Over scallops, salad and petit fours, approximately 25 United Way of Northeast Florida Tocqueville Society members enjoyed the first of three speaking engagements of the 2016 Tocqueville Third Tuesday Luncheon Series.

Exclusively for Tocqueville Society members — individuals and couples who donate more than $10,000 yearly — the annual Luncheon Series features a community leader sharing exclusive insight on topics important to our community. To kick off the series, Nat Ford, JTA CEO, discussed “Transforming Transportation in Northeast Florida.”

Topics he spoke on included: updates to the JTA bus system, real-time route reporting, plans for the Skyway and more. Ford also emphasized how critical public transportation is for local residents’ well-being. Public transportation, he said, connects people to vital resources: education, jobs and health services.

“[Public transportation] is a lot more than the concrete and tires — it’s about improving the quality of life of our residents,” Ford said.

The Luncheon Series continues March 15, when Jay Monahan, deputy commissioner of the PGA Tour, will speak. To learn more about the 2016 Luncheon Series, click here. To find out how you can become involved in our Tocqueville Society, click here or contact Director of Tocqueville Gracie Simendinger.