Staff Reports
The Florida Supreme Court recently appointed Melanie Shore of Gainesville to serve as a public member on the Florida Bar Board of Governors.
In a Florida Bar press release, the Wednesday announcement said Shore will replace Joseph “Jody” D. Hudgins of Naples to serve a two-year term as one of two public members on the Bar’s 52-member governing board. Hudgins’ term will expire in June.
Shore is currently a private banker and senior vice president with Seacoast Bank. The Lakeland native graduated from Western Carolina University with a BSBA in marketing/management and has been a banker for over 30 years. She has accreditation through the Florida Public Relations Association and is an Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional. Shore is also a graduate of Leadership Florida and Leadership Gainesville.
Shore’s background includes serving as a president, campaign chair and board member for the United Way of Alachua County. She is currently on The Community Foundation of North Central Florida board and is a past board chair. She is a UF Performing Arts emeriti board member and is a past president for the WUFT Friends of Five Board of Trustees and the Education Foundation of Alachua County. She is also currently on the Board of Trustees at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. Shore recently completed a three-year term on the Citizens Advisory Committee of The Florida Bar and she serves on the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
According to the release, “Since 1987, two public members have served on the Bar’s 52-member governing board, after the Supreme Court of Florida approved the organization’s request to have nonlawyer representation on the board. Only 12 other state bar associations have public members on their governing boards. The Board of Governors oversees the Bar’s lawyer discipline program, continuing legal education programs, legislative activities, and the overall administration of The Florida Bar.”