Message from the President
The University of North Florida is proud of all of its graduates. However, we have selected a few for special recognition as our Fabulous Graduates. These "Fab Grads" have distinguished themselves in their careers or communities and are outstanding ambassadors for UNF.
I hope these profiles will serve as an inspiration to others illustrating how their dynamic leadership has made a difference in the lives of others.
Sincerely,
John A. Delaney
Our Fabulous Graduates
Birkelbach builds UNF legacy
When David Birkelbach looks at the new Social Sciences building on the University of North Florida campus, he takes special pride in the 63,000-square-foot building. more…
Flagler College prospers under Abare’s leadership
It’s assumed that anyone who is a former high school basketball, baseball and football coach has a competitive streak in his makeup. Combining that with the challenges of a college presidency is a recipe for success for Dr. William Abare, president of Flagler College in St. Augustine. more…
DeWitt helps others succeed in construction
Fred DeWitt is the president and CEO of a small construction company with big aspirations. When he says big, DeWitt is not referring to multi-million dollar commercial construction projects, but rather to leaving a big legacy of helping young tradesmen build successful careers. more…
Henley established name in commercial real estate
Although Scott Henley is a relative newcomer to the world of commercial real estate, he is already establishing a name for himself in the field. more…
David Smith leads rejuvenated company
Some may be surprised that David Smith is the Chairman and CEO of a national company, considering he had no idea what he wanted to do when he entered UNF. more…
Pitts delivers on promise
Just because William Pitts is the president and CEO of one the fastest growing privately held companies in Florida doesn’t mean he’s afraid to get his hands dirty. more…
UNF is Cabanillas' ticket to space career
Jose Cabanillas grew up watching Gemini space flights blast off from Cape Canaveral. He never thought one day he would contribute to some of this nation's most ambitious adventures in space. more…
Husk uses degree to reinvent herself
Melanie Husk used her creative talents and a UNF education to reinvent herself throughout a career as a successful entrepreneur and an effective communicator. more…
Marques' training leads to wireless success
Mark Marques learned at an early age how the quality of service can make or break a fledgling business. When he was 11, his family moved from New York to St. Augustine and grew blueberries. “We had the best blueberries in St. Augustine but I had to deal with competition for the business. The difference was the relationship with farmers and the service we offered to customers,” he recalls. more…
Coley’s journey helps many along the way
Kathy Coley compares nursing to life’s journey, during which you pick up pieces along the way that produce a caring, accomplished professional. Coley is just such a professional who has helped countless patients in her distinguished 35-year nursing career. more…
She blazes trail in engineering
Dr. Christy She is a trailblazer in her profession and hopes other women will follow her into a career historically dominated by men. more…
Kenyon builds on family heritage
Matthew Kenyon understands the value of his heritage both professionally and personally. As the president and CEO of the Dana B. Kenyon Company of Jacksonville, he is the third generation to work in his family-owned construction company. more…
UNF sparks Sher to eclectic career
If you used occupations to describe Pat Sher you would have many choices. She's been a mother, a nurse, a naval officer, a lawyer, an environmentalist and a political activist. Many of these occupations are related to a UNF education she describes as "awakening my consciousness." more…
McCalpin saves $13 million in one hour
Few people can claim to have saved a client $13 million after a one-hour meeting. John McCalpin can make that claim and gives UNF credit for making the opportunity possible for him. more…
Ann Hicks plays key role in enhancing UNF
Few graduates can claim to have had more influence in shaping the education of UNF students than Ann Hicks. more…
Ogier credits UNF for success on two levels
R. Bruce Ogier is thankful both personally and professionally for a college experience he believes he couldn't have received anywhere other than UNF. more…
Holzendorf achieves extraordinary accomplishments
Betty Holzendorf doesn't consider herself to be anyone special. "I'm an ordinary person. When I see something that needs doing, I do it." That attitude has propelled her to extraordinary accomplishments helping her community and the University of North Florida. more…
Nursing program is stepping stone for Duggins family
Glenn and Rita Duggins have many things in common. They are both in the nursing profession. They love their jobs. They thank UNF for making their careers possible. more…
Thompson thrives on UNF's individualized attention
A statistics course was the last class Carol Thompson took at UNF before graduating in 1979 with a master's degree in allied health science. Although a 4.0 student, she and a few other students struggled with the traditionally challenging course. “My learning style was different and the professor understood that,” she recalls. Each week, the professor spent an hour after class with Thompson and the other students helping them with the course work. more…
Internship propels Beatty to successful career
In 1984 Lisa Beatty attended orientation at UNF with her grandfather since her parents lived in Tennessee at the time. The orientation for UNF’s first freshman class was so “warm and welcoming” that her grandfather, now 94, “still talks about what a great day it was.” The day was the beginning of an educational experience propelling Beatty to a successful career in communications. more…
Packard praises quality of UNF
As a partner with KPMG LLP in Jacksonville, one of the things Don Packard enjoys the most is returning to the UNF campus to help accounting students pursue their own careers. more…
