Every year during Homecoming & Family Weekend, Jacksonville University recognizes and celebrates a new class of Distinguished Alumni award recipients.
Nominated by their peers, these distinguished Jacksonville University alumni demonstrate significant professional accomplishments, community service and philanthropic engagement, and continued support of their alma mater.
The University will present the awards to seven incredible individuals (one posthumously)
Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. during Phin Phever in Swisher Gym.
In addition to the Distinguished Alumni of Excellence awards, the Scott Amos Recent
Alumnus of Distinction Award is presented to accomplished recent graduates. The Outstanding
Military Alumnus of Distinction Award is presented to alumni who also served honorably
in the U.S. military either before or after receiving their degree.
Below are this year's recipients and some of their accomplishments.
Distinguished Alumni of Excellence
Andy Allen '03
Jacksonville native Andy Allen is a celebrated CEO and entrepreneur who is passionate
about developing Florida’s First Coast. He was included in Jacksonville Business Journal’s
40 under 40 in 2015 and was named a Top Entrepreneur by the Jacksonville Daily Record
in 2022. In 2023, he was a finalist in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year and
a Jacksonville Business Journal's Ultimate CEO.
Andy launched Corner Lot Properties in 2009, where he quickly became the largest real estate investor in Northeast Florida, showing over $500 million of residential real estate transactions to include acquisition, rehabilitation, and disposition. He subsequently launched Heritage Holdings, his own residential portfolio of 1,100 single-family homes, one of the largest in Duval County. Andy formed Corner Lot (CL) in 2017 with his business partner, George Leone. In 2018, they launched Breeze Homes, which prides itself on building over 100 attainable houses in Northeast Florida yearly. In 2019, they drove Corner Lot’s total capitalization to well over $1 billion by launching Corner Lot Living, a multi-family development platform currently developing over 1,000 apartment units annually.
In 2023, Corner Lot helped launch First Coast Real Estate Partners, a premier ground- up multifamily fund platform, tailored to investors passionate about the growth of Jacksonville's First Coast. The Partnership seeks to foster quality, sustainable development for future businesses and residents, expand the markets of North Florida with innovative vision and leadership, and foster a foundation of long-term partnerships in investment, development, management, and financing.
Andy attended Wolfson High School and graduated Salutatorian in 1999. He attended
Jacksonville University where he majored in finance, minored in marketing, was a Cleveland
Golf Academic All-American, and earned the President’s Award (Scholar Athlete Award)
for the graduating class of 2003.
Outside of real estate, Andy enjoys Jaguar football and is one of the top amateur
golfers in Jacksonville. He cherishes spending time with his wife Kristen and his
two children Ava and Payne. On weekends, you can find Andy coaching baseball for his
beloved Marlins or Jimis at the Hendricks Avenue Community Athletic Association. Coaching
and growing his city are truly his passions!
Cindy Edelman M.A. '97
Cindy Edelman is an active community volunteer and the former chair of both The Community
Foundation for Northeast Florida and the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. She has
served on the boards of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Leadership Jacksonville,
Youth Leadership Jacksonville, and City Year. She was an EVE Award recipient for volunteer
service, a 2015 One Jax Gold Medallion recipient, a past president of Congregation
Ahavath Chesed, and a founding member of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
D.C.
Edelman, a retired art history instructor, taught at The Bolles School and Florida State College Jacksonville. Currently, she and her colleague, Stacey Goldring, celebrated six years of LiterARTure, a lecture series combining art and literature which they started to elevate civil discourse in the community.
In addition, her family endowed a Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching at the Community Foundation for public school teachers in Duval County, where she is deeply engaged. Edelman received her Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and her Master’s of Arts in Teaching from Jacksonville University.
An almost forty-year resident of Jacksonville, Ms. Edelman is married to Daniel M. Edelman, and is the mother of two daughters, Jay Meredith and Berry and one stepson, Zachary, and proud grandmother of Freda Pearl Zwass, Jake Greener Zwass, and Jonah Ross Edelman.
Scott Amos Recent Alumnus of Distinction
Ryan Smith '19
Ryan Smith is a recent alumni who has a built an impressive resume in a few short
years since graduating. In March 2022, Ryan formed Winward Strategies, a fundraising
consulting company. A few months later, in December, Ryan and his partners bought
Craig Air Center, a Fixed Based Operator at Craig Airport, which now operates as the
JAX Executive Jet Center. He currently serves as Chief Financial Operator and Chief
Growth Operator.
Ryan was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, just outside of Hamilton. Growing up
in a small town, he enjoyed playing hockey during the winters, and racing sailboats
during the summer.
Sailing eventually brought him stateside for college, when he attended Hobart and
William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY.
It was in Geneva where Ryan met his now wife, Hannah. After a year of Upstate New York winters, Ryan transferred to Jacksonville University, where he would go on to earn a Bachelor’s of Business Administration At JU, Ryan was an active brother of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, serving as treasurer for two years.
In March, 2023 Ryan was selected to be in Class VII of the Hightower Emerging Leaders Fellowship through the JAX Chamber. In March, 2022 he was appointed to the Better JAX Plan Financial Administration Committee, where he advises on the disbursement of grant funds for different JTA and Public Works projects across the city. In addition, he is an active corporate partner of the Gator Bowl, and currently sits on the business development committee, as well as the scholarship selection committee.
