The Fall Academy Host Committee shall act as the local host during the annual Fall Academy under the direction and approval of the Board of Directors.
The committee works closely with the FACC staff. Members of the committee are appointed by the president, serve a one-year term, and usually represent the general area in which the Fall Academy is held.
The committee should begin planning and making arrangements as soon as possible following appointment of the committee members and the chair. Many aspects of the Fall Academy, such as contracts and reservations for the various functions are coordinated by the FACC staff and must receive the Board’s approval.
For more information on committee responsibilities and chair responsibilities, scroll down this page.
2025-2026 Committee Chair
Lina M. Zapata, MPA
Deputy City Clerk, City of Sunrise
2025-2026 Committee Members:
- Heather Bradman, CMC, Deputy City Clerk, City of Lakeland
- Dariana Amber Fitzgerald, CMC, City Clerk, City of St. Augustine Beach
- Alexandra B. Grant, MMC, City Clerk, City of West Park
- Roxann Reid Goodman, Director of Administration/Deputy City Clerk, City of Lake Helen
Committee Responsibilities
1) City Treasures for Welcome Bags:
FACC staff will purchase and provide the welcome bags, and the committee solicits items for the bags to include area information, i.e. restaurants, a map, etc., as well as little giveaways that local municipalities and businesses may have on hand, i.e. pens, notepads, tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. FACC staff will include advertisements in the Friday Newsletter requesting welcome bag donations. The committee should put together informational pages that include local places of interest, restaurants and maps of the area to include in the attendees’ welcome bags. Before the academy begins, the committee will meet and fill the welcome bags on site at the academy.
2) Clerks' Night Out:
The committee selects a venue for Clerks' Night Out, and coordinates with FACC staff to secure the venue for Clerks' Night Out. Clerks' Night Out needs to pay for itself if possible. The committee members will work with FACC staff to market the event and include the details in the academy announcement. FACC staff will accept and process registrations for the event. Committee members will attend the event and manage the event. If you need a bus for Clerks' Night Out, please let FACC staff know. Note that all contracts for venues, transportation, and related services must be signed by FACC staff, not by committee chairs or members. For any questions, contact FACC staff at facc@flcities.com.
3) Door Prizes:
The committee is responsible for soliciting items from Clerks throughout the state to use as door prizes at the Fall Academy. FACC staff will include advertisements in the Friday Newsletter requesting door prize gifts, such as gift cards, goody baskets, candles, jewelry, etc. In addition, the committee should contact local businesses to request appropriate items or gift certificates to use as door prizes. Please note that the committee cannot solicit monetary donations. If a business wishes to donate money instead of a prize, provide FACC staff with their contact information and let the business know that FACC staff will contact them regarding sponsorship.
Door prizes will be brought to the academy registration desk and collected by FACC staff. Door prize drawings will be held until the end of the academy joint session on Wednesday. Attendee names shall be placed in a software program by FACC staff and this software will be utilized to electronically select names. To win a prize, the person must be present in the room. Committee members will help move the door prizes from the FACC academy staff office to the joint session meeting room, either Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The committee will coordinate with FACC staff to know when and where to move the door prizes to the joint session. At the end of the joint session, committee members will distribute the door prizes to the winners.
Letter of Support
Before accepting the position of Committee Chair, the member shall provide a letter of support from his or her city to the FACC President.
Committee Coordination
The chair serves as a coordinator and oversees the committee, acting as a liaison between the committee and the Board of Directors. The chair should make sure that all committee members understand their duties and the role they play in accomplishing their goals. Shortly after appointment, the chair should begin to organize the members and establish a meeting calendar including proposed timeframes. The chair should be available to answer questions from committee and board members during their term.
FACC Board Meetings
The chair should plan on attending all of the FACC Board meetings. When a required report is due, the committee chair will prepare an agenda item for inclusion in the Board agenda packets; if there has not been any committee activity and a report is not warranted, the chair shall send an email to FACC staff notifying them an agenda item is not being submitted.
Committee Appointments
The president of FACC will send the list of appointees to the committee chair each year. The committee chair will contact the members of the committee. The chair must document those committee members that remained active and sufficiently participated during the year. This information needs to be sent to FACC staff at the end of the year. FACC staff will then forward the Certificate of Committee Accomplishment to those members who actively served.
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