2024 Alumni Recognition Award Winners

The highest honor awarded to UNF alumni and most coveted of them all, the Distinguished Alumni Award, goes to Julie (Blacker) Brazil!

Brazil (’03) graduated from UNF with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a nursing degree from FSCJ. From a young age, she had an interest in health care and a desire to make an impact on people’s lives. After several years as a hospital nurse, she started her own consulting firm, working on delivering unique health care information to the public via the web.

Currently, Brazil serves as the co-founder and COO for Gravity Diagnostics, a medical laboratory located in Covington, Kentucky. Established in 2016, they provide accurate and time efficient test results for patients across the country. Originally focused on toxicology and pharmacogenomics testing to help combat the opioid epidemic, they added infectious disease testing including upper respiratory diagnostics. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, their lab was well-positioned to handle the challenge as they aimed to run 500 tests a day with a 48 hours turnaround time.

By the end of 2020, Gravity had been averaging 20,000 tests a day and from clients across the country, including some from her alma mater. Despite the volume of work, Gravity Diagnostics maintained an impressive turnaround with 95% of the COVID-19 test results reported within 24 hours of receipt. “The stories we were hearing about waiting 10-14 days for results were heartbreaking,” Brazil said. “With families separated from loved ones, unable to visit or say final goodbyes, I could not help but think of parents I had cared for.”

Brazil also made a generous donation to the North Florida Ospreys athletic department toward enhancements for the UNF Arena. The J. Blacker Gym is accessible from the arena lobby and equipped with various accessories from new trap bars, Keiser functional trainers and a mounted TV which displays athlete data along with strength and conditioning programs. Brazil said after working closely with UNF during the pandemic, it was obvious that the health of the student-athletes was a top priority.

The Young Alumni Achievement Award goes to Matt Brockelman!

Brockelman graduated from UNF in 2012 after serving as the student body president. He earned two bachelor’s degrees (Corporate Finance and Marketing) from the UNF Coggin College of Business. He was a member of the UNF Presidential Envoys and Sigma Chi - University of North Florida. He was also elected by his peers as vice chairman of the Florida Student Association, an organization which represents the interests of Florida’s public university students.

Brockelman serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs at VyStar Credit Union, one of the nation’s largest credit unions. His department is responsible for managing the financial institution’s local, state, and federal advocacy efforts as well as facilitating relationships with civic leaders, trade associations, and other business community organizations. Prior to joining VyStar, Matt was a partner at The Southern Group, the Southeastern United States' largest lobbying firm. His professional experience also includes stints as a public higher education lobbyist for the University of North Florida and a City of Jacksonville mayoral aide.

Matt is involved with several community nonprofit boards including Family Support Services of North Florida, The Cathedral District Jacksonville and Build Up Downtown, and he’s very active in civic life. He is a former Jacksonville Waterways Commissioner and is currently a mayoral appointee to Jacksonville’s Downtown Development Review Board.

Our first 2024 Alumni Service Award goes out to Kelli Bethel!

Kristin Kelli (Wilson) Bethel started volunteering at a young age and has given over 4,100 hours to the Jacksonville community.Her first major community involvement was in high school, where she weekly went to the Children's Home Society of Florida to tutor children in all areas of scholastic. She also created several fundraisers including a Build-A-Bear drive for children in foster care. While at the University of North Florida, Bethel was one of the first campus representatives for Rethreaded, bringing awareness to human trafficking. She also worked with the Jacksonville Giants, traveling to schools in at-risk areas to teach their students the importance of reading.

Bethel is an advocate in her community for heart disease, and created a group called Tommy's Tigers in honor and memory of her dad, whom she lost to congestive heart failure. She has been involved in the annual American Heart Association Walk where she encourages others to participate.

Bethel is currently a social media volunteer with the Sunshine Foundation – the oldest wish granting organization in the country. – sharing stories of the children and their mission. She also checks in attendees and assists with the auction at their yearly gala.

For the past eight years, Bethel has been involved in the yearly “Halloween Doors and More” to benefit Community PedsCare – a division of the Community Hospice & Palliative Care. She has done many different jobs from costuming to managing groups of youth volunteers during the event. Bethel also visits nursing homes to perform and sing for the residents through the Alzheimer's Association, believing that keeping the elderly involved with music and activities can help stimulate their minds. In addition, she volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville, Inc. and has collected over ten gallons of pop tabs to help pay for daily expenses. She also works with Project Linus, an organization that provides blankets to children who are seriously ill or traumatized.

