At its May 2021 Board of Directors meeting, the Jacksonville Historical Society welcomed Venetia resident Jeff Thompson and Charles “Chip” Storey of St. Augustine as new members of its Board of Directors. “The Jacksonville Historical Society is very pleased to welcome Mr. Storey and Mr. Thompson to its Board of Directors and look forward to engaging with each gentleman in areas that tap into their expertise and experience on behalf of the Society,” said Alan Bliss, Jacksonville Historical Society CEO.
Thompson has been in the construction industry for more than 40 years, as owner and president of Jeff Thompson Construction Company, with an interest in historic structures. He has served on the Florida Yacht Club’s Board of Governors for three terms, and holds a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from Jacksonville University. Thompson has been engaged with the JHS on the renovation of the Florida Casket Company building in preparation for the future Jacksonville Area Music Museum, and will serve on the historical society’s property management committee.
Storey is a principal with Normal>Next, a network of seasoned executives, entrepreneurs, and young leaders from diverse backgrounds dedicated to helping the world thrive through profound economic, social, and environmental turbulence. He specializes in the planning and management of large-scale complex organizations including foundations, government agencies, universities, and nongovernment organizations (NGOs).
Prior to his appointment to the Board, Storey has most recently been working with the JHS as a member of the music history museum task force, leading teams on the conducting and transcribing of oral histories taken from individuals in the Jacksonville music community.
Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Storey holds an A.B. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Stanford University. A volunteer in the research library at the St. Augustine Historical Society, he translates colonial documents from Spanish to English and conducts research on the two Spanish colonial periods.
“History is a family passion. My dad is currently writing a history of the19th century US,. and my mother co-authored one history textbook and was a contributor to another. My siblings and I all studied the history and literature of different world regions,” said Storey. “We have loved Northeast Florida for 30 years. Serving the Historical Society is a great way to meld the two passions.”
