Robert V. Lee
Robert Vernon Lee III is an American Episcopal priest, humanitarian, and the chairman and CEO of FreshMinistries, a non-profit organization based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Biography
Robert Vernon Lee III was born on January 14, 1951, in El Paso, Texas, in the family of Colonel Robert V. Lee Jr. and Cynthia Warren Lee.He earned a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and pursued graduate studies in journalism at the University of Georgia. Later he earned a Master of Divinity from Yale University and a doctorate in theology from the New York Theological Seminary.
After serving as rector of the Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville, Florida, Lee founded FreshMinistries in 1988. It was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization the following year. Lee began leading FreshMinistries full-time in 1994, focusing on interfaith and interracial outreach. He currently serves as a non-stipendiary Canon for Outreach and Ecumenism in the Diocese of Florida. He has also served parishes in Connecticut and Florida.
Appointed by Governor Jeb Bush, he served on the Mayor's Faith-Based and Community Advisory Board for the city of Jacksonville. Lee has also served as a Director on the Board of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
He serves on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Interfaith Council, Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville Urban League. He is a member of the Compass Rose Society, an organization within the Anglican Communion.
Lee III has been inducted into the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
He was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President's Council on Financial Literacy, which is now defunct.
He is currently residing in Jacksonville with his wife, Mirte de Boer Lee, and their two children.
International Partnerships
Siyafundisa
In 2004, FreshMinistries received a 5-year, $10 million USAID grant for HIV/AIDS education in South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia. Lee helped establish a partnership between FreshMinistries and the Church of the Province of Southern Africa to use the Anglican Church's presence and infrastructure to administer peer-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs. By 2009, the Siyafundisa program had empowered thousands of youth, reaching its annual target of 34,340 participants.Global Action Partnership
In 2009, the Anglican Communion approached Lee regarding the potential global application of the 6-Point Community Initiative, described as a holistic approach to community improvement used in Jacksonville, Florida. Lee III engaged in discussions with Hellen Wangusa, the Anglican Observer at the United Nations, and Olara Otunnu, the president of the LBL Foundation for Children, about creating a Global Action Partnership to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. GAP was established in November 2009 in New York City.The creation of GAP garnered the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at a dinner during the Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2009.
Response to 2010 Haiti earthquake
In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, FreshMinistries/Be The Change International was requested by the US Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate aid and relief operations, leading to the development of the "Tomorrow's Haiti" initiative.BTCI's program utilizes Episcopal churches and schools within BAEH's network as community centers for distributing relief aid and introducing the “Tomorrow’s Haiti” empowerment plan.
BTCI's emergency relief efforts have included shipping supplies such as three ambulances, emergency aid, food, water, water purification systems, clothing, school supplies, large generators, and 147 large tents for temporary schools and shelter. BTCI has planned to ship additional tents for schools and shelter, as well as medical equipment.
Revitalization in Jacksonville
In 2006, Lee III was recognized as a "Change Agent" by the Florida Times-Union for establishing FreshMinistries, noted for "helping people start businesses, revitalize their neighborhoods and get out of debt."6-Point Community Initiative
FreshMinistries, led by Lee III, developed a holistic model for community revitalization addressing multiple areas simultaneously. In Jacksonville's East side, these areas include education, affordable housing, economic development, family strengthening, safety, and health. The initiative involves partnerships with local, state, and national organizations and government agencies. Partners have included former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, Duval County School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, and Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford.The initiative seeks to develop programs intended to be self-sufficient and community-owned, adapted based on community needs.
Recognition
In 2000, Lee III delivered a sermon to President George W. Bush during his visit to Jacksonville, Florida.In August 2008, Lee III and FreshMinistries Communities Empowering Youth director Michelle Hughes were recognized by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for their work in the community. This recognition was for their neighborhood anti-crime walks, CEY's assistance to the Police Athletic League, and other FreshMinistries initiatives focusing on community improvement and safety.
Lee III facilitated a partnership between FreshMinistries and Florida State College at Jacksonville to create a tuition-free, accelerated welding training program for unemployed and underemployed adults in the East side neighborhood. The program's first cycle trained 25 adults. After finishing the free 12-week training course they were offered jobs by the American shipbuilding and construction company Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville, Florida.