Sometimes I stand on the second floor staircase and marvel below at the bustling activity that occurs every day in the lobby of the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University.
I let my mind wander, mostly because it gives me motivation. I wonder what the students of today will go on and achieve in their careers. What meaningful contributions will they make to society? Who will they manage and mentor into successful business leaders? It can be extremely awe-inspiring.
After my mind wanders, I am struck with a sense of urgency. What can we do better to help enhance their preparation to thrive in a competitive market place? Are better teachers necessary? Yes. Would more technological tools help? Definitely. But, aside from this, what are we doing to recognize them individually? Asking these questions, we were inspired. This flash of inspiration led us to create the Top 40.
As we enter our 80th year, the celebration for the talent that walks these hallways never stops. Getting better every day isn’t just something we say, it’s what we teach and what we do.
We have had some major accomplishments in recent years. One notable achievement is that we are now one of just 5% of the business schools in world, and the only in North Florida, that are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Launching this fall is the Doctor of Business Administration degree. This program will be for for executives at JU who want to take business intelligence and the art of “informed intuition” to a whole new level.
In the following pages I am pleased to present to you our best and brightest, all of which are nearing a graduation milestone here at JU in the Davis College of Business. They will undoubtedly be the leaders of tomorrow, even perhaps in your organization. Some will continue their current career path and others are looking for an employer where they can make a maximum impact.
I would encourage you to introduce yourself, serve as a mentor, and challenge these rising stars to see what some of the smartest new graduates in North Florida can do for you. Soon, they will walk down the aisle to receive their freshly minted degrees. Rest assured that they understand that the paper they will be handed is simply a symbol of a meaningful accomplishment. The real work is yet to be done.
If your organization has a need for talent, I urge you to take a look at our students. I know you will like what you see.
Congratulations to all of our students who were named the top talent of Jacksonville University Davis College of business.
Dean Don Capener
Jenna Aihie
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/jennaaihie
Aihie enjoys meeting new challenges and does so daily as a sales and marketing professional at CSX Corporation’s TRANSFLO Terminal Services subsidiary. Her exciting role emphasizes innovation and exposes Aihie to diversity. She embraces this, as she appreciates opportunities that allow her to apply her skills while also learning from colleagues with different perspectives.
In school, Aihie is most interested in executive communications and strategy. She aspires to be a leader within her organization and expects to add value in her next position by generating sales and efficiency. Aihie is gifted with strong analytical skills, a diligent work ethic, and an affable personality.
Outside of school, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. An avid sports fan, Aihie is looking forward to attending the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is also passionate about volunteering in her community.
Charles Allen
Hometown: Elkton, MD
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/pub/charles-allen/5b/22/5bb
Allen’s ideal work environment involves teamwork. It is a place where team members are engaged in meeting goals and working together. A place where collaboration is required but individual effort is also recognized.
During his studies, Allen was very interested in project management and operations management, specifically how to make systems more efficient. He was inspired by The Goal by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt and would like to apply the principles of the Theory of Constraints in his future work.
A dedicated team player that always works to achieve the goal before him, Allen continues to hone the leadership skills that he developed as a Navy officer. He is an eager learner who always seeks new and useful concepts.
Allen enjoys spending time with his family and going to the beach to swim or surf. He also follows current events and likes to read science and technology articles.
Waleed Alsuhaibani
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/waleedalsuhaibani
Alsuhaibani appreciates organizations in which employees feel confident in discussing employment matters, both with management and amongst themselves. He also prefers work environments in which ongoing training and development stimulate growth and where hard work is recognized. A strong spirit of cooperation is paramount.
Alsuhaibani is most interested in accounting, finance, and human resources, and has a background in banking, investments, and economics. He is a results-oriented, strategic influencer who has sincerity, confidence, and integrity. Alsuhaibani prides himself on his ability to work with people of diverse cultures. He possesses flexibility and the ability to adapt to change.
Alsuhaibani has a thirst for knowledge and loves learning new information by reading, particularly business magazines. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, is an avid soccer fan, and likes visiting new places to learn more about the global environment in which we live.
