Welcome to Strategies For Action!

Join us for this live, online virtual panel moderated by Secily Wilson and featuring Cecile Scoon and Chris King.

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A civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own.  Civic minded individuals promote the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes and take action when needed.

Secily Wilson is often asked, “How did you go from broadcast news to the nonprofit sector?” Her answer is simple. “The transition wasn’t a choice. Sometimes you are pushed into your purpose.“ After experiencing a series of unexpected life adversities, Secily’s life quickly fell apart. Her favorite quote is, “In order to find yourself, you must lose yourself in the service of others.” She says, “The philanthropic bug bit me. My gifts gave me the opportunity to merge my profession with my passion; “Service above self.”

When she went to college, Cecile Scoon realized her own parents were relegated to sitting at “the back of the bus.” It drove her decision to become a Civil Rights attorney and social activist. The inability to see or to diminish the accomplishments of Black co-workers is something she has heard far too many times as she takes depositions in her employment discrimination cases involving race and gender.

Chris King realized the inequity in our education system. He founded the Elevation Scholars Program with the focus on educational inequality in the United States, primarily in Central Florida. The goal is to prepare high-achieving students from low-income families for acceptance into the nation’s most selective colleges and universities and to walk with them through college graduation.

Join in on this panel discussion moderated by Secily Wilson to hear how Cecile and Chris saw a need and took action – and hear how you can too!

Register Now!  Only those registering will receive the link to the event.

About Our Speakers

Secily Wilson

Cecile Scoon

Cecile Scoon received a Visual and Environmental Studies undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1981. She is currently a civil rights lawyer in Panama City, Florida. After graduating from U. Virginia School of Law in 1984, she spent five years as an active duty Air Force JAG prosecuting in military courts-martial. She retired from the A.F. reserves as a Major in 2005.

Cecile attempts to protect the rights of those wronged at work due to their race, religion, age, disability, place of birth, or unwanted sexual advances.

When not burning the midnight oil drafting lengthy pleadings, Cecile enjoys parenting her three children, as well as running, gardening, painting, and watching soccer with her best friend, husband, law partner, and LWV member, Alvin Peters.

Cecile is the First Vice President of the LWV of Florida and a past president of the Bay County LWV.  She is also the chair of the state League efforts on the Restoration of Voting Rights for persons with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. Cecile is also a proud member of the Xi Omicron Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Chris King

T. Christopher King is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Elevation Financial Group, LLC. Under his leadership, Elevation has developed a consortium of companies specializing in real estate investment, property management and property renovation. Mr. King oversees a group of affiliated companies that have successfully launched seven private real estate investment funds and currently own and operate assets in nine U.S. states. Under his leadership, Elevation has developed a network of hundreds of private investors across the United States who have supported Elevation’s efforts to revitalize and preserve affordable housing while creating a profitable return.

Chris received his undergraduate degree in Religion, Politics and American Public Policy from Harvard College and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida.

In 2018, Chris King ran for Governor of Florida and his race and platform is documented in hundreds of articles by the state’s leading newspapers and political journals. Ultimately, he was selected as the Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida in one of the nation’s closest and most watched mid-term elections. Along with his running mate, Mr. King earned over 4,000,000 votes.

Chris has been widely recognized as one of the state’s leading voices for affordable housing and housing security. He has twice been honored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for “Excellence in the Preservation of Affordable Housing” and he is a frequent speaker, writer and social media advocate for underserved communities needing greater access to affordable housing.

King’s philanthropic career includes founding the Elevation Foundation, a public charity charged to address inequality through education and entrepreneurship, and founding The Elevation Scholars Program, a best in class initiative that provides college admissions and opportunity scholarships to high-performing student leaders from low-income high schools. His work has also included supporting charitable development programs in Haiti and Africa and in 2016 helped launch The Elevation Academy, an elementary school in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Chris is married to Kristen King—his high school sweetheart—and they have three children, Charlie, Mary Grace and Luke. The King family attends Summit Church.

Thank you to our partners who have helped us promote this initiative: