“We welcome everyone to the board and look forward to working together to achieve our mission of inspiring and preparing youth to succeed in a global economy,” said Shannon Italia, president of JA of North Florida. “Each person brings experience and skill to their new role that will help guide our organization and drive results that increase our impact on students in Northeast Florida.”
Three of the new members have a background in education. Dr. Dana Kriznar is deputy superintendent with Duval County Public Schools and said she believes it is so important to expose students to the personal stories of professionals within the community in a variety of industries. Dr. Lakshmi Goel is a professor and associate dean at the University of North Florida and has a passion for education and instigating curiosity in learning. Dr. John Wall is provost and vice president of academic affairs at Florida State College at Jacksonville. He looks forward to being part of the board and doing the work especially when it comes to work readiness which is a key area of focus for both FSCJ and JA.
Jason Spencer and Sheryl Tschimpke come from the financial industry. Spencer works with Wells Fargo as the vice president and relationship manager in the North Florida Regional Commercial Banking Office and Tschimpke is an assurance partner with Pivot CPAs. Spencer said he wanted to be part of JA after he learned of its mission through his community involvement. He said JAÂ’s focus aligns with his personal philanthropic mission for bettering the community. Tschimpke is a JA alumna and said JA truly made a difference in her life and showed her she could be anything she wanted. She is excited to be able to do the same for young people in the Northeast Florida community.
Wendy Alexaitis is a marketing director for bestbet and said an organization like JA provides invaluable opportunities for young people to realize and believe in their vast potential. She said she is honored to be an advocate for JAÂ’s mission to provide the tools and resources to help adolescents become empowered and successful in life.
“We are excited to have these new members on board who understand what JA can do for the community and our children,” said Mary Ann Callahan, JA of North Florida board chair. “We continue to look to expand our board with people who can bring fresh ideas and guidance as we continue to work for the betterment of our children and teens. The young people we are educating now could be our future community leaders.”
The six members are now part of a board made up of 32 community leaders who volunteer their time to help promote and enhance the mission of JA of North Florida.
About Junior Achievement of North Florida
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement of North Florida has been operating in Jacksonville since 1963 and includes a satellite office in Tallahassee. Through an innovative partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers, Junior Achievement of North Florida helps young people connect with relevant learning and the importance of staying in school. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit www.janfl.org.
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