Subba Ayyagari
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL & Hyderabad, India
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/subba
Ayyagari’s ideal work environment is best defined by words like collaboration, creativity, innovative culture, respect, fun, and work-life balance. It is a place where work is a joy. This environment would allow Ayyagari to grow personally and professionally, while also meaningfully contributing to the success of the company.
Professionally, he is interested in corporate innovation, marketing, and finance. Personally, he enjoys tennis, running, start-ups, and spending time with his kids.
Why should Ayyagari’s next employer hire him? He says it is because he listens, learns, collaborates, leads by example, mentors, works hard, delivers, and enjoys his work. He is motivated and motivates others.
Kris Bacon
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Finance
www.linkedin.com/in/krisbacon
Bacon’s cross-functional skill set includes project management, sales, customer service, contract negotiation, procurement, and budgeting. Specifically interested in real estate investment, and careers such as financial analyst and financial planner, Bacon prefers an environment in which he can work both individually and with others to attain an end goal. A self-motivator, he enjoys working in an environment where he can continuously learn, therefore improving his skills and adding value to the company.
Bacon says he has the determination and ability to persevere amidst adversity. He is not afraid of assuming new responsibilities and challenges and welcomes opportunities to do so. He possesses high character, ethics, and integrity.
His interests outside of school include yoga, reading, spending time with his German Shepherd, cooking, learning a second language, and watching Jaguars football.
Macy Bedingfield
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Management
www.linkedin.com/pub/macy-bedingfield/37/94a/b09
Bedingfield prefers a multi-faceted work environment with a strong business ethic, reputation, and culture. She likes being challenged in a positive way and enjoys working with others to achieve real-world solutions that provide long-term benefits.
While working toward her degree, Bedingfield enjoyed all areas of study but has found she is most interested in leadership, international business, and quantitative business methods because they have been most applicable in her current role at CSX Corporation.
Bedingfield says she has been fortunate to have a wonderful career at CSX, and her experience there, combined with the education she is receiving at JU, gives her the knowledge and confidence needed to accomplish any objective.
Outside of school and work, Bedingfield likes spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys music, traveling, hiking, and the outdoors. An avid photographer, she plans to take photography classes in the future.
Andrew Broyles
Hometown: Lamesa, TX
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-broyles/72/161/281
Broyles values work-life balance and prefers employers that do so as well. His ideal workplace is one in which people are professional, yet relaxed, and where opportunities for advancement are based upon ability and who is best for the company.
He is interested in management and marketing. Management appeals to Broyles because he enjoys working with people and communicating both up and down the chain of command. Marketing allows him to use his creativity and to expand his horizons with new product development.
Able to both lead and follow, Broyles managed multi-million dollar projects and supervised a department while in the Navy.
He enjoys time with his wife, Malyndia, and his three sons, Joseph, C.J., and Nicolas. He is a football booster for his son’s team and spends as much time as possible with his family and bettering his education.
Veronika (cq) Funk
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/veronikafunk
Funk thrives in a dynamic environment with a strong team of strategic thinkers who can execute a variety of projects. She prefers to work for a community-minded organization that focuses on the greater good and practices corporate social responsibility.
She is interested in business strategy, international business, leadership, and mergers and acquisitions. She hopes to leverage her degree for continued career development within the Florida Blue organization.
Funk enjoys spending time with her two children traveling and seeing the world.
Paramita Ghosh
Hometown: Asansol, India
Major(s): Accounting and Finance
www.linkedin.com/in/gparamita
Ghosh’s ideal work environment fosters the development of new skills and is marked by open communication and collaboration, with periodic performance reviews at individual and business unit levels. It increases her competitiveness day by day and allows her to add value to the organization.
She likes evaluating projections of financial performance of companies, and she is interested in profitability and risk analysis using financial ratios derived from financial statements.
A fast learner, Ghosh works hard and adapts to change quickly, as evidenced by her professional experience. She has worked across three different countries in various roles in her eight years in information technology.
JU’s MBA program has given her a well-rounded perspective about different aspects of business and management, she says. Her excellent academic record and high grade-point-average testify to her ability to succeed in challenging roles.
Ghosh enjoys traveling, reading autobiographies, salsa dancing, and cooking ethnic dishes (Mexican, Chinese, Thai and Indian).
