Les Akers is an accomplished business man with many years of commitment to Florida State University. He has been a faithful supporter of University initiatives and he brings his extensive leadership experience to the FSU Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors.

Mr. Akers is the dealer principal and president of Legacy Toyota in Tallahassee, Florida. He is also the president and majority stockholder of Wayne Akers Ford in Lake Worth, Florida – the city where he spend the early part of his life. As a second generation Ford dealer, he grew up in the business and worked in all departments within the company before assuming management roles after college. Since relocating to Tallahassee in 1992, he has maintained senior management and ownership positions in several franchised dealership. Currently, Mr. Akers oversees the operation at his Ford dealership in Lake Worth in addition to his responsibilities at Legacy Toyota.

Mr. Akers earned a bachelor’s degree in risk management and insurance from the Florida State University College of Business in 1973. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at Florida State, an organization which he has continued to support. He has remained engaged with the University as a member of the College of Business President’s Club and the Florida State University National Campaign committee. He has served on the Seminole Boosters Board of Directors, is a Legacy Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association and, in recognition of his service to Florida State University, Mr. Akers was inducted into the FSU Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold in 2006.

Mr. Akers lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife Ruth. He remains very involved in the Tallahassee community having supported FSU’s Opening Nights, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Capital Area Chapter of the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. He has served on the board for Live the Life Ministries, University Musical Associates, Phi Kappa Tau - Beta Iota Chapter at Florida State University, and the Tallahassee Quarterback Club. He currently serves on the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors and the Capital City Bank Advisory Board. Mr. Akers is also a past winner of the Rotary Clubs Ethics in Business Award.

Robyn serves as a Principal with The Griffin Group, a Florida based lobbying firm providing a tailored, client-focused approach to government relations, business development, nonprofit management, and public affairs. She leads the nonprofit and education practice at the firm. Robyn has over a decade of experience advocating and developing solutions to improve outcomes for Florida’s most vulnerable children. Robyn previously served as the Director of Special Projects with the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, and as the Statewide Director for the Open Doors Outreach Network, providing 24/7 care and support to survivors of sex trafficking in Florida. She also served as the Associate Executive Director for the American Children’s Campaign, advocating for policy change on behalf of children in Florida.

Robyn currently serves as a board member on the board of directors for the National Florida State University (FSU) Alumni Association, Statewide Healthy Start MomCare Network, and the South City Foundation - Tallahassee. She has held various volunteer roles with organizations including the Leon County Children’s Services Council, Junior League of Tallahassee, and Guardian Ad Litem and previously served on the FSU College of Social Work Alumni Group board of directors.

Robyn received her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Social Policy and Administration and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from FSU. She was named a 2020 Notable Nole (formerly 30 Under 30) from the FSU Alumni Association and in 2016 she received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the FSU College of Social Work.

Originally from Sarasota, FL, Robyn resides in Tallahassee with her husband Michael and her dog Hoyt.

Coming Soon!

Dr. Cyd Bougae has had a distinguished professional and academic career. Academically, she is a past full time professor at New York University in the Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism and at Montclair State University in the Feliciano School of Business, teaching classes in the Department of Management. Professionally, she has held executive leadership roles with several global membership organizations. This includes serving as Senior Vice President of Professional Development for the Club Managers Association of America, a membership association for managers of private clubs and as a Regional Director of Human Resources for Club Corp, a membership organization, comprised of private golf, country clubs, business clubs and resorts.

As Senior Vice President at CMAA she oversaw the prestigious industry certification, the CCM- certified club manager designation. She was also responsible for the educational programming for the annual Golf Industry Show attended by 21,000 and the association’s annual World Conference on Club Management. From 2002 to 2014, Dr. Bougae was under contract with Augusta National Golf Club, site of the mega sporting event, the Masters Tournament, to provide management and human resource consulting services. She created and facilitated their Programs for Leadership Development, an ongoing leadership-training program conducted for all levels in the club.

Dr. Bougae earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in business administration, majoring in hospitality management in the Dedman School of Hospitality. She has served on the National Alumni Board for the Dedman School of Hospitality and is a past president. In 2006, she was honored as the Alumna of the Year for FSU’s College of Business and the Dedman School of Hospitality.

Dr. Bougae has also served on the advisory boards for Rosen College at UCF and the School of Hospitality at University of South Carolina. Dr. Bougae has further distinguished herself professionally by recently being interviewed and quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Hotel News Now, and did an on camera interview with Globo TV in Brazil. Dr. Bougae is a Legacy Life Member of the Alumni Association.

Staci Cross is a seasoned development officer with nearly 20 years of experience in multimillion-dollar fundraising programs.

