Lincoln Cemetery Society Inc. Officers and Board of Directors:

President – Vanessa Gray - Gulfport, FL - Vanessa is the founder of Lincoln Cemetery Society.  Her passion for the history and spirit of cemeteries go way back to her childhood, where highlights of family vacations often included an afternoon of walking through ancient monuments and headstones.  At the time it seemed a little strange, true, but with the passion she evoked with Lincoln Cemetery, it all makes more sense now...   Vanessa was born in St. Pete General Hospital and attended Our Savior Lutheran School on 58th St until 3rd grade when she moved to Englewood, FL.  She graduated there at Lemon Bay High School.  Upon graduation she attended Edison State College, and then moved back to Gulfport to pursue better employment opportunities, as the local economy was suffering badly from the Great Recession.  Vanessa is a world traveler, visiting many European countries, Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Canada, and much of the United States.  In April of 2015, she left Florida and drove herself across the country to take a summer position with the U.S. Parks Department at Yellowstone National Park.  It was upon her return that she began to spend time in the evenings walking up to Lincoln Cemetery, which is what has guided her on the path restore it.  Vanessa is a great communicator and a model citizen.  She was involved in Girl Scouts for much of her childhood and has volunteered for many charities including; Gulfport Get Rescued, Rotary clubs, youth foundations, veterans groups, community events, and even coached at Gulfport Little League.  Her charisma and good all-around nature makes her the perfect person to be President of this organization.

Vice President – Jon Harker - Gulfport, FL - Jon was born and raised in Southern Pinellas County.  He has lived in Gulfport with his wife for the last 3 years and been active in the community since 2007.  He served as Vice President of Gulfport Little League in 2007, President from 2008 thru 2013, and Player Agent in 2014.  He volunteered at the Little League Baseball Southern Region Tournament 2009 and has been helping Newton’s Haunts for the last 6 years raising money for local animal shelters.  He has been an active member of Lincoln Cemetery Society, attending cleanups since February of 2016.  Jon Harker has been an outspoken advocate and an unwavering volunteer who has become very passionate about the restoration of Lincoln Cemetery.  Jon is a real local community leader.  His no-nonsense style complements and augments the rest of the Executive Board of Directors of Lincoln Cemetery Society Inc.

Secretary – Darlene Corcoran - Gulfport, FL - Darlene moved to Gulfport with her husband in 1977.  She was a processor in both mortgage/banking and insurance.   While homeschooling her 3 children in 2002, the family joined Gulfport Little League and became involved holding a board position until 2015.  She has been very community oriented, and volunteered to do a lot with Gulfport’s Little League including Team-Parent and League Secretary.  She also ran the concession stand for many years.  She was a yearly volunteer with Little League Southern Region.  Since 2010, she has volunteered at Newton's Haunts which collects and donates to Biff's Kids of Pinellas County, Ruff Rescue, and other local animal shelters.   Darlene has been volunteering at Lincoln Cemetery since January 2016.  Her outgoing personality and passion for this project along with her ability to communicate and interface with just about anybody makes her a valuable asset as the Secretary for Lincoln Cemetery Society Inc.

Treasurer – Toni Clair Carcione – Gulfport, FL - Toni has been a Gulfport resident since 1999.  She attended NYC University and has a Political Science Degree from Hunter College.  She has been a bookkeeper for many years working for several companies in the NY Tri-State area.  She retired from Capitol One where she was a Customer Service representative.  She has been an active advocate for the LBGT movement since Jimmy Carter’s administration when she attended the first gay march in Washington DC, as well as marched to support ERA.  She is deeply religious and has taught Sunday-School at the Church of the Holy Trinity in NYC and attended Billy Graham’s Crusades and Days of Witness. Toni has volunteered at many civic functions including haunted houses, charity fundraising, Holiday Christmas Time for Senior Citizens, Den Mother for Gulfport’s Cub Scouts, and has been a volunteer at Lincoln Cemetery for over a year now.  Toni’s experience and knowledge of political science and her bookkeeping skills has been a valuable asset to Lincoln Cemetery Society Inc.

Advisory Board:

Dr. Basha P. Jordan, Jr. 

Kim Harker

Johnnie Lamons

Fran Burns