Zachary Greenwald
Hometown: Palm Coast, FL
Major: Sport Business
www.linkedin.com/in/zacharygreenwald
Greenwald believes that teamwork should not be obstructed by cubicle walls and instead feels interaction should be encouraged.
Based on past experience he would enjoy working in event marketing, but he is open to opportunities in product marketing, corporate sponsorships, and other areas in which he could contribute to an organization.
Playing soccer for over 17 years has instilled in him the desire to always do his best work and has taught him that a team can be more successful than an individual. He is a team player who works hard and learns quickly.
Greenwald participates in all kinds of sports and coaches youth sports. He also enjoys movies, going to the beach, and snowboarding — if only it would snow in Florida.
Alexandra Hoffman
Hometown: Gambrills, MD
Major(s): Finance and Marketing
www.linkedin.com/pub/alexandra-hoffman/80/9a3/ba3
Hoffman prefers a work environment in which she can grow professionally, socially, and intellectually. She would be most productive in an environment where there was strong teamwork, but she could still work independently.
Her ideal company would offer excellent training and her boss would possess great communication skills and an ability to lead effectively. The company would have an enthusiastic environment where the employees share the same values of hard work and dedication with each and every task they set out to accomplish.
Graduating this year, Hoffman is interested in finance and likes working with numbers. She has a creative mind and would relish an opportunity to work with a marketing team that shares the same vision: to help a company succeed and to position it in the minds of its customers.
A self-motivated worker, Hoffman gives her best to every task. She has mastered the skill of time management from playing four years of Division I lacrosse, while also pursuing a dual degree.
Hoffman enjoys playing and watching sports, reading, going to the beach, and hanging out with family and friends. An active person, she likes being outside and exercising.
Timothy Hunt
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/timothyhunt1
In Hunt’s ideal work environment, strategic objectives are defined and pursued, established processes are valued with freedom to innovate, professional challenges are provided, and teamwork is encouraged.
His undergraduate studies were in the area of quantitative psychology and research design. His professional interests center on bringing these skills to provide some level of understanding of human behavior – be that customer experience management, market research, or developing models for customer satisfaction.
Hunt is a problem solver. His formal training and experience, along with data analysis and his Six Sigma Black Belt certification, enable him to identify issues by breaking down complex problems.
He has a range of experience both on the customer side and as a director of large operational departments. Hunt understands how to manage employees and budgets, by establishing strategic objectives and maintaining a flexible approach so as to not stifle innovation.
Outside of work, he enjoys running to maintain a healthy mind and body, playing guitar, and studying the history of jazz music. He is the proud father to a son and daughter. His son is a recent graduate of Stanton College Preparatory School’s International Baccalaureate program and is now in college. His daughter is a freshman in Mandarin High School’s Advanced International Certificate of Education program.
Shaun Hysler
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major(s): Accounting and Finance
www.linkedin.com/in/shaunhysler
Hysler wants to utilize and build upon her skills. She likes collaborating with co-workers who share the same passion for what they do.
Most interested in the tax portion of accounting, she also likes bookkeeping. She brings enthusiasm, skills, and a desire to learn and become all that she can be.
Hysler spends as much time as possible with her family. She also enjoys reading and scrapbooking.
Stefanie Jackson
Hometown: Middleburg, FL
Major: UNF- Health Care Administration; JU- MBA, Management Concentration
www.linkedin.com/in/stefanieljackson
Jackson’s ideal work environment is a health-care management setting that fosters learning and growth, with ample social interaction with both team members and patients.
She enjoys leading, identifying quality improvement projects and success metrics, and ensuring that her company is HIPAA compliant by utilizing the latest compliance guidance and technology.
Jackson is interested in health-care compliance, HIPAA compliance practices, finance and accounting, management, health-care IT and practice management. She possesses a diverse skill set with experience in a major health-care organization and private practice setting.
A continuous learner, Jackson enjoys applying her knowledge in the workplace. She is experienced in working with all levels of health-care providers and professionals, with an emphasis on improving their administrative workflows. She likes managing people and ensuring diversity in the workplace.
