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OCEAN Honors Stacy Jones with Sunflower Award
By Dan Mearns
Feeling Fit Correspondent
Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes and Cremation Services could have picked no better
community relations coordinator than Stacy Jones. The Charlotte High School graduate
spent 15 years as market controller at Clear Channel Communications, honing the expert
communications and organization skills that so impressed Kays-Ponger & Uselton.
From CHS to Clear Channel to Kays-Ponger & Uselton, Stacy has made a name for herself in
Charlotte County, working tirelessly as an advocate for assisted living facilities, nursing homes,
hospitals, veteran organizations and animal organizations, as well as chairing local community
events. Among the many community organizations with which Stacy is involved, Our Charlotte
Elder Affairs Network (OCEAN), honored her with its 25th annual Sunflower Award during
ceremonies at Visani Restaurant and Comedy Club in Port Charlotte on May 23.
“Stacy received the Sunflower Award for all her hard work and dedication to seniors in our
community,” said OCEAN President Melissa Lockart, founder and owner of Helping Hands SW FL.
In addition to OCEAN, Stacy is a board member of the Punta Gorda History Center and the
Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity and member of the CharlotteArts Art in Public Places
committee, the Douglas T. Jacobson Residents Fund advisory council, the Englewood Chamber
of Commerce marketing committee, the Business and Professional Women of Charlotte County
and all five area Chambers of Commerce (Charlotte County, Englewood, North Port, Punta
Gorda and Venice).
President of the Veteran’s Appreciation Celebration Committee and vice president of the
Vietnam Wall of Southwest Florida, Stacy served as the 2009 president of Leadership
Englewood and chairs the Hooked On Habitat Fishing Tourney and Dancing with the
Charlotte Stars, in which she participated as a celebrity dancer in 2012. She’s also a past
board member if the American Cancer Society.
Stacy resides in Punta Gorda with her husband, Billy, and daughter Kendra.
OCEAN is a coalition whose membership consists of public and private health, human and
social service organizations and others concerned with elder issues. Its purpose is to identify
services in the Charlotte County area and to share that knowledge, provide pertinent
information and referral, analyze unmet needs, advocate for appropriate and effective
solutions and increase public awareness of the elder services available in the community.
For more information, visit the website www.ocean-fl.org.

OCEAN President Melissa Lockart presents a $1,000 check to Stacy Jones, who is holding the trophy she
also received as the 2018 Sunflower Award winner. They are joined by OCEAN board members, from left,
Tanyah Lockett, Amie Conti, Pam Monnier and Paul Lioon.
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