karaoke jockey — working mainly at Rascal’s on Confederate Point Road or other similar […]