Outside of school, her interests are fishing, skeet shooting, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.
Kelly Jeanfavre
Hometown: Morris, CN
Major: Aviation Management
www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjeanfavre
Jeanfavre would love to work in a place where customer service and quality are the company’s top priority. Her ideal work environment would also involve a lot of interaction with others.
She is interested in aircraft operations, and would feel at home with a charter company, a corporate flight division, or a commercial airline company. She is ambitious, determined, and excited for the opportunity to apply what she has learned in her classes to real-world situations.
Jeanfavre loves being active, especially running, swimming, and playing tennis. She’s a big fan of football and hockey. She has always enjoyed reading any book she could get her hands on and tries to pass on her love for reading and learning by volunteering with after-school programs.
Patrick Jones
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Aviation Management and Operations
www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjones10
The ideal work environment for Jones has clear goals and objectives. It is built on teamwork but provides him autonomy to determine how to accomplish the tasks that he has been assigned.
Jones is interested in the complexity of decision making in management, especially aviation management. He enjoys analyzing ways to not only reduce costs, but to find more efficient methods and to provide a better value product to customers. He is loyal, passionate, willing to learn, and anxious to apply the knowledge and skills he has acquired in the workplace.
His interests outside of school are weight training, running, swimming, photography, studying history (including corporate), reading fiction, and traveling.
Skaife Jones
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Management
www.linkedin.com/pub/skaife-jones/63/6b/83b
Jones likes to directly benefit both the organization and the customer through his work. He prefers an organization that recognizes and rewards its employees for their hard work and efforts and also allows employees to make decisions and suggestions regarding the business.
Excelling at analytics, he enjoys analyzing problems and coming up with the best solution. This is what motivates and drives him.
Jones is a highly dedicated, self-motivated individual with a high energy level that helps him motivate others. He has an exceptional ability to learn and apply the knowledge that he has gained toward success.
Jones likes watching football and salt-water aquariums.
Thomas Johnston
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/tomjohnston9
Johnston’s ideal work environment provides new challenges as well as the opportunity and freedom to use his skills to meet challenges and help his company grow. He has thrived in this type of environment at his current company for 15 years.
Interested in international business and marketing, JU’s EMBA program has provided him with new knowledge and skills that make him a more well-rounded business executive.
He loves to spend time with his family and enjoys golf, travel, reading, and cooking.
Stewart Kelly
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
Major: Business Administration
www.linkedin.com/in/stewartkelly1
Kelly likes a fast pace, preferring multiple projects or activities going on simultaneously, all with varying deadlines. He enjoys being the “go-to” guy who gets things done. He builds relationships with those individuals who can help accomplish the tasks and cause the entire organization to be successful.
He is most proficient in presentation and relationship building. He also finds statistical analysis and decision science coursework intriguing.
Kelly’s next employer would benefit in knowing that he will create the bridges necessary to get the job done and make it happen. His drive feeds his hunger to succeed, and in doing so he learns new skills to evolve with the changing world.
He is interested in technology and follows how innovation shapes our world. He was a collegiate athlete and has kept his competitive drive going with intramural sports such as flag football, softball, and CrossFit.
In addition to spending quality time with his wife, Alyssa, Kelly enjoys fishing and heading to the beach.
Sonya Larson
Hometown: Elizabeth, CO
Major: Finance
www.linkedin.com/in/larsonya
Larson’s ideal work environment is collaborative. She would love to work for an organization where individuals are encouraged to openly voice their opinions and ideas, with a strong support system from the leadership team. She says that is imperative to strive toward meeting goals and celebrating successes together.
Larson finds most areas of finance interesting, but is extremely interested in personal finance. She loves to read different finance philosophies and to keep current on what is happening in different markets. She enjoyed her Quantitative Business Methods coursework and likes working with Microsoft Excel and statistics.
Larson gives 100 percent to any endeavor she undertakes. She has proven her ability to manage projects and people during her career, with experience in customer service, operations, international markets, leadership, and project management.
She makes it a priority to understand the broad impacts of her work and doesn’t hesitate to reach across lines of business to make sure clients receive exceptional service. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and is FINRA Series 7 licensed.
