Junior Achievement of North Florida (JANFL) held its Hall of Fame Luncheon last week to honor outstanding individuals and businesses within the community and to raise money for the nonprofit dedicated to preparing young people for economic success. Approximately 300 people, including business, civic and education leaders, attended the signature fundraising event to support hands-on learning experiences that help students build financial capability, career awareness and an entrepreneurial mindset.
The theme of the event was “Education For What’s Next.” Courtney Harris, JANFL board member and Northeast Florida Market Leader for Florida Blue, served as emcee for the event and talked about how JA helps create the next generation of confident, capable and connected individuals.
The luncheon served as a chance for JANFL to recognize outstanding leaders whose professional achievements and community engagement align with Junior Achievement’s mission. Awards presented included the Thompson S. Baker “Solid as a Rock” Award, Educator of the Year Award, Volunteer of the Year Award and Company of the Year Award.
JANFL students from Wolfson High School, Westside High School and Riverside High Schools served as the presenters for the Volunteer of the Year, Educator of the Year and the Company of the Year awards. The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Evan Satterwhite of Bank OZK; Pamela Coleman, CTE instructor at Westside High School, was presented with the Educator of the Year Award; and FIS, the event’s presenting sponsor, was given the Company of the Year Award.
The prestigious Thompson S. Baker “Solid as a Rock” Award was presented to Andy Allen, CEO of Corner Lot Development, who is the 27th recipient of the distinguished honor. Allen was recognized for his hands-on leadership, long-standing commitment to Jacksonville and dedication to building a stronger community through service and philanthropy.
JANFL President Shannon Italia ended the luncheon with a major announcement: the commitment of $1 million from EverBank to support JANFL’s Experiential Learning Center (ELC). EverBank will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of BizTown within the ELC and will be featured through a dedicated storefront experience inside the simulation.
The JA Experiential Learning Center -- planned for Downtown Jacksonville -- will bring together JA BizTown and JA Finance Park to deliver immersive, real-world learning experiences for students across Northeast Florida. At full scale, the center is expected to serve approximately 30,000 students annually. For more information about Junior Achievement of North Florida and the Experiential Learning Center, go to https://www.janflelc.org.
