ABOUT ace of northeast florida
The ACE Mentor Program of Northeast Florida is celebrating its 20th year of engaging, exciting, and inspiring high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. Today, ACE serves students at 14 locations across Baker, Clay, Duval, and St. Johns counties, connecting them with industry professionals through hands-on mentoring and real-world career experiences.
ABOUT ace of northeast florida
The ACE Mentor Program of Northeast Florida is celebrating its 20th year of engaging, exciting, and inspiring high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. Today, ACE serves students at 13 locations across Baker, Clay, Duval, and St. Johns counties, connecting them with industry professionals through hands-on mentoring and real-world career experiences.
2025-2026 program overview
269
STUDENTS
85
MENTORS
29
SCHOLARSHIPS
8
FIELD TRIPS
$82k
AWARDED IN SCHOLARSHIPS
215+
SESSIONS
106
SPONSORS
13
LOCATIONS
ace mentor of northeast florida
about us
Through weekly, hands-on sessions, students work alongside volunteer industry professionals on real-world design projects while developing skills in planning, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership. Each program cycle culminates with students presenting their projects to industry judges and competing for scholarships to support their continued education.
Since 2006, ACE NEFL has awarded more than $(Need to insert recent number) in scholarships. Students also participate in construction site visits, college tours, Trades Day, technical workshops, and other experiences that connect classroom learning with AEC careers.
ACE NEFL is the Jacksonville-area affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program of America, a national nonprofit that prepares high school students for in-demand careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
OUR NORTHEAST FLORIDA
locations include
• Gate Parkway Hub (Meets at RS & H headquarters)
Contact us to learn more about expanding ACE to your location.
ace of northeast florida
is the
Jacksonville-area affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program of America, a national nonprofit that prepares high school students for in-demand careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
Contact us to learn more about expanding ACE to your location.
staff
nicole eubanks
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lael Lloyd
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Judy Deshler
CHAIR
Tracey Friley
SECRETARY
Amanda Mullins
TREASURER
David Yencarelli
VICE CHAIR
BOARD MEMBERS
Alex Anderson
BOARD MEMBER
Lauren Atwell
TRADES CHAIR
JOSH BARTH
BOARD MEMBER
Carl Burdick
SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR
Ramsey Grissom
CLAY SHOOT CHAIR
Robert Jackson
BOARD MEMBER
Nick Kalafatis
BOARD MEMBER
Rebecca O'Neal
BOARD MEMBER
Amanda Polematidis
YEAR-END EVENT CHAIR
CRAIG SCOTT
PR CHAIR
Chris Shepherd
BOARD MEMBER
Kevin Shields
FUNDRAISING CHAIR
TOM SMITH
BOARD MEMBER
Eric Snyder
BOARD MEMBER
Ryan Soots
BOARD MEMBER
advisory board
Jeff Auld
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Olivia Frick
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Kimberly Hansen
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Thomas Grogan
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Emily Hubbard
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Crystal A. Markley, PE
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Denise Ramsey, PE
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Ryan Sitnik
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Karin Tucker-Hoffman
ADVISORY COUNCIL
additional committee leaders
Nyree Bowen-Tennant
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Lauren Castillo
ALUMNI CO-CHAIR
Bernice Fayak
CLAY SHOOT CO-CHAIR
Emily Harrison
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
KELLY MOSLEY
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Dan Sandler
MENTOR CHAIR
Ledarius Smith
ALUMNI CO-CHAIR
Michelle Tappouni
GOVERNANCE CHAIR
Jacob Thurlow
EDUCATION CHAIR
our mission
To engage, excite, and inspire high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and continued support for their advancement into the industry.
our goals
• Help build a large, diverse, and better-prepared workforce.
• Prioritize engaging students and communities traditionally underrepresented in the industry.
• Assist and guide students by providing scholarships, internships, and mentoring as they pursue career pathways into the industry.
our values
Collaboration – We believe a spirit of mutually beneficial collaboration will produce the greatest results and maximize our volunteer and fiscal resources.
Excellence – We aspire to deliver the highest quality and most impactful mentor program and commit to approach our work with fairness and honesty.
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