Moms Doing More in the 904: Jacksonville’s First Lady Molly Curry

You might recognize Molly Curry as Jacksonville’s First Lady, wife of Mayor Lenny Curry. But before gaining that title, she was a certified public accountant who practiced for eight years before becoming a full-time mom to her three children — Boyd, 12, Brooke, 11, and Bridget, 8. Molly enjoys supporting the educational and recreational interests of her kids and serves as a member of the PTA, in addition to volunteering in classrooms throughout Duval County, where she promotes literacy, the arts, nutrition, and youth development activities.

Molly also assists her husband on community engagement programs and initiatives that build safer, healthier and vibrant communities for families throughout the city. She has led and participated in a variety of charitable events and activities including Blessings in a Backpack, the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, Generation WORKS, Rethreaded, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville Symphony, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, and those hosted by Duval County Public Schools. In addition, she is equally active at Southside United Methodist Church, where she has led a young girls’ group and has coordinated Vacation Bible School.

As a family, you can find the Currys cheering on the Jags and Gators during football season, staying active on weekends or enjoying home with their 10 pets! No, that is not a typo. They have two dogs, two cats, four chickens (outside, of course), one parakeet, and one leopard gecko.

Three fun facts about you:

I’m a reality TV fan, The Real Housewives being my favorite! I’m a PK (Preacher’s Kid) — my dad was a Lutheran Pastor,  and I played volleyball in high school, and we won the State Championship.

What is the one thing that motivates you and pushes you to do more?

My family is what motivates me. My family motivates me to get up and be the best person I can be every day… even though it’s hard some days, and I fail other days. I’ve got a wonderful healthy family to wake up to and come home to every day!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Biggest challenge to overcome is probably public speaking. I hate public speaking and still try to avoid it when I can, but… when I feel the cause/event is worth it, I will put my fear aside and speak in front of people.

How do you balance work, time with family and time for yourself?

Balancing family time and time for myself is a constant work in progress. Being a stay-at-home mom, I’m blessed with the ability to spend quality time with my kids. Whether its volunteering at school, taking them to their events after school, or helping with homework, I’m able to actively participate in my kids’ lives. I also make it a priority to spend time with my husband one on one — a date night. Some weeks it might be attending an event or dinner in the evening, in which case we try and meet up for a drink before (or after) to talk and catch up.

I do get time for myself during the day while the kids are at school to help with various nonprofits around town such as reading to school kids, visiting children in the hospital, serving on committees for fundraising, etc. Working out is important to me, so I try to either get this in first thing in the morning while the kids are asleep or while they are at school.

Also, having social time with other adults is important to me. So whether it is attending a Bible study or running in the morning with my girlfriends, I enjoy spending time with friends! One thing is for sure, being flexible is a must because no two weeks have a similar schedule.

How do you define personal success?

I use to measure success based on being promoted at work or how much money I made. Now, it’s how happy and healthy my family is.

What advice do you have for other moms?

Don’t be so hard on yourself. I think moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to do it all and do it all perfectly.

A few questions for Molly’s daughters, Brooke and Bridget:

What does your mom do all day?

She runs errands and cleans the house, and she is nice to us.

What do you love most about your mom? 

She tells you what she really knows, and she doesn’t lie. She’s kind to us every day.

What does your mom do for fun? 

She goes to luncheons with her friends and goes to lunch at school. She likes to work out and get her nails done.

Moms Doing More in the 904 is a new series that highlights local moms who are making a big difference in our community. Want to tell us about an inspiring mom who is doing something great? Tag us on social media @JaxMomsBlog with the hashtag #MomsInThe904.

Kacey Roache
Kacey Roache is a Jacksonville native who lives in Ponte Vedra with her husband, TJ, and her three kids, Lucy, Lucas and Lola. Kacey graduated from Florida State University (Go Noles!) with a degree in interior design. She is passionate about the arts and arts education and has served on the board of Art with a Heart in Healthcare, Ponte Vedra Public Education Foundation for the Arts, Christ Church Creative Academy as well as the PTOs at her kids' school. In her spare time you might find her channeling her inner Serena Williams on the tennis court, performing in community theater, or enjoying the beach with her friends and family. Follow her family's chaos on Instagram: @kaceyroachepvb

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