Courtney Dukes

Giving back to our community means? This is such a passion of mine. It means being vigilant and observant to the community you are in, and filling needs where you see them in the best way you can. If we keep our eyes open and are willing to put ourselves out there, we can all make a real difference.

Being a leader means to me… True leadership is serving those you are leading. It’s less about telling folks where to go or what to do, and more about finding out what a group collectively desires and forging a path to achieve the goal. One of my favorite quotes about leadership is “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”

I admire people who… know who they are, what their goals are and pursue them without hesitation, lifting others up as they go.

Something I take too seriously is…my mantle decor—ridiculous but it drives me crazy. I’m constantly searching for the best way to decorate the mantle for whatever season that will work around the TV, cords, etc. Talk about first-world problems!

One thing I need to start doing is… getting up earlier and making time for myself each morning. After we had our son, making time for myself slipped off the radar.

My favorite cup of java… is an Eggnog Latte from Starbucks. I’m THRILLED it’s finally “red cup” season again!

I cherish my… collection of quilts from my mother and grandmothers. No matter what happened during the day, it’s all good when I crawl into one of their quilts.

Three random things in my purse right now: A pair of socks, 9 pens (in various colors) and a roll of carnival tickets.

What’s missing from my purse at this moment? My wallet and checkbook. I also have 3 packs of gum and 3 packs of tissues. If you have a runny nose, bad breath or need some Chuck E Cheese toys, I’m your girl. But you’ll probably have to pick up lunch ;)

Three things that drive me batty: 1. Reaching into a sink of dishes with food in the water. I will seriously pre-wash every dish to avoid touching food that is in water. 2. People who drive in the left lane (It’s for PASSING, folks….) 3.When my socks sink into the heel of my shoe. It always happens right in the middle of a workout and it usually makes me quit and go home to a glass of wine. :)

I am currently roaring about...
The first ever Junior Service League of Beaufort Touch a Truck fundraiser! We just threw this event on November 5th, and it was a wild success. Our planning committee devoted the last year and a half to planning, organizing, coordinating and running this new fundraiser that we thought really filled a void in Beaufort. As usual, the Lowcountry community showed up in full-force to support a great cause. We raised over $13,000 to put into our grants budget for the end of the year. In May, we’ll distribute those funds back into Beaufort area non-profits via grants. It felt great to offer a new event that was both fun AND beneficial to our community—the perfect combination!