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Meet the CASS Team Mentors

Brittany smiling wearing a white suit jacketBrittany Cohill

Brittany Cohill serves as the Executive Director of the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.  She holds a holds a bachelor’s degree in history and psychology (2014) and a master’s degree in U.S. history (2018) from the University of North Florida.

She began teaching at Jacksonville University in 2018 while maintaining her position in the museum industry. She was awarded Jacksonville University’s inaugural Adjunct Faculty of Excellence Award in 2023.

In March 2023, Brittany joined Mandarin Museum & Historical Society as Executive Director. Mandarin Museum’s mission is to share the stories of Mandarin’s history, culture, and natural resources by providing engaging programs that educate, entertain and inspire. Under Brittany’s guidance, Mandarin Museum has enjoyed a strong partnership with the University of North Florida through hosting interns and partnering with various faculty to create experiential learning opportunities for students.

In her free time, Brittany enjoys spending time with family, listening to live music, visiting various culture organizations, and playing guitar and mandolin.

James smiling wearing a dark blue suit with silver tieJames Ellout

James is the Vice President of Community Impact at the United Way of Northeast Florida. James is a dedicated servant leader. As Vice President at United Way, he oversees a multimillion-dollar grant portfolio across 5 counties in the region, manages a suite of community impact programs, guides an innovative affordable housing initiative, and steers the administration of the First Coast Relief Fund, which is used for local emergency disaster response.

A native of Pontiac, MI, James began his career in Detroit, MI where he held various positions in juvenile justice, behavioral mental health, and public education. Before joining United Way, he served in several leadership roles with City Year Jacksonville, ensuring that students across Duval County Schools received the support they needed to successfully graduate from high school.

James brings a wealth of expertise in nonprofit program design, data analysis and evaluation, public policy, and relationship development across both public and private sectors. He holds a Bachelor's degree in English from Oakland University and is currently a Nathaniel Glover Fellow in the Master's in Public Policy program at Jacksonville University.

Passionate about volunteering, mentoring young people, social justice, and community economic development, James also enjoys sports, the arts, cooking, and spending quality time with his wife and three daughters in his free time.

Courtney has a beard and wearing a black suit, he is smiling.Courtney Harris

Courtney Harris serves as the Chief of Staff to the Office of the CEO, Florida Blue. In this role, which he assumed in August 2023, Harris is responsible for assisting with the CEO’s plan and coordinating the strategic, cross-functional activities of the executive office, including managing executive committee efforts.
Since joining the GuideWell enterprise in 2019, Harris has held a series of progressively responsible roles.  Harris has nearly two decades of experience in sales and marketing. Throughout his career, Harris has been active in community and professional organizations. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2022, a governance board member for Junior Achievers, and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He also served on the board of the Association of Talent Development as Vice President of Community Engagement.
Harris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare management from Florida A&M University.

Keith smiling and wearing a blue suit with a light blue undershirt and black pattern tieKeith Hicks

Keith Hicks is the Chief Appraiser at the Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office, a position he has held since January 2010. With a career at the office spanning from 1997, Keith has served in various management roles, including Division Chief of both the Residential and Commercial Appraisal Divisions. He brings over seven years of experience in real estate sales and appraisal from the private sector. Keith holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Real Estate from Florida State University and has earned several professional designations, including the Residential Evaluation Specialist (RES) from the International Association of Assessing Officers and the Certified Florida Evaluator (CFE) from the State of Florida, Department of Revenue. He is a member of both the Florida Chapter and the International Association of Assessing Officers. Keith is a Certified General Appraiser (RZ2755) in the State of Florida.

Judge Michael smiling and wearing judge robes with a white undershirt and red tieJudge Michael Kalil

Judge Michael Kalil serves on the 4th Judicial Circuit Court. Judge Michael Kalil, a Jacksonville native, graduated from Wolfson High School in 2001 as a National Honor Society member. He earned a philosophy degree from the University of North Florida in 2005, where he was Chief Justice of the Student Government and participated in mock trials and leadership programs. He then attended Stetson University College of Law, focusing on trial advocacy and earning a Certificate in Leadership Development. After graduating, Kalil joined the Duval County Office of the Public Defender in 2009, handling a variety of criminal cases.

