The Date Has Been Set and Award Winners Chosen for Junior Achievement of North Florida's Hall of Fame

Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 15, 2022 – Junior Achievement of North Florida has set the date for its Hall of Fame Luncheon for Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The Hall of Fame is the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser and will be held this year at the University of North Florida’s Adam W. Herbert University Center. Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the event which helps JA of North Florida continue its mission to inspire and prepare young people for future success. Sponsorship levels range from the top $15,000 presenting level to the $2,500 chairman level and 100 percent of the funds raised will provide financial literacy programs to North Florida’s students.

“Our programs help to shape our youth and put them on the path to economic success, but we can’t do it alone, we need the community to help,” said Shannon Italia, president of JA of North Florida. “That is why we are asking businesses, organizations, and individuals to join us for this event to learn more about how we can work together to help create the leaders of tomorrow.”

The JA of North Florida’s Hall of Fame is not only a fundraiser but also an opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals and businesses within the community. The awards that will be presented at the event include the Thompson S. Baker Award, the Educator of the Year Award, the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Company of the Year Award. The nonprofit will also be inducting a very special individual into its JA Hall of Fame.

The most prestigious award of the day is the Thompson S. Baker “Solid as a Rock” Award which will be given to Richard Sisisky, president of The Shircliff & Sisisky Company, a management consulting firm, and a partner with SilverSolutions Consulting LLC, a transportation and logistics consulting firm. Sisisky is the 23rd recipient of the award which is given to an individual dedicated to bettering the community through leadership, hands-on involvement and philanthropic deeds. It was named after Thompson Baker, the founder of Florida Rock Industries and the awards first winner, who unselfishly contributed to the community.

Sisisky was chosen for the award for his dedication to serving not-for-profit organizations on the First Coast. Sisisky has been chair for Baptist Health System, Jacksonville Children’s Commission, Jewish Federation of Northeast Florida, Jewish Foundation of Northeast Florida and the Public Policy Institute at Jacksonville University. He has also served on the board of many other organizations including The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, The Bolles School, WJCT Public Broadcasting, United Way of Northeast Florida, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and Raven Transport Holdings.

Italia said, “Mr. Sisisky has been such a great asset to our community, and I admire his commitment to doing what he can to make our region of Florida better. He is an inspiration for others including the students we serve.”

Another prestigious honor that will take place at the Hall of Fame event is the induction of Charlie Kauffman into JA of North Florida’s Hall of Fame. Kauffman is the regional vice president of middle market banking for Wells Fargo. He has been an advocate of JA of North Florida for years and served on the board of directors for 13 years from 2008 to 2021 and was board chair from 2014 to 2016. Italia said Kauffman’s leadership and service has left a lasting impression on the organization.

Three other awards will be presented at the Hall of Fame Luncheon. The Educator of the Year Award will be presented to Lieutenant Colonel William Liptrot, the ROTC officer in charge at William M. Raines High School. The Volunteer of the Year Award will go to Karen Blutcher from JEA and the Company of the Year award will be presented to Ernst & Young.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to register for the event, contact Stephanie Saman at ssaman@janfl.org, call (904) 398-9944, ext. 228, or visit https://northflorida.ja.org/events/ja-of-north-florida-hall-of-fame.

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. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit www.janfl.org.