Staci Cross is the Vice President of Community Operations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In her current post, she provides strategic and operational leadership to a department responsible for increasing fundraising through a large portfolio of hospitals, universities, media partners, national and regional corporate partners, donors and advocates across the Southeast region of the United States. She is also responsible for developing and implementing the business development strategy across North America and leading the team as they seek new corporate partnerships for her organization.

Working directly with companies such as Aflac, GameStop, Coca Cola and others, Staci has helped bring corporate social responsibility to life through customer point-of-sale campaigns, event sponsorships, consumer package goods, employee giving, and more. Staci also created several fundraising events, including Dance Dash, Miracle Jeans Day, and Miracle Challenge, which raised more than $2M in within its pilot phase. During her time with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Staci has served in a variety of capacities, including managing relationships with corporate partners, serving as a Regional Director for 30+ east coast hospitals, creating national events, and business development.

Now an experienced fundraiser for the nonprofit industry, Staci’s career path began when she was a student at Florida State University. She discovered her passion for helping communities through Florida State University Dance Marathon (DMFSU), an organization raising funds for children’s hospitals, after volunteering for the organization and serving on its executive team.

Staci earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology from Florida State University, and currently serves on the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors. She earned a master’s degree in public service administration from Texas A&M University, where she was awarded the George H.W. Bush Presidential Leadership Award. Staci also earned a Certificate of Professional Fund Raising from Boston University.

Ms. Cross now lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina, but maintains roots in South Florida where she serves on the board of the Crockett Foundation. She spends her weekends rooting for the Seminoles and remaining free time traveling to new countries and communities across the globe.

Colleen Dean is senior vice president and manager of the Funds Treasurer’s Office at PIMCO in the New York office. Ms. Dean serves as assistant treasurer for PIMCO Funds, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO Equity Series, PIMCO Equity Series Variable Insurance Trust, the PIMCO Closed-End Funds and the PIMCO Managed Accounts Trust. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2013, she was a vice president in the investment administration group at Cohen & Steers Capital Management. Prior to that, she was with Franklin Templeton Investment where she was a manager in the fund accounting group.

Ms. Dean was a member of Delta Sigma Pi and received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Florida State University’s College of Business in 2002. She earned her MBA from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University. Ms. Dean is a founder of Harlem Girls Cheer, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 2016 to provide a supportive environment that allows young women to build their self-esteem while simultaneously encouraging healthy behavior, teaching accountability, providing leadership opportunities and building character.

She is a Legacy Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association.

Susan Pollack Delgado leads the new Tax Integration team at Amazon, which is responsible for generating value for the worldwide Direct Tax Organization by focusing on process improvement, seamless integration between tax and other functions, and overall efficient operations.

Prior to joining Amazon and moving to the west coast, Susan spent 25 years working in the Atlanta area in the Corporate Tax field in a variety of roles. She spent over 13 years at General Electric (GE) supporting the overall finance organization on cross-functional projects while managing the foreign income tax compliance for entities in more than 65 countries for the GE Power business. During her tenure at GE, she was the primary tax member on a GE initiative to streamline and standardize processes worldwide for accounting and tax.

From 1999 to 2004, Susan led the US Tax Compliance function at Coca-Cola Enterprises. Under her leadership, the US tax compliance process was entirely re-engineered. She was later chosen to partner with a business CFO to create a team to manage a unique joint venture with all the US Coca-Cola Bottlers, which ultimately generated significant procurement savings for the group. Susan completed her Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting in 1991 and her Master degrees in Accounting in 1992. Susan was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, a teaching assistant and a tutor for the athletic department.

While at FSU, Susan was 4-year letterman on the Swimming & Diving team, twice qualifying for the regional diving championship and culminating with a win for FSU women at the Metro Conference championship in 1991. Susan was a two-time winner of the FSU Scholar Athlete award provided to a varsity athlete with the highest GPA for the year. She was also awarded the Metro Conference Post Graduate Scholarship.

She is a member of the FSU Alumni Association and a lifetime member of the Varsity Club. Susan is an active participant as a pilot for the charitable organization Pilots n Paws. The organization supports animal rescue groups and shelters by offering transportation of animals to other rescues that can place the animals in forever homes.

Kyle Doney is a member of the Panther Clan in the Seminole Tribe of Florida. From a young age, Florida State University was always his first and only choice for school.

Mr. Doney graduated from FSU in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in criminology. As a Tribal member, he has had the honor of participating in the Tradition of Tribute for three games. The first, at the Miami game on Labor Day 2005, was in response to the NCAA and their ruling to take away Native American “mascots” from universities. With the support of his Tribe, he is proud to be a Florida State University Seminole.

Mr. Doney resides in Hollywood, Florida, where he works for the Seminole Tribe’s Native Learning Center. As the deputy executive director, he works to educate Native Americans of different Tribes throughout Indian Country.

Ebo Entsuah serves as the Director of Government Relations at Project Lead the Way, a national nonprofit that develops STEM and Career Technical Education Curriculum for K-12 students. Since 2020, Ebo has also served as an elected official on the Clermont City Council, where he is the youngest person to serve in the City of Clermont. Ebo has a passion for community service and helping people achieve their full potential, which serves as the driving force behind his professional and public service work.

Ebo currently serves on a number of distinguished boards, including the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the Give-A-Day Foundation, the Lake Sumter Seminole Club, the FSU Young Alumni Council and as a member of the Orlando Economic Partnership’s Political Leadership Institute class of 2020. Ebo has earned recognition for numerous awards such as Florida Politics’ 30 Under 30 Rising Star award, Maverick Pac’s Future 40 award, and the Black Conservative Federation’s 30 Under 30 award. Additionally, Ebo was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the board of Volunteer Florida, Florida’s state agency for volunteerism and national service.

Ebo is a first generation American who is the product of the American dream. Ebo’s family immigrated from Ghana, West Africa to give him and his sister a better life. Ebo is a two-time graduate of Florida State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Sociology and a Juris Master’s from the Florida State College of Law. During his time at FSU, he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, a Global Ambassador, a member of FSU Rugby and also spent multiple years playing football for the Florida State Seminoles, eventually winning a National Championship.

Ebo lives in Clermont with his wife, Morgan and their two dogs, Milo and Maverick. Aside from his love for education, the environment and public policy, he enjoys working out, hiking, traveling and watching the Seminoles.

Proud to call Northeast Florida her hometown, Ashley Folladori has always had a passion for the region. Ms. Folladori’s decade of experience at the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce has only served to make her a stronger advocate for the region’s outstanding quality of life. As Vice President of Public Affairs, Ms. Folladori works daily to share the story of how our JAX Chamber members foster a business friendly environment to encourage sustainable economic growth in Northeast Florida.

Ms. Folladori has also been a member of the Chamber’s economic development division, JAXUSA Partnership, in both Workforce Development and Investor Relations roles. Prior to her time in JAXUSA, she led several talent development initiatives, first as manager of the Chamber’s large and robust young professionals’ group ImpactJAX, and later as a senior manager for a wider variety of workforce development programs. Under her leadership, she established a successful YP mentoring program, led teachers on externships in companies throughout the region, and worked on efforts to develop a formal higher education collaborative in the region.

Ms. Folladori has also served as the Director of Membership and Marketing for The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach. During her time at The Plantation, the club was recognized as a Distinguished Club, an award recognizing private clubs and their management for outstanding delivery of exceptional Member Experiences. Ashley was also awarded the Distinguished Achievement in Leadership designation, recognizing exceptional contributions in leadership to the Member Experience.

Ms. Folladori received her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University. She is an active member of the Jacksonville community, serving as Past President of the Jacksonville Seminole Club, a member of the 2019 Leadership St. Johns Class, and was recently named to the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2023. She also serves on the Florida State University National Alumni Association Board of Directors. She enjoys spending her free time with her two sons, JD and Leo.

Glen E. Hallowell is a Department of Air Force Civilian working for the United States Special Operations Command. Mr. Hallowell leads a team supporting requirements for special operations units across the globe. In addition to United States Special Operations Command, Mr. Hallowell has worked for Special Operations Command Central, and Naval Special Warfare Command.

Mr. Hallowell is a 2009 graduate of Florida StateUniversity and earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography and certificates in Urban Planning and Emergency Management. While at Florida State, he was a founding member of the Collegiate Veterans Association and the group’s third President. Mr. Hallowell was also a founding member of Student Veterans of America and brought FSU in as a founding University. Student Veterans of America is focused on addressing the needs and concerns of American military veterans in higher education. FSU continues to be an invaluable member of Student Veterans of America.

Prior to attending Florida State University, Mr. Hallowell was on active duty in the Marine Corps for nine years with deployments supporting Operation Gallant Venture, Operation Enduring Freedom,Operation IraqiF reedom, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Mr. Hallowell’s duty stations included locations at Augusta, Georgia; Okinawa, Japan; and Oahu, Hawaii.

Mr. Hallowell is married to his wife Jamie who he met at Florida State during a tailgate for a Miami game.Mr. Hallowell and Jamie were also married during a Miami game, both of which the Seminoles were victorious.

 

Mr. Hallowell and Jamie have a dog named Buster that enjoys traveling with them. In addition to all things Florida State, the Hallowell’s are avid Rays and Buccaneers fans.

As a government civilian, Mr. Hallowell’s awards include the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award, the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, and the Department of Navy Civilian Meritorious Service Award.

Cecil Howard is the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity and the Chief Diversity Officer for the University of South Florida System in Tampa, Florida.

He has also served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Florida Commission on Human Relations as well as Chief Diversity Officer for the City of Gainesville, Florida, and has maintained a solo law practice. Mr. Howard is a licensed attorney and has 35 years of civil rights, diversity, and social equity experience through governmental, non-profit, and higher educational settings.

Mr. Howard earned his bachelor’s degree in Government from FSU in 1981 and law degree from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1984. While at FSU, he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and went on to become National General Counsel of the fraternity, as well as Associate Counsel for the fraternity’s National Education Foundation, in addition to holding many other regional and national committee chair assignments. He was also a candidate for General (National) President of the fraternity.

Mr. Howard was elected as FSU’s first black Homecoming Chief in 1980, and served as National President of the FSU Black Alumni Association from 1987 to 1989. Mr. Howard is a member of the Seminole Boosters. Additionally, he and his wife, Priscilla (B.S. ’82, M.S. ’86), recently created a scholarship in the James D. Westcott Legacy Society through the FSU Foundation.

The former Southern Scholarship Foundation resident (Selby III Scholarship House) recently completed his first book, entitled, “Pains for a Purpose.” He and Priscilla have four children, Alexandria (UNF), Coleman (UCF ’15 and FAU ‘18), Gabrielle (USF ‘16) and Nataleh (FSU ’17).

When Cecil is not spending time with his two granddaughters Giselle and Nissa Rae, he spends time serving on committees at his church, mentoring young men, and serving on community boards that advance eradication of hunger, homelessness and domestic violence.

Ramiro J. Inguanzo is the Deputy City Manager for Bal Harbour Village, Florida where he assists in the day-to-day management and operations of this coastal community in Miami-Dade County. He served as the President of the Miami-Dade County / City Management Association (MDCCMA), the professional association of city managers in Miami-Dade County from 2019-2021. Previously, he worked for the City of Miami Beach as the Chief of Staff and Director of Human Resources/Labor Relations from 2001-2012.

Prior to his work in local government, Ramiro was the Senior Advisor to the College President and Assistant Dean of Students at Miami Dade College, the largest and most diverse institution of higher education in the U.S. where he oversaw government and community relations and has taught as an Adjunct Professor since 2005 teaching courses in government and the U.S. Constitution. He was also the Director of Leadership Development at the Council for Excellence in Government in Washington, D.C. and worked as a Legislative Fellow for the Florida House of Representatives. He was appointed, twice, by Florida's former Governor Lawton Chiles to serve as a member of Florida's Postsecondary Education Planning Commission (PEPC), the state board responsible for making policy recommendations to the Florida Board of Education.  During his tenure as a member, he led the initiative to implement service-learning programs in Florida's higher education curriculums.

Currently, Ramiro serves as a board member on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) affiliate Local Government Hispanic Network; board member of the Miami-Dade County Neat Streets Miami; and board member of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Secure Our Future Advisory Committee.

Ramiro is a proud two-time graduate of Florida State University (FSU) having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science/Communication and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. While at FSU, he was inducted into the FSU Gold Key Hall of Fame; awarded the Seminole Torchbearer Award; and was the first-ever recipient of the FSU Apollo Visko Award. Since 2015, he has served as a Board Member of the Student Affairs Development Council (formerly Seminole Torchbearers). In 2021, he was appointed to the FSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Jeff Kottkamp graduated from Florida State University in 1984 with a B.S. degree in political science.

He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Florida TaxWatch and President of Jeff Kottkamp, P.A. Jeff is an AV Preeminant-rated attorney and has been licensed to practice law for over 35 years.

In 2000 he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served for three terms.While in the House he served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Chairman of the Judicial Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Government Operations Committee, Vice Chairman of Rules and was Deputy Majority Whip.

In November of 2006 he was elected as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Florida. As Lieutenant Governor, he oversaw the Governor’s Office of Drug Control, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Office of Adoption and Child Protection, and the Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment. Governor Kottkamp also served as Chairman of Florida's Children & Youth Cabinet, Chairman of Space Florida Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Florida Sports Foundation. On June 18, 2008 he served as the Acting Governor of the State of Florida.

Jeff has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Florida State University College of Law teaching Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law. He was named to the FSU “Circle of Gold” in 2007. His firm achieved the “Seminole 100” designation in 2020, 2021, and 2022. He is Past President of the Seminole Club of Lee County.

He and his wife Cyndie have been married for 26 years. They have one son, Jackson, who attends Florida State University.

Jeanne M. Miller is an experienced lawyer with a passion for public service. Ms. Miller brings her diverse and unique set of skills and experiences to the FSU Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors.

Ms. Miller currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Civic Council, where she works closely with Northeast Florida’s most dynamic and influential leaders to identify and promote solutions to the region’s most complex business and public policy challenges. Immediately prior to joining the Civic Council, Ms. Miller served as General Counsel & Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Florida State College at Jacksonville, where she oversaw the transition from community to four-year college. Her other experience includes corporate and municipal legal practice and service as both Deputy Executive Director and Interim Executive Director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, where she helped grow hundreds of jobs and add over $500M to the Duval County tax base.

AV-Preeminent-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Ms. Miller is a past member, chair and vice-chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeal. She has held leadership positions on numerous state and regional non-profit boards of directors, and currently serves on the JAX Chamber Board of Governors, the board of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and as chair-elect of Goodwill Industries of North Florida.

Ms. Miller is an honors graduate from Albertus Magnus College, and an honors graduate from the Florida State College of Law. In law school at FSU, she was an associate editor and writing and research editor of the Law Review, and earned recognitions including the Citation of Honor & Meritorious Service. She served the FSU College of Law as a past board member of the FSU College of Law Alumni Association. Ms. Miller now lives in Jacksonville with her two daughters.

Listed in the National Registry of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Ms. Miller was named a Woman of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal and designated as one of Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, and as a Top Lawyer by 904 Magazine. A graduate of Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida, she was a finalist for the 2018 EVE Award.

Ahli Moore is an Atlanta-based business consultant, leadership coach, and strategist with over 26 years of organizational development experience. Most importantly, Ahli considers himself a Nole for life!

Ahli currently serves as the President of FSU’s National Black Alumni. As an undergrad, among many organizational affiliations, Ahli was the President of the Black Student Union and a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, where he is still an international life-member. Since graduation, Ahli has continuously given back to FSU, formerly serving as the Chairman of the FSU College of Communication & Information Leadership Board. He is a Legacy Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association, a Seminole Booster, a member of the FSU President’s Club, and an active member of the ProfessioNOLE mentoring network. Ahli has helped to raise funds for numerous scholarships and initiatives to support students, including the construction of the new Black Student Union house, which opened in 2019.

Ahli is a double FSU alumnus with a MS in Marketing Communications & Information Technologies and a BS in Political & Public Affairs Communication. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

As the Founder & CEO of X-Factor Solutions, Ahli is passionate about helping people from all walks of life identify and grow their unique leadership talents. Since 1993, Ahli has worked with senior executives, training organizations, and human resources departments to increase organizational efficiency and employee performance across a multitude of industries. He has consulted for several Fortune 500 companies, federal government agencies, and non-profit organizations to develop customized performance improvement programs that span an array of interventions, including training, employee performance assessments, organizational needs assessments, and leadership development. Ahli is often a guest instructor at many prominent universities.

Ahli’s other professional training includes Human Performance Architecture study at Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom. He holds numerous certifications, including Inclusive Global Leader from Cal Berkeley - Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership; Certified Facilitator from Core Strengths; and Master Trainer from Courageous Leadership – Giant Leap Consulting.

Ahli has also converted his corporate focus to the youth community, incorporating a non-profit youth leadership initiative entitled Building Future Leaders (BFL) which offers several programs to prepare young adults for lives as leaders.

Jodane “JoJo” Mowatt is a third-year majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Communications. She was born and raised in Jamaica then moved to Fort Lauderdale. Jodane takes an active interest in networking, advocacy, and representation which reflects her personal interests and involvement. Upon graduation, she intends on working in both alumni affairs and the intersection of governmental affairs and public speaking.

J. Michael “Mike” Pate currently serves as chair of the FSU Emeriti Alumni Society. He has been actively involved with FSU since his 1968 graduation from the FSU College of Business. He was one of the co-founders of the FSU Marching Chiefs Alumni. He was named to the Marching Chiefs Alumni Hall of Fame, is a member of the Circle of Gold, a Grad Made Good and in the College of Business Hall of Fame. He was a member of the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees, the Marching Chiefs Alumni board, the College of Business Legacy Hall building committee and helped former FSU president Sandy D’Alemberte start the FSU’s Opening Nights Arts Festival. He is a Legacy Life Member of the Alumni Association, a Seminole Booster and a member of the Bowden Society.

Mr. Pate was president and publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat for 9 years and earlier for the Myrtle Beach (SC) Sun News for 18 years. He also held management positions with the Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald and The Miami Herald. Mr. Pate spent 37 years working in the newspaper business from which he retired.

After retiring, Pate led a community building program in Tallahassee called the Knight Creative Communities Institute. The focus of the institute has been to make Tallahassee an even better place to live, work and play.

