The Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living’s leadership is officially changing hands.
The Journal Courier reports that Brooklyn Knapp has officially been promoted to Director of JACIL, taking over Peggy Davidsmeyer, who will officially retire on November 30th.
Knapp was promoted on October 1st, but has been completing job shadowing with Davidsmeyer for the last couple of years.
Davidsmeyer was on the ground floor of JACIL’s beginnings when she was the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce representative on a committee that helped write the grant for the center’s initial funding in 1996, when she was working at the now-closed Jacksonville Developmental Center. Davidsmeyer became director at JACIL in 2016 after she retired as the administrator of Knollwood Retirement Village. Davidsmeyer took over the position from JACIL’s original director Becky McGinnis.
Knapp has been at JACIL since 2020, working in financial services. Knapp told the Journal Courier that she wants to grow resource development programs and continue to expand fundraising for the independent living center when she takes over. One of the first areas she wants to raise money for is to continue a partnership with the AMBUCs to build wheelchair ramps. Knapp also wants to promote awareness of hidden disabilities, including mental health issues, depression, anxiety and placement on the autism spectrum. Knapp also wants to increase JACIL’s visibility in the surrounding community through a greater social media presence and through better visibility.