Early History--The Merger

In September of 1981 Big Brothers of Hillsborough County and Big Sisters of Tampa merged to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tampa, Inc.
 
Barbara Pankau served as Board President, followed by Donald Meng, and then by Michelle Addison in September 1982. In the same year, Bowl for Kids’ Sake began as the agency’s chief fundraiser with Jeff Thaxter chairing the event. Honorary Chairperson was Jimmy Giles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the merger and until May 1982, Gary Yellin, formerly the Director of Big Sisters, served as the Director of the merged agency. In 1981 FunRaisers, an ancillary group to Big Brothers Big Sisters with the motto “I Party for the Cause” was incorporated to provide entertaining experiences with the proceeds going to the agency.  Among these experiences included monthly happy hour events to raise funds and increase awareness of the agency.  The FunRaisers additionally helped organize the first Bowl for Kids’ Sake. 
 
In October 1982 Adrienne Brennan was hired as the Executive Director. The agency received a Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant with state monies specifically designated to serve pre-delinquent girls from ages 8-15 from single-parent families. The following year, the grant was changed to include pre-delinquent boys.

Also in 1982, Brenda P Rouse coordinated a major ad campaign for the Tampa Bay office, called "WANTED: Best Friends" through the Ad 2 club of Tampa Bay. This campaign was the first place winner at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Competition in 1983. The Campaign was even picked up for use by the National Big Brothers Big Sisters office.

In 1983 Bowl for Kids’ Sake was a tremendous success and United Way continued to be a source of 55% of the agency’s funding. The Conn Foundation, state grant monies, Bowl for Kids’ sake, and private donations made up the rest of the budget for 1983 which was approximately $180,000. There were approximately 150 matches – 50 of those were male matches. Thomas Icard was elected Board President in September, 1983 and served with Glenna Adams as the First Vice President, Jeff Thaxter as Second Vice President, Eric Newman as Treasurer, and Suzanne Walker as Secretary.  Also on the board at this time was Brenda Rouse, Michelle Dunstan, Michael Addison, Eric Nueman, case-worker Debbie Salario Lubrano and Rex Kilgore.  November 28 and 29 were important dates for this agency as it underwent full member evaluation by National Representatives Kay Lawler and Lynn Klein.
 
Early in 1984 the agency learned it would be offered full membership at a National Board meeting in October of that year. On February 15, 1984, the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner honored past Presidents of Big Brothers and Big Sisters.   Celebrity Day became a part of the Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser with Eric Trevillion, a Tampa Bay Bandits football player, contributing his support. A three-year long range plan was developed with Jeff Thaxter chairing this strategic assignment. The Personnel Committee’s main project was the institution of a Crisis Communication Plan. This plan established procedures for Big Brothers Big Sisters communication with the media, families, and community in critical situations. In November, Glenna Adams was elected Board President. Jeff Thaxter was elected First Vice President, Tom Icard as Second Vice President, Eric Newman as Treasurer, and Micky Tagliarini as Secretary.
 
The Speaker’s Bureau was implemented in January 1985. Wayne Drash developed the training curriculum for the experienced and novice volunteers. The mission of this group was to speak before local groups and corporations in support of United Way or direct Big Brothers Big Sisters’ financial or volunteer support. The Friends Campaign was also implemented, and Jeff Thaxter was instrumental in its development. This annual campaign encouraged Board members to solicit direct contributions to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. In November 1985, Jeff Thaxter was elected President of the Board of Directors. Cindy Furr was elected First Vice President, Glenna Adams became Second Vice President, Mike Mills was elected Treasurer, and Rhonda Cameron served as Secretary.
 
The highlight of 1986 was the ‘Best Friends” segment becoming a regular feature of Channel 8 news. These television spots enabled Big Brothers Big Sisters to highlight successful matches. In November 1986, Cindy Furr was elected as President of the Board of Directors. Wayne Drash was elected First Vice President, Jeff Thaxter as Second Vice President, Mike Mills as Treasurer, and Rhonda Cameron as Secretary.
 
The year 1987 saw Bowl for Kids’ Sake raise $105,500 in donations. The agency’s first personal computer, an IBM 286 XT, was purchased with a $2,000 donation from IBM. Chenoweth & Faulkner implemented a successful public relations campaign for the agency. The Speaker’s Bureau, coordinated by Jay Fetchel, was called upon to give 37 United Way presentations. The Speakers Bureau was recognized for its outstanding support of the annual United Way campaign. The agency was saddened by the death of its first Executive Director, Ernie Ortiz. Wayne Drash was elected President of the Board of Directors in November 1987. Kevin Carey became First Vice President, Cindy Furry became Second Vice President, Mike Pacetti became Treasurer, and Sara Mendez became secretary.
 
In 1988 supplemental fundraisers were held in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters. A jazz concert under Andrea Cheney’s leadership was held in June. Wayne Drash was instrumental in the August Autocross and Car Show. Jones Cable contributed $5,000 to the agency. Everett Bass, Board Member, received the “People of Dedication Award” from the Salvation Army in August 1988. Mr. Bass had contributed extensive time to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ minority recruitment efforts. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeast Regional meeting was held at the Tradewinds Hotels, St. Petersburg, in October 1988. The Brandon field office was opened to serve the Eastern portion of Hillsborough County.   In November, Kevin Carey was elected President of the Board of Directors. Ed Strickland became First Vice President, Wayne Drash was elected Second Vice President, Gerald Gerlach became Treasurer, and Cindy Walker became Secretary.
 
Adrienne Brennan resigned as Executive Director in March 1989.