Junior Achievement of North Florida Welcomes Six New Board Members as Organization Expands Regional Impact and Advances JA Experiential Learning Center Vision

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (December 8, 2025) — Junior Achievement of North Florida (JANFL) announced the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors, all of whom joined in the fourth quarter of 2025. The expanded board reflects JANFL’s continued growth and momentum as the organization scales hands-on learning experiences that help young people build financial capability, career readiness, and an entrepreneurial mindset - creating stronger pathways to economic mobility across Northeast Florida.

The following community leaders joined the JANFL Board of Directors in Q4 2025:

Bill Lodise — TD Bank
Tom Nolan — Ascendo Resources
Kellie Desrosiers — VOYA Financial
Mike Israel — The CSI Companies
Bobby Price — First Coast Energy / Daily’s
Joe Rickey — FIS

“Junior Achievement of North Florida is growing - both in the number of students we’re serving and in the breadth of leaders stepping forward to invest in young people,” said Shannon Italia, President of Junior Achievement of North Florida. “These six board members bring experience across financial services, workforce solutions, technology, and key industries that drive our region. Their leadership strengthens our ability to deliver real-world learning that expands opportunity and helps students build choice-filled futures.”

Board Growth Reflects Strong Community Alignment

JANFL reaches nearly 35,000 students each school year, partnering with educators, volunteers, and employers to deliver meaningful, experiential learning that students can connect to real life. Through programs focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, students practice decision-making, teamwork, and critical thinking - skills that help shape long-term outcomes for individuals and communities.

JANFL is also advancing plans for its JA Experiential Learning Center (ELC) to expand access to immersive, career-connected learning experiences for students in Northeast Florida.

“This vision is about accelerating what works - more students, deeper experiences, stronger connections to careers, and a community-wide commitment to creating pathways to opportunity,” Italia added.

Industry Representation to Support Expanded Student Opportunity

With new representation spanning banking, financial services, workforce solutions, energy and convenience retail, and financial technology, JANFL’s Board of Directors continues to reflect the sectors shaping Northeast Florida - and the opportunities JANFL is helping young people pursue.

About Junior Achievement of North Florida

Junior Achievement of North Florida inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. JA’s hands-on learning experiences focus on financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship—helping students build the skills, confidence, and mindset needed to pursue choice-filled futures and contribute to a stronger Northeast Florida.

For more information, visit janfl.org.

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