Leadership

Meredith Chartrand Frisch - Board Chair

A Jacksonville native, Meredith graduated from Florida State University in 2003, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Sciences. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she taught art at a Montessori school. In 2007, Meredith moved back to Jacksonville to help to improve the lives of Jacksonville’s children and work with her family to establish The Chartrand Foundation. She currently serves on the board of The Chartrand Foundation, is a member of The Women’s Giving Alliance, and Chair of Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s Birth and Newborn Advisory Council.

While raising three daughters with her husband Mark, she has spearheaded initiatives in Early Childhood Development with specific interest in the creating opportunity for families by addressing the needs of parents and their children simultaneously. Meredith believes that children in Jacksonville can reach their full potential when they are born healthy and their early stage development is nourished, and invests her time in ensuring these outcomes are available to the greatest number of children possible.

Kimberly Mariani Jones - Vice Chair/Development Chair

Ms. Mariani Jones is a fundraising and communications executive with a fierce work ethic and nearly 20 years of experience in the higher education and nonprofit space. She believes strongly in the missions of the organizations in which she works, serves and consults.

She has practiced development in private and public university settings, including her current role leading the Office of University Advancement at Jacksonville University. As Chief Advancement Officer, Kimberly’s efforts have led to a tripling of the University’s ASPIRE Campaign progress since 2013, quickly approaching its $120 million goal. She was instrumental in the University’s 75th Anniversary celebration, the establishment of a President’s Parents Council, and four 7-figure naming gifts, including the naming of a College, a School, a Center and many other significant campus facilities and academic programs. Thanks in part to her leadership, the University’s philanthropic base has exploded, creating a strong culture of giving for the University’s 30,000+ alumni as well as students, parents, friends and fans.

Embracing the core values of kindness, patience and the interconnectedness of us all, Kimberly enjoys listening more than talking and engaging in actual human contact. She holds dear the belief that every individual has an innate desire to help someone or something which fuels their philanthropic passion.

She is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S.), University of North Florida (M.B.A.) and holds a certification from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University. Kimberly has completed extensive professional development in fundraising, campaign planning and volunteer management. She has received interactive media training and served as an on the record spokesperson for national news outlets including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She is a member of the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida’s Women’s Giving Alliance, the World Affairs Council, CASE, and teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Jacksonville University.

Ashton Hudson - Treasurer/Finance Chair

Ashton Hudson is a Partner in Value Acquisition Fund, an acquisition, development and asset management company and in Rock Creek Capital, an alternative asset manager with significant land holdings throughout the southeast.

Prior to beginning his investment career, Ashton practiced law with the firm of Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LLP, where his legal practice was primarily focused on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, general corporate law and securities law.

Ashton previously served on the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Electric Authority, the seventh largest municipally owned utility in the United States, where he chaired the Audit and Finance Committee and served a two-year term as Chairman of the Board and on the Board of Directors of Forestar Group, Inc. (NYSE: FOR), where he sat on the Audit, Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees. He currently sits on the Florida Board of Directors of Fifth Third Bank.

Until its sale to Anticimex in February 2018, Ashton was the owner and Executive Chairman of Jacksonville, FL-based Turner Pest Control, one of the largest and fastest growing pest control providers in the United States.

Ashton earned his B.S., cum laude, in business and accountancy, from Wake Forest University in 1994. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1997 from the Wake Forest University School of Law.
 

Amy Turci - Governance Chair
 

Amy Turci is an Office Managing Partner in the Jacksonville office at FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms. Amy started with FordHarrison in 2006 and was named partner in February 2017. Amy concentrates her practice on litigating employment cases in state and federal courts, as well as representing employers before state and local agencies. She also advises employers on various employment issues, including federal and state anti-discrimination statutes, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. She additionally works with clients to develop employment handbooks and policies and to ensure general legal/regulatory compliance. Further, she regularly provides management training for corporate and civic organizations on developments in various employment and labor laws. Prior to joining FordHarrison, Amy was an associate at a Jacksonville labor and employment law firm.

Amy is a Board Member of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Florida First Coast Chapter, and serves as Chair for ABC's Women's Council; Amy additionally served as a Co-Chair of the 2013 ABC Excellence in Construction Awards, serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee, and is involved with the legislative efforts of ABC of Florida. Amy has been a mentor with Take Stock in Children, and is the office contact for the area chapters of Habitat for Humanity. Amy is a committed volunteer for the March of Dimes, having been a member of the Circle of Champions since 2010, a member of the Board of Directors since 2012, and serving as Board Chair for 2015-2016; Amy has additionally served on both the March for Babies Executive Committee and Signature Chefs Auction Committee, as well as serving as the Chair of the Signature Chefs Auction for 2012 and 2017.