Larson is involved with the United Way Reading Pals program that prepares children for kindergarten. She takes Italian language lessons while commuting and relaxes by exercising, kayaking, playing Sudoku, and spending time with family and friends.
Graham Leary
Hometown: St. Augustine, FL
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/grahamleary
Graham has been fortunate to work with top companies such as Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Black & Decker during his career. While each has been a unique experience, the common threads have been that they uphold high business standards, have a high degree of professionalism, and care about their employees and customers alike.
Economics, accounting, and international business are his strongest subjects. Bi-Lo Holdings has been very supportive, allowing Graham to undertake his EMBA, showing a strong commitment to developing their employees. He is often on the lookout to hire top graduates with strong analytical skill sets.
Graham follows global affairs and the global economy. He enjoys traveling internationally and meeting people from different cultures. Graham likes watching rugby, playing a little golf, listening to music, and spending time with family in beautiful Northern Florida.
Tanja Leiser
Hometown: Hassloch, Germany
Major(s): Management and Marketing
www.linkedin.com/in/tanjaleiser
Leiser believes that a work environment should support individuality while, at the same time, motivating workers to cooperate. Ideally, co-workers respect and support each other and management cares about the employees’ needs and opinions.
She is interested in event management, especially in dance/life entertainment events and, most of all, in the process of planning such an event by herself. She has enjoyed taking courses in accounting, finance and management. She likes to how all of these courses combined, round out the picture of how to be a successful manager.
Leiser is reliable, responsible and passionate. She sets high expectations for herself and always finishes what she starts. She completed an internship in Sydney, Australia in the summer.
Leiser likes taking walks and visiting places like Friendship Fountain in Downtown, taking lots of pictures while doing so. She also enjoys traveling, particularly to foreign countries, where she can take even more pictures. She loves to practice all kinds of dance and taking advanced training in being a dance and fitness instructor.
Peter Logsdon
Hometown: Holley, NY
Major: Corporate Finance
www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-logsdon/13/aa3/850
Logsdon prefers a friendly environment where he can freely discuss business and ask questions. He enjoys working independently and supporting team efforts. His ideal workplace also offers opportunities to learn and advance his career. It provides the resources necessary to do his work and is focused on satisfying the needs of customers.
Investment analysis of mergers and acquisitions and financial statement analysis are two areas that interest him. Logsdon would like to choose projects to fund and decide how to finance those investments. He also would prefer to analyze the financial statements of companies to determine their value and make recommendations on what companies to acquire.
Logsdon has more than 24 years of experience in manufacturing, including positions in research and development, technical service, marketing, and sales. A fast learner and problem solver, he has demonstrated his leadership skills as a sales manager for the past 12 years. He brings value-added improvements to organizations. He does everything he can to improve a company’s prospects and growth.
His personal interests include golf, bike rides, walking on the beach, weightlifting, and reading. He also enjoys do-it-yourself projects.
Mary Alice Lundy
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major(s): Management and Marketing
www.linkedin.com/in/maryalicelundy
Lundy’s ideal work environment would allow for career advancement in a company that is invested in development and growth. It would expose her to different aspects of the company to capitalize on her entrepreneurial background and ability to capture the big picture. Being associated with an organization that provides a clear vision and strong commitment to its core values is paramount.
Majoring in Management led to a strong interest in leadership and organizational behavior/development, and culture. Marketing sparked interest in relationship development and the innovative and creative processes to evolve strategic marketing plans.
Her next employer should hire her because of her diverse background, as well as her problem solving and decision making capabilities. An operations professional with experience in several industries, Lundy would bring a people-first philosophy and a results-driven work ethic.
Her interests outside of school include spending time with family, traveling and experiencing different cultures, boating, and giving back to the community.
Brian Malek
Hometown: Spotswood, NJ
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/brianmalek
Malek’s ideal workplace is one where people can grow professionally and intellectually and where innovative ideas are well received. This workplace should appreciate knowledge, skills, and work ethic and be flexible enough to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
He has been most interested by the leadership components that are integrated into the curriculum of JU’s MBA program. These tasks and goals have pushed him to become a better, more productive leader both at work and in school.