In 2011, he moved to the Law Offices of John Kalil, P.A., specializing in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. He served on the Civil Service Board from 2017 to 2020, becoming vice-chairman in 2018. Kalil was elected to the Circuit Court in 2020, taking office in January 2021. He presides over juvenile cases and has been the Administrative Juvenile Judge since 2022. He also co-chairs the Circuit Advisory Board of the Department of Juvenile Justice and chairs the Adoption Committee of the Jacksonville Bar Association. In 2023, he received the Justice of the Year award from the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center for his work in juvenile justice.

Jennifer has long hair, smiling, and wearing glasses, blue suit jacket, and blue and white blouse.Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan is the CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, a nonprofit clinic that provides free healthcare for the working uninsured. Jennifer is a fifth generation North Floridian with a proven reputation in building and sustaining community partnerships with experience in health care at the national, county and hospital levels. In the role of Chief Executive Officer, Ryan is responsible for providing leadership of the organization’s medical operations, program development, staff and volunteer management, as well as fundraising. Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Mercer University and received a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University. In 2022 Jennifer successfully completed Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives on Non – Profit Management. Jennifer is a member of the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary, Jacksonville Women’s Network and the Women’s Giving Alliance. Jennifer is currently on the boards of Family Foundations, The Non Profit Center of Northeast Florida and Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

Monique Stewart is smiling and wearing a dark top with colorful designMonique Stewart

Monique Stewart currently serves as the Fund Development Director at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. Monique is a dynamic and results-oriented professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, leadership development, and community engagement. Monique has served as the Director of Partnerships & Community Outreach at Duval County Public Schools, successfully leading the development of long-term strategic plans that align with district-wide goals, resulting in significant increases in team efficiency and project success rates. She also secured over $1 million in financial and in-kind donations for public schools, particularly focusing on high-need areas. Before that role, Monique was the Associate Director of Engagement at Jacksonville University, where she enhanced alumni support through strategic donor stewardship and annual giving campaigns. Her leadership in developing scholarship funds and donor appreciation campaigns led to notable increases in donor retention and participation. Monique's previous experience also includes serving as Donor Services Manager at First Coast No More Homeless Pets. Monique’s tenure at United Against Poverty further showcases her operational management, stakeholder relationship-building, and volunteer program management expertise.

Monique holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration with a minor in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy at Jacksonville University. Her professional development includes participation in the AmpEd National Fellowship, serving as a board member and Diversity Chair for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and obtaining a Certificate in Volunteer Management from Rollins College. She is also an active member of the Jacksonville Urban League Young Professionals Network. Monique is passionate about fostering inclusive and supportive environments for all community members. She brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, community outreach, and program development, and she is committed to advocating for the needs and rights of the LGBTQ community in Jacksonville.

Aundra is wearing a black suit jacket, white button up shirt, glasses, and black checker tieAundra Wallace

Aundra Wallace is president of JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development arm of JAX Chamber. JAXUSA is a private, nonprofit division of the Chamber that oversees economic development in Northeast Florida, working with regional and state partners to create jobs and generate investment. In 2017 alone, JAXUSA Partnership helped attract 5,000 new jobs and more than $633 million in private capital investment.

Penny Zuber wearing a black suit jacket, checker pattern blouse, and white pearl necklacePenny Zuber-Simcox

Penny Zuber-Simcox is the Executive VP - Chief Operations and Financial Officer of the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast, one of the area’s largest not-for-profit organizations, serving five counties at multiple locations with over 1,800 employees.  The YMCA is committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. 

In her dual role of CFO and COO, she provides oversight for the organization’s annual budget of over $40 million and effective operation and delivery of YMCA programs and services, ensuring exceptional experience and accessibility to all.  She ensures the organization adheres to all applicable laws and regulations to protect the YMCA’s status as a charitable organization and plays a key role in the long-term sustainability of the Y through the development of staff, board, funding, and new branches.