Jonnie Mae is a graduate of the 1973 class of Vero Senior High School and in 1977 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Office Administration from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia.  Over a period of 39 years, she worked for U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Airborne Express Corporation, Professional Creative Consultants and J. Brown & Associates. Jonnie Mae returned to Indian River County Florida in 2011.

She has devoted her life and career to community and civic advocacy. Formerly, Jonnie Mae volunteered for Indian River County Habitat for Humanity, was a Board member and Outreach & Development Director of the Gifford Youth Orchestra, volunteered at Vero Beach Elementary School with the “Winners Walk Tall” program, was a Vero Beach Senior High’s (SAC) School County Board member (2017 – 2019). She is also a recent graduate of Indian River County Chamber of Commerce 2019 Leadership Class. Jonnie Mae is currently the Executive Director of Gifford Community Cultural & Resource Center, a non-profit, volunteer base organization for mentoring, cultural, and leadership programs for underserved youth. She is also the Director of the Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center, President of American Association of University Women, (AAUW) Vero Beach branch, Board member of Indian River County Historical Society, Member at Large – Progressive Civic League of Gifford Florida, Life-time member of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) of Indian River County, member of the TCCH Gifford Health Center Advisory Board,  Trustee for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Florida, a member of the Steering Committee for the Dr. Samuel A. Hunter Memorial Foundation – among her many other affiliations and committees throughout the Indian River County community.