Malek has a track record of success in the corporate world, as well as in the MBA program. He has passion, motivation, and an exceptional work ethic. He has a strong desire to grow and learn at each level that he reaches in a company.
His interests outside of school include photography, graphic design, consulting, and user interface usability research. He also is involved in various sports, and spends extra time running and riding his Harley Davidson.
Michelle Markum
Hometown: Maryville, MO
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/michellemarkum
Markum feels extremely fortunate that she has worked at Mayo Clinic for eight years. Her ideal work environment combines her passion for healthcare with administration and management. A focus on providing the highest level of quality service is paramount and there is collaboration, with a strong emphasis on building effective teams.
She is interested in healthcare administration, nursing administration, and operations management. Markum thrives in a challenging environment that encourages thinking outside the box to solve problems. Her clinical and educational background has prepared her for successfully managing the changing world of health care.
A Registered Nurse with a master’s degree in public health (MPH), Markum’s clinical background is primarily in cardiology. She enjoys traveling when not at work or school.
Joseph Merritt
Hometown: St. Augustine, FL
Major(s): Finance and Economics
www.linkedin.com/in/merrittjoseph
Merritt’s ideal work environment involves a company focused on developing employees professionally, both through training and first-hand experience. Open communication between coworkers and supervisors is important. Some flexibility in working hours and opportunity for advancement is a plus.
As an economics and finance double major, he looks to combine both aspects of business in an area similar to business analysis in market trends, and government laws and regulations. He is interested in financial education and analysis of financial investments, markets, and institutions. He also is interested in corporate law as a profession.
With proven leadership experience and academic distinctions in his first year at JU, he has demonstrated interpersonal skills, dedication, passion, and responsibility for tasks of particular difficulty. Merritt is an honor student in the top 5 percent of the undergraduate student body of the Davis College of Business. His focus and determination have aided in achieving this honor.
Merritt leads small groups in his church and enjoys golfing and making trips to shoot sporting clays.
Ashishkumar Nayak
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/nayakashish
Nayak prefers a workplace that is friendly, supportive, oriented around teamwork, open to communication, and challenging. He likes to learn and advance his career while applying his skills on behalf of the company. He also values an employer that respects, recognizes, and rewards employees’ work, dedication, ideas, creativity, and knowledge.
An MBA finance major, Nayak is interested in corporate finance, investment banking, portfolio management, risk management, and finance management. He has confidence in his potential, his productivity, and his dedication and responsibility. He views work optimistically, tackling each project with planning and determination.
Nayak is curious and creative. He spends his time reading books, following the news, and watching inspirational, motivational, educational, and informative shows on television. He also believes that health is wealth, and that we work better when in good health, so he exercises regularly and keeps fit. Watching movies and listening to music refresh him as well.
Amy O’Brien
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Major: MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/amyobrien5
O’Brien describes her ideal work environment as one that is collaborative and marked by ample growth opportunities, transparent and open communication, and acknowledgment of high performers.
She likes working with numbers and counts courses in accounting, finance, and analytical methods for decision-making among her favorites. An experienced leader, she also enjoyed a class on teamwork and organizational change because it helped her to better understand people and to solidify aspects of her leadership style, such as coaching and being a change agent.
O’Brien is enthusiastic and has a passion for success. She has great people skills and is willing to jump in and help wherever needed. She goes above what is expected of her by learning other parts of the business and making her boss’s job easier.
Her interests outside of school are running, strength training, and team sports. She also enjoys being with the people she loves and attending JU events that support students.
Roger Palmer
Hometown: Manchester, MD
Major: Business Administration
www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpalmer1
Palmer likes working in an office where everyone is invested because they enjoy what they do. His ideal workplace would be staffed with only exempt employees, so no one is worried about punching the clock.
A lover of technology, gadgets, and computers, Palmer trained himself to use Lotus 123 software when it was popular. He also learned Microsoft Office on his own and has since expanded his knowledge of it by taking a course.
Palmer is an extremely loyal employee who is not looking for the next job to jump to. He learns quickly and is a proven leader, preferring to lead by example. His people know that he has already done what he is asking them to do. A military veteran, Palmer was selected to be in the Brumos Circle of Excellence at the Davis College of Business and, additionally, was selected by staff to be the Circle Leader.
