Women’s History Month Honorees

Mayor Teri Johnston and the Key West City Commission honored two Key West women to highlight Women’s History Month. Those honorees are Mary Turner and Joan Higgs.

In photo #1: Lissette Carey and Jimmy Weekley; Mayor Teri Johnston, Mary Turner; Vice Mayor Sam Kaufman; and Commissioner Billy Wardlow. Commissioners Mary Lou Hoover and Clayton Lopez were in attendance via Zoom.

Mary Turner is a third generation Conch who is passionate about providing quality healthcare to members of the Key West community. She is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner of almost 25 years, and currently cares for a diverse population of uninsured and marginalized patients at the Rural Health Network of Monroe County.

As the first African-American woman to serve as a nurse practitioner with the agency, she works to ensure that healthcare is accessible to a wide range of patients in need.

“Mary is a proud graduate of Monroe County schools, including the College of the Florida Keys where she later served as an instructor in the school’s renowned Nursing Program for five years,” reads the proclamation.

She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Miami and a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Florida.

She is equally passionate about affordable housing in the Florida Keys. She currently volunteers

In photo #2: Commissioners Lissette Carey and Jimmy Weekley; Mayor Teri Johnston, Joan Higgs; Vice Mayor Sam Kaufman; and Commissioner Billy Wardlow. Commissioners Mary Lou Hoover and Clayton Lopez were in attendance via Zoom.

for Habitat for Humanity of the Lower Keys in the Family Services Division where she meets and interviews prospective owners.

Joan Higgs has been an RN in the community for over 50 years, serving as Director of Nursing at both Lower Keys Medical Center and the Department of Health and served as Administrator of Bayshore Manor Assisted Living Facility.

While serving as Director of Nursing at Lower Keys Medical Center she established departments of Nursing In-Service Education, Infection Control, Quality Management, Risk Management and Discharge Planning.

In addition, she established the Roosevelt Sands, Sr. Community Health Center and the Department of Minority Wellness while working at the Department of Health.

“Joan’s community highlights include establishing Cooking with Love in 1996,” reads the proclamation, “to provide healthy, home delivered meals to elders and other persons in need, which is currently providing 240-plus meals daily.”

Higgs was on the founding board of Womankind and the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys; she served on the board of MARC and the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition; and was ordained as a deacon in 1986 at the Metropolitan Community Church.

These two women have made – and continue to make – history in our community.