He is married to Judy Baker Pate, who is also an FSU graduate and a member of the Circle of Gold. Together they established, through a charitable remainder trust, the Pate Family Scholarship. The scholarship will support two scholarships annually for members of the Marching Chiefs, one for a business major and one for a music education major. The couple has one son Brian, daughter-in-law Kirke and four grandchildren.

Joe Paul is the Chief Executive Officer of Byte Back, a tech nonprofit committed to closing the digital divide by providing under-resourced communities an equitable pathway into the digital economy. Prior to joining Byte Back, he served as the 29th Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Before that, Joe founded Campus 2 Careers Strategies; a training organization dedicated to equipping individuals with essential skills to successfully navigate both personal and professional relationships. Joe is the immediate past Chief Operating Officer for The Stafford Foundation, a charitable organization committed to doing good around the world. He is the author of “Morning Cup of Joe,” “Love Yourself,” “100 Ways to Change the World, One Good Deed at a Time,” and a devoted philanthropist.

Prior to starting his own business, Joe worked with Management Leadership for Tomorrow where his strategies and tactics led to a 300% increase in overall outcomes - attracting and connecting high achieving, high potential underrepresented minorities to the nation’s top business schools and meaningful career opportunities at Fortune 100 companies. Before joining MLT, Joe served as the Human Resources Officer for the District of Columbia government. Joe comes from Haitian immigrant parents and is the first of his 10 siblings to graduate from college.

Prior to graduating from Florida State University with a double bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Russian and Spanish, Joe led and was actively involved in more than 2 dozen organizations culminating his service as the Student Body Vice-President and Homecoming Chief, among other honors. In 2002, Joe was inducted into FSU’s Hall of Fame. Joe is also the recipient of the coveted “Outstanding Brother of the Year” award, which is the highest honor Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. bestows on its over 200,000 members worldwide. Joe was recognized as the 2018 "Alumni of the Year" by the FSU Black Alumni Association and the 2019 “Unconquered Spirit” Recipient from FSU’s National Alumni Association. One of his proudest accomplishments occurred in 2018 when Joe Paul became the first African American President of the Seminole Club of Greater Washington DC in its 55-year history. The following year, Joe was successfully re-elected to serve a second term.

Joe proudly serves on the following boards: FSU National Alumni Association, The Seminole Club of Greater Washington DC (Past-President), Black Men Vote, EFO Ventures, United Way Emerging Leaders, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Hope for Haiti. Joe enjoys rooting for the Noles, exercising, reading, volunteering, writing, traveling internationally, playing golf and is an avid cyclist.

Cameron Pennant is the Legislative Manager for Charlotte County, Florida and manages the county’s state and federal policy and budget affairs. He represents the interests of the Board of County Commissioners before the Florida Legislature and Governor’s office, the U.S. Congress, the White House, and federal regulatory agencies. Mr. Pennant has more than 10 years of government relations and political affairs experience, including key public policy and process management positions.

In early 2011, he charted a path to work in key roles at the Florida Legislature. Prior to his current position, he served as Legislative Analyst for the Florida House Majority Office’s with a focus on health and tax policy. Mr. Pennant also served as a Legislative Intern, Reading Clerk, Assistant to the Speaker pro tempore, and Analyst for the Florida House Majority Office.

In addition to his formidable Florida politics background, Mr. Pennant has an array of experiences that cross industries and countries. In the last five years, Mr. Pennant represented FSU as a Co-Seminar Leader at the European Marshall Center for Security Studies in Germany. Upon his return, he began guest lecturing at FSU with a specific focus in international crises and global affairs. Upon completion of his master’s degree at FSU in public administration with a concentration in emergency management and homeland security, he broadened the scope of his guest lecturing work to include domestic affairs.

A two-time graduate from FSU, Mr. Pennant has been directly assisting students enrolled in the FSU C.A.R.E Program. As the Business, Government, Hospitality, and Entrepreneurship Learning Specialist he has provided students with strategic planning and career advice for the last four years, noncongruently. In 2020, Mr. Pennant created the Pennant Scholars, the inaugural scholarship for the FSU C.A.R.E S.C.O.P.E Program, consistent with his policy-solutions mindset. The scholarship’s focus is on “removing all common and unique barriers to students so that they can be better prepared to achieve their dreams.”

Mr. Pennant’s passion for policy solutions that will enact real and lasting change has been the cornerstone of his career, and the guiding principle for his advocacy, and audacious endeavors.

Alexander Quince is an Executive Producer for two #1 rated newscasts for WABC-TV in New York City, where he manages content for Eyewitness News, as well as digital content across social media platforms. Prior to joining WABC-TV, Mr. Quince was News Director for KTUL-TV in Tulsa, having worked his way up from an earlier role as assistant news director and news producer roles in Birmingham, Atlanta, Tampa/St. Petersburg, and Tallahassee.

