Tip of the Spear

I was privileged to meet FSU’s First Family

I have found that, many times, the best interviews are those that are arrived at the least easily. The most compelling subjects are often people who are habitually busy.

So, I kept at it for 18 months in which I would periodically contact Florida State University officials in an effort to arrange for a writer to sit down with FSU President Dr. Richard McCullough and his wife, Dr. Jai Vartikar.

Finally, stars and calendars aligned, and an interview was scheduled for a December afternoon during a holiday break in classes.

Our story based on that conversation appears in this edition of 850 Magazine. I think you will find that President McCullough and First Lady Vartikar are the right people to steer the FSU ship as the school works to build upon its status as one of the top universities in the country and serve as an asset that will benefit all of Northwest Florida for decades to come.

President McCullough left Harvard University, where he served as vice provost for research, to come to Tallahassee. Dr. Jai, as she is known around campus, and her husband both hold doctorates in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University, where they met as graduate students. She has emerged at FSU as an enthusiastic “Ambassador for the Arts.” His interests include strengthening the relationship between FSU’s research arm and the private sector, thus improving the flow of new advancements and products to the marketplace.

I thought carefully about where best to photograph the FSU president and First Lady before settling upon the President’s House. I intended for our project to represent both their personal and professional sides.

The decision would prove to be a good one, and the photo shoot would include an element that I hadn’t anticipated.

Photographer Dave Barfield and I arrived at the residence early to check out possible settings for a cover photo. We settled on the backyard versus the home’s formal interior in part because it would give Dave the opportunity to take advantage of natural lighting.

While inside, I noticed a dog bowl in the kitchen. When President McCullough and Dr. Jai presented themselves for the proceedings, I asked them whether we might include “Bodhi” in some shots. We opted to first take some photos without the dog and try later to add Bodhi — I was told he can be highly protective of his owners.

Bodhi, I should point out, is a Saint Berdoodle, not quite large enough to replace Renegade the Appaloosa in pregame festivities on Bobby Bowden Field, but he’s stout. When President McCullough brought him outside on a leash, Dave and I gave Bodhi plenty of room. I think you will agree that the cover shot worked out well, and I invite you to make some discoveries about FSU’s first couple by reading our story.

I would also like to congratulate Alice Collins, the “Queen of Forgotten Coast Real Estate,” upon completing 50 years in business. Alice had a vision decades ago, and hers was the first real estate company to set up an outpost on St. George Island at a time when it was accessible only by ferry. Over the years, she’s built a leading real estate vacation rental service company and has been an integral part of the island’s growth and plans for responsible development.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Alice for more than 20 years. Take it from me, her passion for the quality of life along our developing coastline is unparalleled. 

Have a great summer!

Brian Rowland
browland@rowlandpublishing.com