Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 7-8-22

LifeLink Senior VP Ruth Bell Retires
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Ruth Duncan Bell, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs for LifeLink, has retired after 27 years of dedicated commitment and service to the organization.
LifeLink® Foundation is a non- profit community service organiza- tion dedicated to the recovery of life-saving and life-enhancing or- gans and tissue for transplantation therapy. The Foundation works in a sensitive, diligent and compas- sionate manner to facilitate the do-
RUTH DUNCAN BELL
nation of desperately needed or- gans and tissues for waiting pa- tients, support research efforts to enhance the available supply of or- gans and tissue for transplant pa- tients, improve clinical outcomes of patients post transplantation and work closely with the United Network For Organ Sharing (UNOS) to support its goals.
Bell has been a leader within the donation community both lo- cally and nationally and leaves be- hind a legacy of excellence in saving lives through donation edu- cation and donor registration.
“Initially, I am taking it easy and adjusting to my new reality. The best thing is that I can now spend more time with my family.”
“I will continue my work on boards and in community organi- zations. We will be traveling do- mestically and internationally. I also have house projects I want to tackle, she said of her next chap- ter.”
Bell lives in Wesley Chapel with her husband, retired NFL TE, Jerry Bell. The couple are parents of two adult children, Vanessa and David.
Etiquette Expert Gets To Share Her Knowledge Through TED Talk
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Tia Young, the founder and CEO of Tia Young Image and Etiquette, LLC, has been teaching in the areas of etiquette, education and air travel for over 30 years. Recently, Ms. Young was asked to serve as a TEDx Coach, sharing her experience and helping others. She was offered the coaching position after her own very successful TEDxEustis speaking experience.
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global is- sues — in more than 100 lan- guages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.
She will be coaching a student leading up to the TEDxYouth@Elliot- Street Event on February 25, 2023, in Boston, MA, but the prep work starts this month with a coaches’ meeting.
The TEDxYouth series is for stu- dents in middle school up to college age level and will help them share ‘Ideas Worth Spreading.’
Young received her BA degree in Communication Studies at the Uni- versity of Florida. After traveling around the world as an International flight attendant and trainer for United Airlines for 14 years, Ms.
TIA YOUNG
... Founder And CEO Of Tia Young
Image And Etiquette, LLC
Young decided to leave flying after the tragedies of 9/11 occurred. It was then that she started her etiquette business.
In the summer of 2021, Young was asked if she wanted to apply to be a TEDx Speaker. Giving a TED Talk was an item on her bucket list, so she excitedly said yes. The proposal scared her, but she was determined to accomplish this goal. With only a week to submit her detailed applica- tion, she quickly completed it.
“It was such a surprise, and the timing was tight, but I was deter- mined to make the most out of this unique opportunity. I knew it would be a lot of work and I enthusiastically submitted my application,” says Young.
A month later she received a
phone call that she was selected as one of the 14 speakers to speak on the TEDxEustis stage on January 29, 2022. The theme for the event was “Connecting”, so she decided to focus on her role as a former Flight Atten- dant and current role as an Etiquette Coach.
“It was incredible getting the news that I had been selected. I got to work right away.”
The challenging work of writing, rewriting, editing, and practicing was daunting. There were also zoom calls with TEDx Coaches and fellow Speak- ers, all to adhere to the strict format and timing rules required for a TED Talk.
“I was memorizing, refining, and performing my TEDx Talk over a six- month period. It was like a part time job. My husband Victor is my biggest cheerleader, so he was listen- ing to me aloud for months . I worked on my talk for two to four hours per
day,” says Young.
“I was fourteenth out of sixteen on
stage that day, That meant I had to wait until the afternoon to speak and that was so difficult.”
The title of her talk was “Etiquette, the Lost Art”. She used the letters in the word ART as an acronym to share how we all can bring back the lost art of etiquette with Awareness, Respect- ful and Thankfulness to others.
The live event was a tremendous success. The process to produce the YouTube video took two and a half months to complete but now can be seen here - https://youtu.be/_j5V- Hj6m9s.
Young’s experience will be an ex- cellent advantage to her mentee in the upcoming Youth Ted Talks.
Tia Young is also an author and is the host of "Normal to Formal" podcast. She enjoys international travel, playing tennis, and spending quality time with her family.
Tia Young On Stage At TEDXEustis
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