Ryan resides in Jacksonville with his wife Hannah, their two boys, Brooks and Everett, and dog Wilson
Gracie Simendinger M.Ed. '13
Gracie Simendinger is CEO of Leadership Jacksonville, a local organization that educates,
connects, and inspires diverse leaders to build and strengthen their communities,
a role she has held since August 2022. She also serves as the JAX Chamber Downtown
Council Immediate Past President (President 2020-2022), is a member of the JAX Chamber
Beaches Division, and is an at-large steering committee member of the Women’s Giving
Alliance.
Gracie moved to Jacksonville after completed her Bachelor’s of Science in marketing at Florida State University. She then completed her Master’s of Education at Jacksonville University in 2013, where she was also hired to lead the University’s annual giving fund strategies.
After serving at Jacksonville University, she joined United Way of Northeast Florida’s campaign team. She managed United Way’s high performing industry partners, which included financial institutions, accounting, law, and architecture firms and was responsible for raising more than $4 million annually. She went on to lead fundraising strategies at Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, an organization that provides crisis resources for families in the Beaches community.
Currently, Gracie serves as the JAX Chamber Downtown Council Immediate Past President (President 2020-2022), is a member of the JAX Chamber Beaches Division, and is an at-large steering committee member of the Women’s Giving Alliance.
In her spare time, you can find Gracie enjoying one of Jacksonville’s amazing restaurants with her partner Jon or brainstorming her next great travel adventure.
Military Alumnus of Distinction
Cdr. Mark G. Marino, NC, USN (Ret.) '91
Mark Marino is a Navy ROTC graduate of Jacksonville University Class of 1991, where
he completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and met his wife of 32 years, Dr
Patty Bennett (Class of 1989). He was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps
as one of the first Navy ROTC Nursing graduates and subsequently served in Europe,
Asia, and the east coast of the United States.
He retired after 24 years of active duty service as a Commander and the Chief Nursing Officer aboard the USNS Comfort following the deployment of the hospital ship to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010.
Having been actively involved in giving back to the community, Mark and Patty have volunteered as Big Brothers & Big Sisters, elder shut-in companions, animal shelter volunteers, domestic violence shelter staff, contributors to local environmental causes, and scholarship supporters for underprivileged undergraduate students.
Mark and Patty currently live in Washington DC where he is the Director of Workplace Violence Prevention Programs for MedStar Health, a ten-hospital and 340 outpatient clinic health system in the mid-Atlantic region. In his spare time, he is an avid cyclist and tries to return to his Navy roots and spend as much time on the water as possible.
Honorary Alumni Award
Patty Donahoo and John Donahoo, Jr. (John, posthumously)
John William Donahoo (December 28, 1938 - May 28, 2019) attended Robert E. Lee High
School, the University of Florida, Jacksonville University, Stetson University, and
Cumberland School of Law. His involvement with JU began when he took a Humanities
course under Dr. Frances Kinne. This connection established a long and enduring friendship
and inspired John to give back to the University in whatever ways he could. He took
great delight in the tremendous growth and positive influence JU has had in our city.
John was a 500-year member of the Florida Bar Association and was also admitted and qualified as an attorney of the US Supreme Court. He served as president of St. Vincent’s Foundation, Evergreen Cemetery Association, Duval County American Cancer Society, Meninak Club, and on the Executive Committee of the Gator Bowl Association. He was deeply involved with Jacksonville University, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Young Life. He served multiple terms on the board of Episcopal School of Jacksonville and was honored to be named Trustee Emeritus in 2012.
For many years John served on the state boards of the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross. He received the Association of Fundraising Professional’s National Philanthropy Award for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser in 2000.
In 2003, John was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. He was a charter member of the Compass Rose Society and served on its first International Board. This organization supports the ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury within the worldwide Anglican Communion. In 2014, John was honored in London by the Archbishop with the Compass Rose Medallion for his dedicated, ongoing support of its ministry.
The recently established High School 9:12 Leadership Academy honored John posthumously by naming its program after him. High school students are selected by their faculty to spend a full day learning how to become confident, competent, effective leaders.
Patricia Hamilton Donahoo also attended Robert E. Lee High School, as well as Converse College, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She and John were married in 1968, and their greatest blessings are family: a son, John William Donahoo, III (Gina) and a daughter, Katherine Donahoo Nott (Chris) and five lovely granddaughters: Libby, Abigail, and Anna Donahoo and Kaitlyn and Lauren Nott.
Patty has enjoyed serving as a community volunteer over the years on the boards of the Junior League of Jacksonville, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Florida, FreshMinistries, and Episcopal Children’s Services. Other involvements include the American Cancer Society, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sulzbacher Center, Riverside Presbyterian Day School, and Episcopal School of Jacksonville.
John and Patty have been greatly involved with the Episcopal Diocese of Florida and the worldwide Anglican Communion, and both enjoyed participating in Compass Rose mission and study trips to European countries, the Middle East, and South Africa.
Patty is enormously grateful for their involvement and association with Jacksonville University over the decades, whether in academics, the arts, or athletics. She believes their lives have been completely enriched and enhanced by their affiliation with this remarkable school.
