Clare Gebert Berry ’73 and Franklin Beard ’70 Named Honorary Trustees
Clare Gebert Berry ’73 and Franklin Beard ’70 were named Honorary Trustees at the year’s final Board of Trustees meeting on May 14. Clare and Franklin have supported the school for decades and across many avenues, and continue to be champions of Episcopal.
Clare Gebert Berry ’73 has been a student, a parent, and Board of Trustees member, and even named Alumnus of the Year. Her generosity to Episcopal is endless, as she is a member of the 50 by 50 Society of lifetime leadership donors, the Great Oak Society of leadership donors, and the 1966 Society of consecutive year donors. Clare has given to Episcopal for almost 30 years! Her realty company supports the school through the Corporate Partner program as well. Clare served on the Board of Trustees for seven years, during which time she was on the following committees: Executive Committee, Admissions and Marketing Committee, and Buildings and Grounds Committee. She was also the Lead the Way capital campaign major gifts committee chair and a core committee member. Berry Field next to our new Haskell Center is named for her family. Clare and her husband, Vance, have one son, Vance, who is a member of the Class of 2005.
“Clare’s enthusiastic and energetic support of ESJ has long been appreciated by everyone at Episcopal. She has a deeply giving spirit, and she promotes the school no matter where she is or what she is doing. We know she does it out of the deepest love for Episcopal and she is a tireless cheerleader for us,” said The Rev. Adam Greene, Head of School.
In addition, Clare is a 2023 Beaches Legend Honoree, an active volunteer at TPC, BEAM, the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach and the Audubon Eagle Watchers.
Franklin Beard ’70 is the first of three generations of Episcopal students – the only family to date with that honor. Franklin is a member of the Class of 1970 – the first graduating class. His son, Russell, is a member of the Class of 1996, and his grandson, Russell Beard ’24, will graduate Saturday week as the third generation member of the family and Episcopal’s first third generation graduate. Franklin’s son, Cameron, Class of 2000, is also an alum. Franklin’s second grandson, William, is a member of the Class of 2026, and his granddaughter, Virginia, will be an incoming seventh grader this fall.
Franklin is a former Episcopal Trustee – the youngest Trustee in school’s history at age 29. Currently he manages the Episcopal Foundation with his UBS team, and was instrumental in helping ESJ secure a Boldly ESJ campaign gift from the Winston Family Trust. Franklin is a member of the Reunion Band, which has played for alumni for years at Reunion Weekend on the Acosta-Schmidt House porch. He also has served on the school’s Alumni Board, and is a member of the Great Oak Society, the 50 by Fifty Society, and the 1966 Society.
Franklin’s additional community work includes St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, where he was Senior Warden and continued his musical offerings as a member of the folk choir. He is also the past president and umpire-in-chief of the NOL Little League, and a member of the Westside Rotary Club of Jacksonville.
“We thank you, Franklin, for all that you and the generations of your family have given to our school, and we are pleased to name you an Honorary Trustee this year,” said Adam.