After being a child of adoption, Bethel is determined to show others that it's not about where you come from, but how you chose to help others and make a difference. She loves to get her family involved – including her husband, John (who works at the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department), her mom and her little cousins – who have joined her volunteering efforts with the Fostering Connections 5K, Limitless Run, Gate River Run and Halloween Doors and More.

Our second winner of the Alumni Service Award is Alan Hartley (‘05), founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Black Cypress Capital Management. He has been in the investment field for over 20 years.

Alan has served on the University of North Florida Foundation board for over twelve years. He has chaired the Foundation’s Investment Committee since 2016, helping to oversee the $150 million endowment.

Alan’s career started with a research associate position at Ergates Capital, a long/short hedge fund. Alan next joined Morningstar as a generalist/IPO equity analyst where he covered thirteen different industries. Alan then managed $50 million in assets on the behalf of six different investment advisers. Alan launched Black Cypress in the midst of the 2008 and 2009 recession, with an account of $400,000. The firm now manages over $220 million. Black Cypress was Emerging Manager Monthly’s 2022 Emerging Manager of the Year for United States Large-Cap Equity.

Alan graduated from the UNF Coggin College of Business summa cum laude in 2005, receiving a B.B.A. in finance. Alan has also earned the right to display the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. The CFA credential is the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world.

Alan has been published in Morningstar, SumZero, Barrons.com, Seeking Alpha, and other syndicated publications. In addition to his UNF board involvement, Alan regularly serves as UNF’s industry mentor for the annual CFA Research Challenge.

He lives with his wife Golden (’08), son, and two daughters in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Our inaugural Alumni-Owned Business Service Award goes to David Hacker and Construction Specialties of North Florida LLC!

Hacker (’08, ’09) is an alumnus of the UNF Construction Management program, having earned his bachelor’s degree at the UNF College of Computing, Engineering & Construction (CCEC) before returning to the UNF Graduate School to complete his MBA. He returned to his alma mater in 2011 to serve as an adjunct professor. He is also a season ticket holder for the men's basketball program and a huge supporter of all things University of North Florida.

Hacker started Construction Specialties of North Florida in 2006 while he was a sophomore at UNF. CSNF quickly became the number one installer of storm shutters in Jacksonville. Today, CSNF has diversified to offer a full range of outdoor features for builders, remodelers and homeowners.

CSNF has received numerous awards throughout the years, including Jacksonville Business Journal’s fastest growing companies, Nefba - Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Hardscape Projects, UNF’s Hard Hat Banquet awards and the Builders Care Plaque of Appreciation for Home from the Heart.

Hacker was a student of Dr. James Sorce, whom he developed a strong bond with before his passing in 2020. He, along with the Sorce family, launched the Dr. James Sorce Golf Tournament, which raises money for the James Sorce Endowed Scholarship.

Rhodes Robinson has served UNF as a member of the UNF - College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Leadership Council for over a decade. He recently finished his term as council chair and remains active as a member. Rhodes also serves on the IERE community council.

Robinson and his wife, Sarah, founded Environmental Services, Inc., an ecological consulting firm headquartered in Jacksonville. He has 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting field and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in wildlife biology from NC State. He has served as director and chair of the Ways and Means committee for the Society of Wetland Scientists, and is former president for the Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program. He has also served on the certification team for the Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals.

As a business leader, Rhodes has supported many UNF interns in Wetlands Science and Biology at his company. Rhodes also served as a UNF adjunct professor of Wetlands Science since 2021. He has been a dedicated volunteer and advocate for the College and University, and he and Sarah established an endowed scholarship in 2022.

Darnell Smith is Florida Blue’s market president for the North Florida region. He has worked for Florida Blue for more than 30 years and was promoted to his current role 10 years ago. In this role, he is responsible for Florida Blue’s business market growth, as well as customer and community engagement across 36 North Florida counties covering cities from St. Augustine to Pensacola. Also, starting this month, he is now serving as Mayor Donna Deegan’s chief of staff.

Throughout his career, Smith has been very active in serving the community through numerous organization boards and councils, including United Way of Northeast Florida, YMCA of Florida's First Coast, Sulzbacher Center, Communities In Schools of Florida and Cathedral Arts Project. Smith has served the community through numerous board appointments including Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council of Tallahassee and JAXUSA Policy Council. Smith also served as the 2017 chair of the JAX Chamber Board of Directors.

Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from FSU and is a graduate of Harvard’s advanced management program and the University of Michigan’s advanced HR executive program.