Outside of school, Palmer is a 26-gallon blood donor, a volunteer with First Coast No More Homeless Pets, and a Lions Club International Member. He also donates time and money to Shining Stars Therapeutic Ministries.
Mark Reynolds
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Major: Aviation Management
www.linkedin.com/in/markdavidreynolds
Reynolds’s ideal work environment would include working together with a tight-knit group of colleagues. He believes that it is important to establish good relationships within the workplace in order to better tackle any challenges that may arise.
He wants to take on the challenge of the high responsibility and high stress environment of air traffic control. A fast learner, Reynolds is equally proficient in collaborating with a team as well as working individually. He works quickly and efficiently without having to be supervised and can adapt to any situation.
Reynolds personal interests include playing the violin, basketball, traveling, and reading novels.
Teresa Richard
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major(s): Management and Marketing
www.linkedin.com/in/teresarichard
Richard’s ideal work environment would be one that fuels a passion for excellence and creativity, whether in problem solving or completing a project. Within a framework of teams, her desired work environment is one with an atmosphere of synergy and meaningful recognition for a job well done. She can use her existing knowledge and experience, but also stretch with new challenges. Ideally, the workplace would not be lacking in opportunities or the lacking in the ability to grow beyond what she might have already contributed to the organization.
Richard is most interested in looking at people and work processes or functions and coming up with new ways to accomplish more and to do better. Ideally, this includes communications in some type of media environment for customer-focused initiatives, combined with both quantitative and qualitative management and marketing reporting.
Her next employer should hire her because of what she can contribute to an organization’s strategy, she says. Not only can she spearhead a team or project to produce great results, most of the time every team member will end the project with a sense of giving their personal best, growing professionally, and being a part of something that makes a difference to the organization and the customer.
Richard’s interests outside of school include PTA, volunteering, sports, theater, music, faith and family, history, and occasional travel.
Valentin Romero
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Major: Aviation Management and Flight Operations
www.linkedin.com/pub/valentin-romero/80/9a3/84a
Romero likes to work in a friendly place that is purpose-oriented, where objectives serve a purpose other than profit. He would like to work with friends and peers, not just co-workers. His ideal environment would also be dynamic and decision-based to keep his interest.
Fixed base operator is an area of great interest to him. Romero also would like to learn more about corporate aircraft leasing and charter, and he wants to be a business owner.
A hardworking leader who sets and accomplishes goals, Romero is a people person who tries to develop relationships with everyone as a means of satisfying customers. He believes that all situations in life provide a lesson and that those who learn it step forward, while those who don’t go backward.
Romero’s interests include his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He also likes sports, music, and recreational flying. He says there is nothing like renting an airplane for a little bit of fun.
Joseph Schmidt
Hometown: Valley Stream, NY
Major(s): Aviation Management and Flight Operations; Music Performance (Violin)
www.linkedin.com/in/josephtarschmidt
Schmidt prefers to work in an environment with people who are dedicated, trustworthy, and diligent. He considers leadership to be key to a successful work environment and would prefer to work for a leader with these same qualities. His ideal environment would be filled with people who want to be there and who will make the best out of every situation.
Aside from his favorite part of his major, flying, he enjoys learning about the history, birth, and growth of various airlines. He particularly likes analyzing NTSB crash investigations to learn as much as possible to prevent further incidents from occurring. He wants to pass down the information that he learns as a flight instructor.
Schmidt takes work seriously. He values efficiency and productivity and believes that diligent, honest workers are at the heart of every successful company. His goal, always, is to be the best that he can be and to help others to maximize their potential.
Outside of work, he enjoys playing the violin. He was classically trained from the age of 10, and he has experience teaching and playing in various orchestras. He also enjoys reading technology blogs and keeping up with technology news. He is quite interested in starting his own company as well.
Matthew Smith
Hometown: Warren, OH
Major: Economics
www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsmith2
Smith works well in an environment that appreciates innovation and rewards efficiency and hard work. He would be satisfied working for someone who is willing to listen and to give feedback, so both the workplace and company can improve. He enjoys working with small companies where the boss knows everyone by name.