Throughout his career, Mr. Quince has won multiple awards for his leadership, including four Emmy Awards and three regional Edward R. Murrow awards. He was also recognized by the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters for having produced the 2015 Best Special Program and received a Citation of Congratulations from the Oklahoma State Legislature for Outstanding News Coverage, as well as earning first place for his coverage of online election reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Mr. Quince served for two years as Vice President of the New York Association of Black Journalists and is a fellow with the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism.  

In 1992, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in Communication with a minor in English. While an undergraduate, he led training for student orientation, and was an advisor with the Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement where he provided academic support to minority and economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, he achieved a position of Resident Assistant, collaborating with University staff to develop programs and services for students living on campus in residence halls.

Mr. Quince is married to Sandra Quince, a 1994 FSU graduate; the couple has one son.

Anne Smith is an assistant vice president of marketing and communications for Baptist Health South Florida. Since joining Baptist Health 22 years ago, she has served in various roles to provide leadership in the development and execution of marketing and communications strategies. She began her Baptist Health career designing and implementing campaigns for Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute to launch numerous “first to market” heart and vascular procedures. She developed successful media relations plans and coverage for high-profile events with celebrities, including Celine Dion, whose concert benefited the Institute’s expansion, and First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to Baptist Hospital for the Go Red campaign promoting awareness of heart disease among women.

Most recently, Ms. Smith’s focus is on mergers and acquisitions. Over the past two years, four hospitals, from Palm Beach County to the Middle Keys, have joined Baptist Health. Ms. Smith oversees and executes the transition, integration and brand conversion in new markets and leads the marketing and communications team that covers Baptist Health’s 11 hospitals.

Ms. Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida State University and a master’s degree in administration from Barry University in Miami, Florida. While at FSU she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, served as Vice President, and was also an active member of numerous campus organizations. She continued her involvement with FSU by serving as a Miami Seminole Club board member for five years and its president from 1995-1996. She has given back to the community through volunteering and Board service, including The Commonwealth Institute, the American Heart Association, PTSA school boards and her church. In addition, she is a graduate of Leadership Miami (1995-1996).

She resides in Miami with her husband Gary, who is also a graduate of FSU (criminology, ’87). Their son, Austin, graduated from FSU in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in business (RMI). Other FSU family grads include her sister, nursing, ’84; brother, communications, ’89; and sister, J.D., ’90, Florida State College of Law.

Dr. Smith is an education and professional development consultant with a specialization in distance learning. From 2014 through 2019, she served as Professor and Program Chair for the Master of Distance Education and E-learning (MDE) program at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

She received her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems from Florida State University (FSU) where she also taught graduate courses in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department and currently teaches graduate courses in the Education Psychology and Learning Systems Department. She also received B.A. and M.A. degrees from FSU.

She is involved internationally for work in both academe and professional development, including consulting and teaching in higher education. From 2010-2019, she served as Coordinator of Online Courses and Professional Development Consultant for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Prior to work in higher education, she was a senior staff director for many years for the Social Security Administration in Baltimore, MD, where she led projects of national scope. Her current service activities include supporting education programs at Florida State University.

Michael Stephens is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Alston & Bird, an international law firm with more than 1800 lawyers and employees in thirteen offices. Alston & Bird has been recognized by Fortune Magazine on their annual list of "100 Best Companies to Work For©" for the past 23 consecutive years. In his role, Michael manages all human resources operations, including supporting the firm’s award-winning culture that prioritizes trust, service, and inclusion. He also serves on the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion and Data Privacy & Security Committees. Michael pursued human resources training through the Stern School of Business at NYU and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.

In 2020, Michael completed his term as Chair for the Association of Legal Administrator’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, where he lectured and provided diversity and inclusion best practices to law firms across the country. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from FSU, class of 1991. During his time at Florida State University, he served as a member of the Marching Chiefs and was a Seminole Ambassador. He is passionate about FSU and is an annual donor to the School of Theatre, School of Social Science, Seminole Boosters, Marching Chiefs, and is a Legacy Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association.

He is dedicated to community involvement and public service. Michael has served as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Year Up Greater Atlanta, and POSSE. Currently, Michael serves on the Board of Trustees for the Historic Oakland Cemetery Foundation.

A native of Miami, Florida, Michael currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is married to Collen Reedy. Together they are proud parents of two Boston Terriers, Jake and Hudson. In his spare time, he enjoys running half marathons, travelling internationally, and supporting the Florida State Seminoles.

Lt Col. Josh Tyler, an active-duty U.S. Air Force colorectal and general surgeon at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, is the chief of colon and rectal surgery and director of robotic surgery. He started the Air Force’s first DaVinci Xi robotic surgery program. He serves as the colorectal surgery consultant to the US Air Force Surgeon General, and was recently named Chair of the Robotic Surgery Steering Committee for the Defense Health Agency, overseeing robotic surgery throughout the Department of Defense.

