Haven Hospice named Portia L. Taylor and Curtis F. Jefferson as the honorary chairs of its annual VIVA! 2023 event. The couple, distinguished members of the Gainesville and Alachua County community, are long-time supporters of Haven Hospice. Portia served as past secretary and board member for Haven and was involved in the successful capital campaign for the E.T. York Hospice Care Center expansion. She continues to support Haven and is a member of Haven Women of Philanthropy – Gainesville.

Taylor and Jefferson enjoyed long, distinguished careers in higher education, both retiring from Santa Fe College. Curtis spent thirty years in various administrative positions at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio before coming to Santa Fe College where he retired as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. During his twenty-year tenure at Santa Fe, he was very involved in mentoring faculty, staff, and students, with a particular focus on the My Brother’s Keeper program. Portia held many administrative positions at the college during her thirty-six-year tenure, retiring as Vice President of Student Affairs.

As an active community leader, Portia received many recognitions for her community service, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gateway Girl Scouts and the Alumnus Achievemnet Award from the University of Florida’s College of Education. Curtis and Portia were the Honorary WalkAmerica Chairs for March of Dimes and continue to support many community organizations. Curtis is currently on the board of Palm Breeze, a support group for the Reichert House.

In their role as honorary chairs of VIVA! 2023, themed VIVA! Las Vegas, Portia and Curtis are delighted to continue their support of Haven and look forward to attending the event on Saturday, September 9, at beautiful Valley View in Alachua, Florida.

Haven’s annual ViVA! event raises funds for unreimbursed care and programs provided to patients and their families in North Florida. This year, all proceeds from the evening will benefit Haven’s dementia program. For ticket information or sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.BeYourHaven.org/ViVA or contact development specialist Vicky Robertson at 352.271.4665 or vlrobertson@BeYourHaven.org.