Dreams come true for Kendrick
Wanyonyi Kendrick loves animals and admits she dreamed of becoming a zoologist when she was growing up. Today she serves on the board of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens as well as the UNF Board of Trustees and is a past board member for INROADS. She does this while also serving as chief information officer for JEA and balancing an active family life. more…
UNF helps Paryani to aid cancer patients
Dr. Shyam Paryani was already an accomplished medical doctor when he enrolled at UNF’s Master of Health Administration program. The training Paryani received at UNF made it possible to greatly expand the number of cancer patients helped each year. more…
Real world training propels Lovelace to successful career
Richard Lovelace may be the perfect example of how UNF transforms everyday students into successful civic and business leaders. more…
Joiner uses UNF degree to build business
Miller Joiner knew early on he loved to build things. “I was always putting things together. It was a natural thing for me.” With the help of a UNF education, Joiner turned that talent into a business designing and building custom homes in the Jacksonville area. more…
Layton gives back to Jacksonville community
Glenn Layton has worked to build his community since graduating from UNF in 1984. He not only has built some of the finest homes in Jacksonville but also gives back to the community in ways great and small. more…
Taylor places emphasis on writing for success
June Taylor has put a premium on the written word for her entire career in education. Whether teaching high school students or engineers, she always emphasized the importance of writing as a key to success. more…
Holland works to assure fair elections
When election day rolls around in Duval County, some 485,000 voters will have an opportunity to cast a ballot because of the efforts of Jerry Holland and his staff. Holland, the Duval County supervisor of elections, is responsible for making sure voting machines are working properly in 285 locations and 3,000 temporary workers are properly trained. more…
Critical-thinking skills crucial to Brosche’s success
Few 35-year-old women are a chief operating officer of a public accounting firm with more than 40 employees. Anna L. Brosche can make that claim in part because of the critical thinking skills she learned at UNF. more…
Hayes shares skills with student entrepreneurs
In 1991 David Hayes had a great idea for a new software company. He admits, however, had he not possessed the business skills gained by completing the UNF MBA program, it would probably have remained just that – a great idea. more…
UNF leads Malek to meaningful volunteer opportunity
When Brian Malek worked a part-time job he realized the difficulty faced by millions of Americans who can't afford health insurance. He had an opportunity to do something about that perplexing social problem when he became involved in a volunteer project made possible by UNF. more…
Privett pursues high-speed career and hobby
What has 1,000 horsepower and goes from zero to 80 in 1.1 seconds? A dragster with Dean Privett Jr. at the wheel. more…
Mobley committed to helping youth
Phil Mobley's passion is helping young people and the results of his work can be seen around Jacksonville. Mobley, for example, started a summer night basketball league on Jacksonville's north side. More than 175 youths participated in the program not only “keeping them off the streets” but teaching leadership and team building skills, according to Mobley. more…
Bono played role in expanding UNF
When UNF first opened its doors in 1972 it was an upper division university, meaning it had only juniors and seniors. Mike Bono was an alum who played a role in gaining four–year status for UNF. more…
Slade finds trail to success
Any description of UNF invariably entails mention of one key campus feature – the Robert W. Loftin Nature Trails. The trails are a source of pride for many people including one of the University's first graduates – Linda Slade. more…
Smaller classes key to Germany’s legal career
It’s not difficult to understand why John Germany found UNF such a drastic change from another university he attended. more…
Fryman helps to change the face of UNF
Few individuals can claim to be changing the face of UNF. Ryan Fryman can make the claim convincingly, having been involved in some of the largest construction projects in UNF history. more…
Crouch's Green thumb grows thriving business
As a young mother, Gerry Crouch loved working on landscape designs for friends. She and a garden club friend, Judy Drake, would bounce design ideas off one another. Gradually by word of mouth their skills became known to an ever-widening circle of friends. The two decided to form a partnership which has survived more than 30 years and resulted in a thriving business with a yearlong waiting list of clients. more…
UNF education propels Hall to varied career
A varied career ranging from auto logistics to college administration has illustrated the benefits of a UNF education for Gary W. Hall. more…
UNF inspires Jackson to help others
Helen Jackson has her finger on the pulse of Duval County's health. Jackson is the director of the Division of Community Nutrition Services at the Duval County Health Department. She is responsible for overseeing such programs as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the Breastfeeding Education and Support Program, the Obesity Prevention Program and Medical Nutrition Therapy. more…
Perez stresses customer orientation
If you had known Steve Perez before he entered the accounting program at UNF you might not have considered him a prime candidate for a major national accounting firm. Perez was a professional pianist performed around Jacksonville and in Nashville. His long hair caught the attention of faculty member Dr. Bettie Adams who recalls Steve was an outstanding student who needed a haircut to improve his professional appearance so future employers could see his full potential. more…