BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Chuck Kramer is Bradford County’s first honoree as part of the Santa Fe College Foundation’s newly created Pillars of Service awards program, which will be presented annually to residents of Alachua and Bradford counties in recognition of their impacts on their communities and on the college.
Kramer, who is the general manager of Starke radio station WEAG-FM 106.3, which he and his family own, will be presented with the award during a luncheon on Friday, May 23, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville.
“There’s always somebody out there who, in my way of thinking, would have been more deserving of it,” said Kramer, who admitted he was “still very shocked and humbled” by being announced as a recipient of the inaugural award.
Kramer found out he was to be an honoree when he received a phone call from Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie. Kramer, who was wrapping up his morning show, said he couldn’t believe it was really Broadie and that he was to be a Pillars of Service recipient. He asked Broadie, “Is this a joke?”
To prove that he was indeed who he said he was and that it was no joke, Broadie visited WEAG the following day and, in Kramer’s words, said, “I just want you to know I’m Mr. Broadie. It’s not a hoax. You really did get this.”
Pillars of Service replaces the Women of Distinction awards program, which was retired after 37 years.
“This is the first time they’ve actually included the men,” Kramer said. “This is the first Bradford County recipient, who happens to be a guy and who happens to be me. It’s like, ‘They really couldn’t come up with somebody before me?’”
Yet Kramer has impacted his community in a variety of ways. Part of the nomination letter Santa Fe College received on his behalf read: “Chuck Kramer’s unwavering commitment to education, community service and historical preservation exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the Pillars of Service awards. His leadership, volunteerism and advocacy have made a significant impact on Santa Fe College and the Bradford County community.”
Kramer’s community involvement has included serving on the board for the Arc of Bradford, being a member of the Bradford County Tourist Development Council and serving as the lead docent for the Eugene L. Matthews Bradford County Historical Museum.
The museum, which Kramer described as “a labor of love,” is housed rent-free in a portion of the second floor of Santa Fe College’s Cultural Building at 201 E. Call St. in Starke.
In an Oct. 3, 2019, Telegraph-Times-Monitor story, Kramer’s wife, Mary, talked of how her husband sometimes works all day at the station after his on-air duties as host of the station’s weekday morning show end, only to then leave the station and go to a meeting of one of the organizations he’s involved with.
“He does a lot, and he doesn’t expect anything back,” Mary Kramer said.
Former Bradford County Supervisor of Elections Terry Vaughan was the WEAG morning-show host before Kramer was hired 34 years ago. Kramer and his family moved from New Jersey.
“He was very eager to assimilate himself in this community and has become an icon,” Vaughan was quoted as saying in the Oct. 3, 2019, Telegraph-Times-Monitor story.
Kramer said it was easy for him to become a part of the community. He said he was never treated as an outsider.
“I felt at home very early,” said Kramer, giving credit to people like Vaughan as well as former WEAG owners Ben and Ruth Dickerson.
Besides his community involvement, Kramer has also been an advocate for Santa Fe College, which has centers in Starke to complement its main campus in Gainesville. He and his wife will have a lasting impact on the college after creating an endowed scholarship in memory of their daughter Danielle, who attended Santa Fe and passed away at the age of 20 as the result of a traffic crash in 2007.
The scholarship was endowed 16 years ago. Kramer said it was former Santa Fe College Andrews Center Director Cheryl Canova who approached him and his wife about the idea
“Every two years, Mary and I get called into the (Andrews Center) boardroom, and we get to help pick out a student who’s eligible to receive the scholarship,” Kramer said.
Besides Kramer, recipients of the inaugural Pillars of Service Awards are:
—Climb for Cancer Foundation, a Gainesville organization founded by husband-and-wife Ron and Dianne Farb that has supported individuals with cancer (and their families) for 20 years. The couple also created the B. Dianne Farb Healthcare Education Scholarship for students diagnosed with cancer.
—Héctor Puig of Gainesville’s Héctor Picture Framing and Gallery, who artwork donations fill the halls at Santa Fe College and help shine a light on the importance of art on education.
—Kristina Ramer, a Gainesville editor and writer who is cataloging the Héctor Puig collection to ensure its lasting impact.
—Santa Fe College student Katie Belanger, a wheelchair user whose advocacy has led to greater accessibility for those with disabilities in the community and at Santa Fe.
Karmer had the chance to attend a luncheon and meet his fellow honorees. He said he was especially impressed with Belanger.
“She gets her voice heard,” Kramer said, adding “She’s set up things that will be long appreciated after she’s gone.”
It was apparent to Kramer, though, that every honoree “truly has a love for the community and the college.”
Pillars of Service will support a $250,000 fundraising initiative launched in 2024 for program enhancements, state-of-the-art equipment and scholarships.
The former Women of Distinction awards honored more than 190 women in Alachua and Bradford counties during its 37 years of existence. In 2014, the Women of Distinction honorees began raising funds to establish the first Woman of Distinction Scholarship. The first award was given for the 2015-16 academic year. The 2022 goal was to complete a fifth scholarship, totaling an endowment of $250,000 to support and mentor women in perpetuity.
Broadie, at the 2023 Women of Distinction luncheon, announced that the scholarship fundraising goal had been exceeded, saying that more than $265,000 had been raised to create scholarships.
“Our Women of Distinction award recipients will always hold a place of honor at Santa Fe College,” said Santa Fe College’s Sherry Houston, who is vice president for Advancement and chief philanthropy officer. “We will build on their legacy with Pillars of Service.”
