Woman of the Year 2021 North Bay Village Style

 

Sissy Shute & Dr. Doug Hornsby (spouse)

Two years ago, in March of 2019, North Bay Village for the first time made a point of honoring the unique and often overlooked accomplishments of North Bay Village Women.  I wrote about it at the time here.  It was an exciting moment and in line with North Bay Village's history of progressive inclusion.  

At the time, I wrote of something that surprised me.  Excluded from the women honored was Sissy Shute.  

Sissy Shute has played an outsized role in our community.  

She has dedicated her efforts to community improvement in her neighborhood (North Bay Island), in the Village at large and here in Miami Dade County.   

Her personal efforts and willingness to help one on one alone would be worth recognizing.  One big one that stands out to me is her tireless promotions of food distribution efforts by David Richardson, the Miami Beach commissioner.  This has been a tough year for all and many people facing "food insecurity" meaning that buying food means other essentials like rent and transportation suffer are reluctant to come forward.  Sissy's enthusiastic involvement in this effort has put food on the table of North Bay Villagers who might otherwise not have had access to food for themselves and their family.     

Nevertheless, her contributions have gone well beyond this informal effort.  

• Sissy founded and keeps the North Bay Island Crime Watch going and is now leading the expansioni the program throughout the Village.  She herself paid for the cameras at the NBI Gate House.  
• Sissy has led the beautification efforts through the North Bay Island Garden Club.  
• Sissy has been a tireless advocate for the Optimist Club programs to support North Bay Village youth programs.  
• On a much larger scale, her involvement in getting clean government in North Bay Village has been critical.   Sissy's political activities have included epic parties at her house to invite the entire Village to meet and get to know our current mayor, Brent Latham, and Commissioner Julianna Strout during their campaigns, as well as bringing former Congresswoman Donna Shalala to North Bay Village among others.   Sissy took a lot of heat for her efforts to get a clean dais but persevered.  We all benefited.  

An Award Shows What We Value

This March, the Commission will be honoring those women who have made significant contributions to North Bay Village's civic life.  Each commissioner can put for the names of those who will be honored.  Mayor Brent Latham has nominated Sissy Shute for her consistent and valuable service to North Bay Village. Latham has also nominated several other notable women.  

Honoring Sissy Shute is not just a nice thing to do.  The honor would be well deserved for her of course.  For our community, it will make a strong statement that constructive resident involvement and the often unsung efforts to help those most in need are both our values and our aspiration.  

The Commission this year should correct the oversight made in 2019 and put front and center our most involved resident, Sissy Shute.

Kevin Vericker

February 21, 2021