Junior Achievement of North Florida Announces New President

Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 17, 2020 – Junior Achievement of North Florida has named Shannon Italia as its next president. Italia brings more than 25 years of experience in business development and community engagement to the position. As president, she will oversee a staff of nine, who manage the organization’s work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs that historically reach more than 60,000 K-12 students in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas.

“Shannon’s extensive experience will be invaluable to the organization," said Mary Ann Callahan, senior vice president at Bank of America and chairman of the board of directors of JA of North Florida. "We are pleased to have her running our operation. The leadership Shannon will provide will help ensure the future success of JA in the 26 county region we serve."

Italia most recently served as the chief business development officer at Harbor View Advisors in Ponte Vedra. She was the senior director, external relations for the University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business, and is the founding director for the Coggin College of Business Career Center, providing best-in-class support for students and building impactful relationships with the regional business community for over 12 years. Italia also established the Mike and Shannon Italia Community Service Scholarship which was endowed in the fall of 2016 and is awarded annually to a UNF business student that excels in the classroom and leads in the community.

Italia said, “With so many Americans facing economic uncertainty amid the ongoing pandemic, the need for JA’s meaningful and inclusive educational experiences has never been greater. I look forward to helping JA advance its mission and increasing the impact of our areas of focus in the region. I am grateful to inherit a passionate and dedicated board and staff that is committed to inspiring young people to succeed and empowering future generations of leaders.”

Italia holds an MBA from UNF and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing from the University of Cincinnati where she graduated magna cum laude. Italia has been an active volunteer in the community for years. She served on the board of directors of the nonprofit Rethreaded and was chair from Nov. of 2015 until March of this year. Italia served on the board of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center and was a founder and advisor for the UNF Women in Business Society.

Throughout the years, Italia has won many awards and accolades including being named a 2013 Women of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal. She was a 2015 winner of UNF’s Susan B. Anthony Award which is given to an employee who actively promotes women’s growth, provides a positive role model, works to improve the position of women, and exhibits qualities of leadership on campus. Italia also received the 2017 UNF Alumni Service Award.

Italia will step into the position on Dec. 1. She will be taking over duties from Steve St. Amand who is retiring on Dec. 31.

About Junior Achievement of North Florida

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement of North Florida has been operating in Jacksonville since 1963 and includes a satellite office in Tallahassee. Through an innovative partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers, Junior Achievement of North Florida helps young people connect with relevant learning and the importance of staying in school. This collaboration resulted in 48,100 students reached during the 2019-20 school year. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit www.janfl.org.

About Junior Achievement USA^® (JA)

Junior Achievement USA is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches nearly 4.8 million students per year in 105 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.2 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.