Derrick Gruner
Trustee Member
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
Community involvement has always been important to me. In faith we are taught to be good stewards, and meaningful stewardship necessarily
includes community.
My personal stewardship journey began when I was the youngest vice president in the history of our local chamber of commerce and continued through terrific programs like Leadership Jacksonville (Class of 2005), Leadership Miami (Class of 2009) and Leadership Los Angeles (Class of 2014). It has included sitting on the board of directors for youth offender intervention non-profit Inside-Outside of Jacksonville, serving on the board of directors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and continues today in my second year of service on the Riverwalk board of directors.
I discovered Fort Lauderdale’s own Riverwalk by an accident of serendipity. A frequent cyclist, the paths are part of a scenic route from my South Bank neighborhood to the beach. It was some time before I realized that the Riverwalk is more than mere physical infrastructure, it is in fact an organization that by its very definition is the steward of our community’s most iconic aspect beyond the beach. Being drawn to the Riverwalk organization’s mission of stewardship as consistent with my own, I joined and soon began volunteering. Th e Riverwalk organization is comprised of like-minded souls who are not here for profit but are passionate stewards of a vital asset and tireless in their efforts to create a vibrant community. So, when I am asked aft er hours of volunteering in the blazing South Florida sun at a Riverwalk event why I do it, the answer is simple: this is how we make a life!