Junior Achievement of North Florida has named seven new members to its board of directors. Nader Farhat, Patty Keenan, Jennifer Kirouac, Mike Knox, Shehani Ranadewa, Trish Skoglund and Shatara Troy have joined the board.
Three of the new members come from the banking industry. Jennifer Kirouac has more than 25 years in banking and is currently the vice president, senior business banking relationship manager for First Horizon Bank. Kirouac has a passion for financial education and literacy and is excited to become a part of the JA of North Florida board as she has seen so many people throughout her career that have benefited from JA programs.
Mike Knox is the senior vice president/senior relationship manager for PNC Financial Services and has been a volunteer for JA. He said that experience made him realize JA was the perfect outlet for him to give back to the community and positively impact young people’s perceptions about the importance of education and life skills.
Shehani Ranadewa, an AVP with Deutsche Bank, also started with JA as a volunteer and has helped to coordinate several JA fundraisers. Ranadewa said teaching a JA class for a day allowed her to see firsthand the positive impact that JA programs have on students.
Nader Farhat is the managing partner of the Jacksonville office for pWc and says he truly cares about school children and believes we all can make a difference in their lives.
Patty Keenan is the chief learning officer for Miller Electric Company and founded an executive coaching firm where she coached CEOs and their executive teams for more than 15 years. Keenan realizes the importance of community leaders doing their part to build for future generations.
Trish Skoglund is the director of mergers and acquisitions with Crowley. She said she is looking forward to being part of an organization that provides resources to young kids to learn about the career and financial opportunities that are available to them, regardless of their socio-economic background.
Shatara Troy is a JA alumna who currently serves as both the COO of Harbor View Advisors and the managing director of the firm’s consulting practice area. Troy participated in JA as a high school student in the Bahamas. She said the program provided one of her first experiences with entrepreneurship, strategy, and mentorship. Troy said JA sparked something in her that continues to guide her career and community involvement. She said she looks forward to helping ignite that same spark in a new generation of future leaders.
The seven members are now part of a board made up of 36 community leaders who volunteer their time to help promote and enhance the mission of JA of North Florida.