Dr. Tyler is the founder and director of the Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education (InDoRSE), a joint enterprise between the Department of Defense and Intuitive Surgical. It serves as a teaching facility for all Department of Defense and Veteran’s Affairs surgeons and is the only such facility in the nation. He also has a volunteer civilian practice serving the local nonmilitary population as the only colorectal surgeon in Mississippi, and he serves as director of robotic surgery at Merit Health Biloxi.

Dr. Tyler received the 2017 USAF Air Education and Training Command Field Grade Officer Award for Clinical Excellence. He was named a Notable Nole and received the Reuben O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award from the FSU Alumni Association in 2016. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

During his time at FSU, Dr. Tyler served as director of Health Concerns for the Student Government Association and as president of Phi Delta Theta. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Seminole Torchbearers, Air Force ROTC and Burning Spear.

Dr. Tyler has four children: Drew, Luke, Blake and Austen who all plan to be FSU alumni one day. He is a Legacy Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association, a member of Seminole Boosters and a member of the FSU Foundation’s President’s Club. He also serves on the board of directors for Seminole Torchbearers.

Jessica J. Washington is assistant vice president and director of payments research and outreach with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In this role, Jessica is a recognized thought leader through her collaboration with industry participants, such as financial institutions, fintechs, regulators, law enforcement, the legal community, and others in the Federal Reserve System. She regularly convenes and speaks to payments industry stakeholders to discuss trends in payments and to promote the mitigation of payments risks. Jessica shares her research through blogs, papers, presentations and hosting forums.

In addition to her outreach role, Ms. Washington manages tactile objectives tied to the Bank’s strategic priorities by serving on a strategy workgroup which makes connections between payments and economic mobility and resilience. She has also recently served as Deputy Chair of the Diversity Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Advisor to NACHA's Payments Risk Accreditation Oversight Panel, Board Member of The Payments Institute Board of Regents, Advisor to Accredited ACH Certification Board, and Member of FS-ISAC’s Payments Risk and Fraud Group.

Ms. Washington brings nearly 10 years of association management experience. Prior to joining the Federal Reserve, Jessica served as senior vice president for PaymentsFirst, a not-for-profit trade association. In this role she provided member services such as education and consulting. Jessica managed all aspects of the association such as: information technology, accounting, communications, government and industry relations, human resources and other day-to-day functions. She also reported to the board of directors and participated in board strategic planning in order set association strategies and objectives. Today, Jessica serves on the Board of ePay Resources, a similar payments trade association.

In 2020, Jessica was elected to serve on the Florida State Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving on the audit and business development committee. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from FSU in 2004 with a major in creative writing and minor in childhood development. She is a lifetime member of the FSU Alumni Association, a ProfessioNole Mentor, and active volunteer for Girl Scouts of America. Post-graduate, Jessica obtained her Accredited ACH Professional Certification in 2007, Six Sigma Green Belt in 2017 and Prosci Change Management Certification in 2019.

Jeremy Willis is a senior editor and writer for ESPN where he currently covers college football. During his career in journalism, starting at ESPN in 2005, Jeremy has become a leader in the digital content organization not only for his creativity and acumen, but for his focus on the group’s culture and his fellow colleagues. Jeremy has, in some fashion, covered almost every major sport as well as the World Cup and Olympic Games. He has worked with some of sports media’s best writers, reporters and editors to deliver the best sports journalism out there.

At ESPN, Jeremy has also focused on service. Jeremy serves on the V Foundation leadership board whose goal is to advance the mission of finding a cure for cancer. The V Foundation is ESPN’s lone charity. On the committee, Jeremy serves as the digital coordinator and seeks to raise awareness and drive engagement and donations through digital content coordination and communication. Jeremy also serves on the Salute Disney Veteran’s Employee Resource Group leadership council. Through mentorship, career coaching and advocacy, Jeremy has helped advance the causes of United States military veterans in the workplace. Jeremy is a leader on the ESPN’s digital organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council leading efforts in corporate culture and employee retention.

As a first-generation college graduate, the experiences and education at FSU have long stayed with Jeremy. He has focused that sentiment to give back to other FSU students, serving as a ProffesioNOLE Mentor and hosting FSU students for multiple career days through the FSU Career Center.

Jeremy graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and became the first college graduate in his family. While at FSU, he wrote for the FSView and Florida Flambeau. He also worked as a student equipment manager for the FSU football team. His time working in the athletics department has led him to partner with classmates from FSU to endow a scholarship for FSU managers. Jeremy met his wife at Smith Hall at FSU and they’ve been married since 2005. He has one son, Nathaniel.