Cyndi King is the newly appointed president of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Sunset. She’s also a realtor, Vilano Beach resident, Michigan State alumna and recent winner of the Ponte Vedra Auto Show.
What are some of your goals and upcoming projects for the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Sunset as its new president?
We will continue to support Rotary International (RI) in its fight against polio worldwide with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their foundation has matched every $1 raised by RI, two to one. There are only eight reported cases this year – five in Afghanistan and three in Pakistan. It is very difficult to get the vaccines to those war-torn countries! Also, we will sponsor students in Rotary Youth Exchange on the inbound and outbound sides. We’ll send two students overseas and will be welcoming two who will attend Nease High School in the fall. In addition, we will give “Service Above Self” scholarships in the spring to deserving students at Ponte Vedra and Nease high schools. I should also mention that I plan to partner with my old club, Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley in Stow, Massachusetts, on a global water project complete with matching grants at the district and international levels to provide clean water where it’s unavailable without help. In general, we’ll work to grow membership; we are always seeking quality community leaders to join our ranks.
What distinguishes your club from others?
We are a small Rotary club of 26 members, which gives us the opportunity to get to know each and every member in a very personal way. We earned a presidential citation as a Premier Club at our recent international convention; only 14 of 62 in our district were awarded. We meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evenings for a wonderful dinner provided by Mulligan’s Pub at the Hilton Garden Inn. We are a hands-on club when it comes to supporting the community. We actively collect supplies, perform services and are present with outreach partners.
Are there any upcoming club events that you think the community should know about?
We will be co-hosting the Beaches Health Jam on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Carver Recreational Center in Jacksonville Beach. We are going as a group to watch the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp game Tuesday, Aug. 8 and to see “Dixie Swim Club” at Alhambra Theatre & Dining Tuesday, Sept 5. Also, we will be building a home for Beaches Habitat for Humanity Oct. 28th. Our major fundraiser, “Comedy for a Cause- more than just laughs” will be held at University of North Florida Saturday, April 21, 2018. In general, we clean the Palm Valley Bridge four times a year.
What’s your background?
I am a realtor with Ponte Vedra Club Realty, and I live in Vilano Beach. I worship with Christ Church at Serenata Beach Club on Sundays and am part of the team that cooks on “Chef’s Night Off,” the first Friday of every month at St. Francis House in St. Augustine on Washington Street. I am a graduate of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, and I am a fan of Big Ten sports. I’ve been married six years to Chris Tchorznicki of Sevens & Elans (a race shop) in St. Augustine. We relocated from Boston in 2015 but have been in love with Northeast Florida for 41 years, vacationing here as often as possible. We are grateful to finally call it home!
What do you enjoy most about living on the First Coast?
The people are incredibly friendly, the weather is beautiful, the ocean is at our feet AND the lifestyle is laid-back.
What do you do in your free time?
I spend time walking my dogs, Gizmo -- a mini schnauzer we just rescued from the St. Johns County Pet Center-- and Mezey -- a chocolate lab we rescued in Boston on the beach. I also enjoy showing my Porsche Boxster GTS with the Florida Crown Region Porsche Club. I won the Porsche Future Classic Award at the Ponte Vedra Auto Show in 2016!
For more information about Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Sunset and how to become a member, contact Cyndi King at (904) 687-8000 or cyndiking@gmail.com