Within the field of economics, Smith prefers to work with natural resource economics, econometric analysis, and/or financial economics. Time spent in the US Navy has left him with a strong background in electricity production and data analysis and interpretation.
Smith is adaptable to any work conditions, handles high-stress situations with ease, and always finds common ground with co-workers. He excels at finding creative ways to complete difficult projects. A quick study, he has excelled in the Navy’s most challenging field of nuclear power and has completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in economics in only two and a half years — with a perfect grade point average of 4.0.
An amateur triathlete, Smith also enjoys kayaking, hiking, and scuba diving.
Phillip Springer
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Major: Business/Finance
www.linkedin.com/in/springerphillip
As a leader, Springer’s ideal work environment would be one where he could pass along his knowledge and experience and watch the followers grow into great leaders. As a follower, his ideal work environment would be one where his ideas and work ethics would be recognized so that he could grow into becoming a great leader.
Springer is interested in corporate finance, investments, and looking into the future and making an educated guess as to where his company is going. He can balance work and his personal life so that one does not affect the other. He always takes responsibility for his actions and decisions, good and bad.
An avid gamer, Springer likes to play board games and video games. He also loves Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies and books.
Alyssa Stubbs
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major(s): Accounting and English
www.linkedin.com/in/alyssastubbs
Stubbs would love to work within an organizational culture that values integrity, diversity, and respect. Options that enhance work-life balance, such as flexible scheduling or occasional telecommuting, also would be attractive. She pictures herself working both on individual and team projects.
The first branches of accounting that caught her fancy were cost and managerial. While she is still drawn to private company internal operations, personal income tax law intrigues her.
Stubbs is dependable, task-oriented, and eager to learn and improve. She gets along well with other people, communicating effectively in written and oral presentations. She is intrinsically motivated to succeed.
Her most fulfilling passions are volunteering in her Christian ministry, teaching free Portuguese grammar lessons, and tutoring students in math. She also loves reading, sewing, and traveling – especially to tropical climates.
Fran Teller
Hometown: Fernandina Beach, FL
Major(s): MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/franteller
Teller’s ideal work environment is more autonomous than micro-managed and has friendly and capable co-workers who as a unit.
Since graduating from JU with an undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing in 2000, she has relied predominantly on her finance background. She currently is working in the investment arena and has enjoyed learning about the stock/bond market and observing how the business cycle and market news create volatility.
Teller has a proven track record of being an exemplary employee who can work well individually or as part of a team. Her strong background in Excel, her proficiency in grammar and writing, her excellent problem solving skills, and her ability to multi-task are additional assets.
Outside of school, she is a bit of a bookworm. She also enjoys spending time with her family and shopping with friends.
Andre J. van Rensburg
Hometown: St. Augustine, FL
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/ajvanrensburgccim
Van Rensburg’s ideal work environment emphasizes doing it correctly, in consulting, speaking, training, and teaching.
He is interested in business intelligence, organizational behavior, and exploring why certain business teams succeed when others with all the right ingredients, skills, resources, etc., fail.
He believes that every person lives and works in a team structure. Few organizations have embraced the concept of creating a culture of successful and sustainable teams, but we improve efficiency, productivity, organizational direction, and focus by strengthening the organization as a team, he says. To be competitive, he believes every business team should be as strong as it can possibly be.
His interests outside of school are his family, his business, exercise, and making sure every moment counts.
Paul Woodington
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Executive MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/pwoodington
Woodington enjoys working in an environment in which he can work as part of a team, as well as by himself, to achieve company goals. He also says that having the opportunity to learn in his position and mentoring others is important for not only his growth, but also the organization’s.
He enjoys accounting, statistics, and finance. His professors have helped him develop a deep understanding of how to create value through integrated financial, strategic, and operating decisions.
Woodington has more than a decade of leadership experience and is at the top of his EMBA class. His passion for developing solutions to short-term and long-term problems sets him apart from others and is an asset to potential employers.
When he’s not studying he enjoys kayaking, sailing, and hiking. He loves the outdoors.
The post Top 40 Talent appeared first on Jacksonville Advantage Business Magazine.