www.thestraights.com01-06-09 Governor of Florida inducts
Betty Sembler into
Florida's Women Hall of Fame
for her work at Straight
It is not unusual for politicians to bestow honorary awards upon cult founders. Straight co-founder Betty Sembler (wife of Mel Sembler) was Jeb Bush's finance co-chairman and in return then Florida Governor Jeb Bush joined the advisory board of Straight, Inc. under its current name Drug Free America Foundation and named August 8, 2000 Betty Sembler Day in all of Florida. Yesterday, January 5, 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist inducted Betty Sembler into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame for her work at Straight, Inc. Betty's son Brent, who is vice chairman of the Sembler Company, was Finance Co-Chairman for the campaign of state Senator Charlie Crist. He also served on committees for the election of Charlie Crist for Florida Education Commissioner, for Crist's bid for Florida’s Attorney General and for Crist's gubernatorial campaign. Another inductee was Louise Courtelis, wife of former Straight member-at-large Alec. P. Courtlelis. In all, Crist selected three women for induction, the third was Florida state senator Gwen Margolis. It is not known whether she is the mother of Joy Margolis, the former public information officer for Straight, Inc. Crist made his selection from a list of 10 submitted to him by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. Brent Sembler's wife Debbie is a former commissioner of the commission.