Hunter Hartford McIntosh - Development Member

Hunter Hartford McIntosh is a true guardian of the environment and was passionate about conservation from an early age. Inspired by a family legacy of environmental education, philanthropy and conservation that protects our natural resources for future generations, Hunter is steadfast on preserving nature through his work as President & CEO at The Boat Company.

The Boat Company was started in 1979 by Hunter’s father Michael McIntosh with the mission of protecting the largest remaining temperate rainforest in the Northern Hemisphere, the Tongass National Forest in Southern Alaska. This mission is carried out today through their luxury eco- cruises which allow visitors to experience nature’s beauty and see first hand the importance of conservation.

Growing up in Palm Beach, FL and participating in island rituals such as watching the annual nesting of the sea turtles, instilled in Hunter the desire to protect and preserve our waters and wildlife habitats.

A multi-disciplinary athlete, he went to Florida State University on a track scholarship. Two years later he left FSU to persue his true athletic passion, and joined the ATP Tour as a tennis professional. After moving to Connecticut, Hunter resumed his college studies at Sacred Heart University and received degrees in Communications and Political Science. While attending school, he also served as Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Fairfield University, directing the Stag’s to their first conference titles.

Hunter is proudly carrying on his family legacy of conservation and shares The Boat Company’s vision at national conferences where he has spoken on topics of Sustainable Tourism. He has been a speaker at the World Green Energy Symposium on multiple occasions, The International Ecotourism Society Annual Conference as well as the American Society of Travel Agents Cruise West.

In 2011, Hunter was identified as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Sales and Marketing by the Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International, and has received numerous accolades in Sustainable Tourism from other industry peers such as the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards and National Geographic Traveller Magazine. He has also testified before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, submitted testimony to them and met with and submitted official comments to the Secretary of the Interior as well as Secretary of Agriculture who oversee the US Forest Service. The areas of focus within the testimony consisted of fisheries and wildlife management, land protection and preservation, and nature based tourism.

Hunter has focused his philanthropic efforts on issues of conservation, health, and education for future generations. Wanting to give back to the university that had given him his educational start through athletics, he was a founding supporter of the women’s soccer program at Florida State University. He also works as the Trustee and Director of the McIntosh Foundation and is a longtime donor to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where he also worked as the Regional Director of fundraising for the Mid-Atlantic region.

To ensure that the McIntosh family legacy of nature conservation continues, Hunter and his wife Amber enjoy exploring the world around them with their daughter, Aspen.

Philippe Cousteau says of him, “Hunter McIntosh's commitment to conservation and his leadership in the tourism industry is proof of the incredible impact that one individual can have in making our water planet a better place.”

James Landry - Finance Member

James Landry is the Executive Vice President of Business Development & Marketing for CSS International. James has been in the ERP application space for over 25 years focusing on aligning client strategic direction with Oracle ERP implementations and business process improvement. He leads a team of world class business development and marketing professionals across North America and works closely with top Oracle leadership to align CSS consulting expertise and develop joint go-to market strategies to deliver world class consulting around the Oracle business application marketplace. 

James has served on multiple charitable leadership boards including collegiate leadership development. 

James holds a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of North Florida.

Jennifer Kowkabany - Governance Member

Jennifer Kowkabany has served as General Counsel for Neptune Fire Protection Engineering since 2007, where she primarily practices contract and construction law. She came to Jacksonville from Seattle with stops along the way in California, Japan, and South Korea, where she spent her days as a U.S. Marine working on the armament systems of aircraft; and Phoenix, Arizona where she obtained her Bachelors Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix  in 2003 while working full time as a Project Manager. Afterward, she came to Jacksonville to study law at Florida Coastal School of Law, obtaining her Juris Doctorate in 2007. During this time, she met her husband, Steve, and has now set down roots in Neptune Beach with their three children. 

Jennifer spends a majority of her free time volunteering. She serves as Chairman on the Neptune Beach Police Pension Fund Board; is a member of the Women’s Giving Alliance, where she serves as Co-Chair on the Grants Decision Team, and is a member of Rethreaded’s Circle of Sisters, a mentoring group that supports and advocates for women.