Stan Cottle As Founder/Director of In Search of Me, Inc., Stan is the creator of In Search of Me Café, the interactive, life skills educational program focused on teens.
Stan has produced and directed narrative, life skills training films, featuring adolescent and teen actors, which are widely distributed throughout the educational markets. Sponsored by entities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Boys & Girls Clubs, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, Communities In Schools, National Institutes of Health, Rotary International and the YMCA, these programs feature a captivating convergent of proven audience-building techniques that dynamically shape each concept into a sharply focused message.
Stan’s work is highly regarded by his clients, audiences and peers – earning him numerous achievement awards including the New York Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival, the Houston International Film Festival, WorldFest, Telly Awards, ADDY Awards, Crystal Reel Awards, and others.
Stan is active in community organizations including the Rotary Club of Amelia Island Sunrise (Marketing Committee), the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nassau County (Marketing Committee), Amelia Community Theater (Board), and formerly on the boards of Communities In Schools/Nassau, the Amelia Island Jazz Festival (Secretary and Scholarship Committee), and the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast (Board Governance Committee). He has also served as consultant and volunteer educator with the ESE/Gifted Students Program of Nassau County.
Deb Cottle As Board Member and Development Director (our Chief Evangelist) for the organization, Deb leads the fundraising, donor communications, and public relations initiatives.
As a professional speaker and author, Deb shares stories about becoming and staying empowered in life, and inspires young people to learn empowerment skills early on. As a petite dynamo, Deb has also overcome verbal and physical bullying growing up and sexual discrimination in the workplace. She has proven that “Good things do come in small packages,” and believes that the stronger people can become mentally, the better they can handle situations in all areas of their lives.
Deb is focused on improving lives through inspirational keynote speeches, seminars, coaching and products. Deb’s proven 4Step GUTS FORMULA teaches others how to change their thinking, correct negative self-talk, gain more knowledge, and set realistic goals. Deb is the producer of the newly released Music & Motivation CD series, co-author of the book, Success Simplified, and creator of the soon-to-be-released DVD series Women with GUTS!, featuring Denise Brown.
Deb established herself as one of the highest-ranking female executives in the Chicago television and advertising industry, breaking through the glass ceiling in a highly dominated male industry. Deb worked with clients such as Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Humana, Ford, Sears, and Oprah’s Harpo Productions, managing creative teams and sales professionals.
Denise Brown A Board Member of In Search of Me, Inc., Denise was born in Germany and raised in Southern California. Denise led a life remarkable only in its normalcy until June 12, 1994 when her sister, Nicole Brown Simpson, was murdered.
Denise’s life path dramatically altered, she would now tell you that along with her devotion to her son, Sean, she is also committed to raising awareness against domestic violence – a crime that kills four women every day in the United States.
Since early 1995 Denise has traveled to various states speaking on the epidemic of domestic violence. She has addressed university student bodies, men in prison and in batterers’ treatment programs, women at risk, church groups and various educational and legislative forums. Denise has helped raise funds for local shelters all across the country with her appearances, and has assisted in the success of a major project called the Vine System. This Program is an automated victim notification service of the release of batterers from jail or prison.
As part of her commitment, Denise has worked to help pass a variety of legislative solutions for domestic violence. One of her most important projects was to lobby on behalf of the Violence Against Women Act. Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania contacted Denise and asked for her assistance on a portion of the bill that was being stalled in committee in the U.S. Senate. With a potential slashing of its federal allocation to domestic violence services, Denise testified to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act. After her testimony, that portion of the bill’s funding was increased from eighteen million to thirty-two million dollars. U.S. Senators Biden and Hatch have cited Denise as “having done more for the issue of domestic violence than any other individual.”
Denise has made a life-long commitment to educate the public as well as improve the quality of living for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, She is determined to banish the darkness and end the silence.
Denise is the author of “If Our Kitchen Table Could Talk,” From One Friend to Another.
Herb Jervis Prior to his retirement, Board Member Herb served as Intellectual Property Group Leader for the DuPont Agricultural and Nutrition Enterprise. Herb joined Pioneer Hi-Bred International, DuPont’s largest Ag business, in November of 1996 and was appointed a Vice-President of the company in June, 1997 where he was in charge of Corporate Patents and Trademarks. Prior to joining Pioneer Herb served as an Associate Patent Counsel for SmithKline Beecham in Philadelphia where he headed up the biotech group. Prior to entering corporate practice Herb was in private practice in New York; first with Scully, Scott, Murphy and Presser, specializing in biotech prosecution and later with Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto where he was involved more in patent litigation.
