Born and raised in Pensacola, Autumn Beck Blackledge comes by her achievements and her commitment to the Sacred Heart Foundation by way of her upbringing. “I won the lottery on parents, “ she says. “They were loving and just remarkable in everything they did for me and my brother Justin. And they taught that us that you give your talents, you give your time, you give your treasure.”
She believes that she is blessed to give her talents to the practice of family law, which she describes as a “calling.” She helps people navigate “hard, sad, life-changing events.”
Growing up, she and Justin watched their mother give much of her time volunteering. Their father, who started Beck Properties (now Beck Partners) the year Justin was born, taught them to give of their “treasure. Even if it was just a dollar to put in the offering plate…you gave,” Autumn says.
She and her husband Peyton (a professional firefighter) have five children between them. At one point in the near future, they will have a child in every grade at Catholic High School.
She has had to cut back on her community service, but stays faithful to her position on the Sacred Heart Foundation Board. She explains, “Number one, it is a well-run board. It’s efficient. They do what they say they are going to do with the dollars. They follow through and are excellent stewards. And they have an important mission that our community needs.”
She emphasizes what the new Children’s Hospital means to the this area: Besides being an important draw for Pensacola’s growth by way of new jobs, parents can rest easy, knowing they have the region’s premier source of healthcare for their children. And its cutting edge technology cancels the need to travel out of the region for specialty care.
An example of the state-of-the-art medical technology that will make a huge difference for infants and children is what Autumn calls “The High Speed CT Scanner.’ A project of the foundation’s fund raising, it will take an image in two seconds!
As a board member, Autumn works to attract the donations essential for the new Children’s Hospital to open its doors. Much credit is due to well-known, major donors. Yet there is still a huge necessity for contributions.
“I think the community doesn’t realize that every penny we are asking for will go to support our mission, to save children’s lives or make them better,” she says. “The need is so great in our area. It is amazing the amount of effort that the board goes to in raising and stewarding dollars for the kids.”