Herb holds B.S. and M Ed. degrees from Springfield College (Mass.) and serves on the College’s Board of Trustees. He also holds M.S. and PhD degrees in molecular genetics from Florida State University and a law degree from St. John’s University in New York.
Herb is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the New York bar, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Herb and Mary, his bride of thirty-seven years, currently reside on Amelia Island, Florida where Herb serves as an adjunct professor of law at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville and tutors advance placement biology at a local high school. Herb, a former teaching pro, is an active participant in USTA Senior Tennis events and is available as a “ringer” in member/guest tournaments.
Sharon Stanley Board Member Sharon began her career in accounting and bookkeeping in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. After working as a bookkeeper for a radiology company, she created her own small business offering bookkeeping/accounting services to companies in the Raleigh area.
After marrying, Sharon decided to close her business and became a community volunteer with church groups in Raleigh. She later moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she volunteered with the Gibbs Museum of History, the Charleston Symphony, and other cultural organizations.
Moving to Amelia Island, Florida in 2006, Sharon volunteered with the John Kerry presidential election campaign, then the Barack Obama presidential election campaign where she served as Volunteer Coordinator for Nassau County.
After the successful election campaign, Sharon shifted her focus to local community organizations, including Community for Change (a non-political awareness group encouraging locals to get involved in volunteering), and the Peck Center Library (an inner city reading center). Sharon is also active with Big Brothers Big Sisters, where she mentors youth while serving on the Advisory Board and the regional board.
Sharon is also an active Rotarian, as member of the Amelia Island Rotary Sunrise Club. She is a distinguished Paul Harris Fellow, past Attendance Secretary, and current Foundation Chair. In addition, Sharon has helped plan various Rotary fundraising events including the Amelia Challenge, and helps with the Annual Christmas Party for the Fernandina Beach Boys & Girls Club, where she demonstrates jewelry making.
Sharon’s passion for serving on the board of In Search of Me, Inc. comes from seeing the interactive, self-help program work. She has several teen nephews who have turned to InSearchOfMeCafe.com for help with life’s issues. She now sees first hand how the In Search of Me Cafe Program can help teens everywhere using peer-to-peer communications.
With this passion and insight for working with young people, Sharon has joined the board of In Search of Me, Inc. to help make the program successful in reaching teens around the world. She also applies her valuable business talents to the role of Board Treasurer.
Brian Gilbert After graduating college, Brian was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Army. He served the majority of his time at Fort Stewart near Savannah, GA. While in Savannah, he met and married his wife Christy. Upon completion of his commitment in the Army, Brian accepted a job offer from Pfizer Inc. After several promotions that took them to Johnson City TN, Charlotte, NC, Jacksonville FL, Savannah, GA, and Mobile, AL. Brian managed high performing teams in North FL, South GA, and South AL. Brian won several sales awards including back to back Vice President’s Cabinet awards.
In addition, Brian has worked with a national defense contractor as their national sales director, and owned his own business coaching franchise. Brian’s Grandfather was an inker for Fleischer Brothers Studios in Miami, FL. He worked on the original Superman and Popeye cartoons. Brian gained a love for art and graphic design from his grandfather; therefore, he studied art in college and worked in his grandfather’s sign shop growing up. One of Brian’s passions is to create branding and logo design for small businesses.
Currently, Brian serves as a Market Director for N2 Publishing. He was promoted to manage the North Florida and South Georgia territory including Hilton Head, Savannah, St Simons Island, Saint Marys, Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, St Augustine, and Palm Coast. He manages a team of Area Directors that produce private publications for exclusive communities. In addition, he is the publisher of South Island Living and Summer Beach Living on Amelia Island.
Brian has always had a desire to serve the community. He was ordained as an elder in his church while in Savannah, and he is currently the Creative Director for the non-profit XCEL Strategies. XCEL Strategies is a non profit helping “Fuel Young Men with Purpose” XCEL coaches young men from broken and most often fatherless families. When a young man loses a father, he loses more than a relationship. He loses a network. XCEL exists to coach young men in the disciplines of life, and plug them into a network of business and community leaders. The goal is to help them become assets to the community and not liabilities. When young men are “Fueled with Purpose”, they can break the generational curse of fatherless families, thus going on to accomplish their dream of having a dynamic family, faith, and vocation.
Brian and Christy have 3 children Tyler 13, Garrison 11, Brooks 8. Christy has her Master’s Degree in Special Education, and she is currently working with elementary school special education students.
Pingback: Rose Feldker
Pingback: Bella Drawhorn
Pingback: By Webbie