Meet the Staff
Contact Us
- Telephone number (904) 256-7025
- Fax number (904) 256-7608
Meet the Staff
Allana Forté (She/her)
Senior Vice President, Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer,
Chief People and Culture Officer
Education
- B.S. University of Florida (concentration in Education)
- J.D. Stetson University College of Law (concentration Trial Advocacy)
About Allana
Allana serves as the Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Counsel and Chief People and Culture Officer at Jacksonville University. In addition to leading compliance and legal matters for the University, Allana is also responsible for leading recruitment and retention initiatives for faculty and staff. She oversees activities performed by the Office of People and Culture, including benefits, recruiting, compensation, employee relations, training and employee recognition programs. Allana serves as the chair of the Employee Recognition Committee and the Faculty/Staff Wellness Committee.
As a trained advocate, Allana considers her transition to higher education seamless as she went from advocating for clients to advocating for students.
Allana’s passions include equity work and community mentorship. In her spare time, she teaches higher education law and policy to graduate students. She also enjoys poetry, podcasts, and game night.
- Telephone number (904) 256-7025
- Email address aforte@ju.edu
Fonnie Baarmand (She/her)
Assistant Vice President of People & Culture, Director of Compliance
Fonnie serves as the Assistant Vice President of People & Culture, and Director of Compliance in the Office of People and Culture at Jacksonville University.
She has over 18 years of experience in higher education and has served in human resources, environmental health & safety, compliance oversight, risk management, university insurance procurement, legal case management and Title IX Coordination.
Fonnie has experience in design and implementation of human resources practices and has created and executed numerous all-inclusive campus wide effective compliance programs such as training & development, enterprise risk management, and policies and procedures to ensure appropriate wide accountability and existence of escalation processes in all areas.
Fonnie has received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources from the Napier University in Scotland and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Florida Institute of Technology.
Fonnie’s goal is to collaborate across all divisions to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, retention, and staff development.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and exercising.
- Telephone number (904) 256-7025
- Email address fbaarma@ju.edu
Ava Cain (She/her)
HR Generalist
Ava Cain serves the Office of People and Culture as an HR Generalist. She comes to Jacksonville University with a passion for education, helping people, and cultivating impactful work and learning environments. A current MSOL student herself, she strives to empower her campus partners as they make JU a wonderful place to attend and work.
Hailing from Memphis and St. Louis, Ava is still amazed by the Florida beaches and weather. She enjoys crocheting, baking, and curling up with a good book and her cats.
Telephone number (904) 256-7699
Email address acain5@ju.edu
Laurie Philpot
People & Culture Business Partner
Laurie Philpot (she/her) has recently joined Jacksonville University as a People & Culture Business Partner in the Office of People and Culture. She previously supported a multi-cultural, global staff she is thrilled to be a part of the welcoming and inclusive culture at JU.
Laurie holds a B.S. degree in Marketing. She has been living in the Jacksonville area for over 20 years, but originally hails from Pittsburgh. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her family and pets.
Telephone number (904) 256-7276
Email address lphilpo@ju.edu
Raevyn Coffey (She/her)
HR Generalist
Raevyn serves in the Office of People & Culture as an HR Generalist. Raevyn is a graduate of Florida International University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, and she also holds a Professional Certificate in Human Resources Management. Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as mental health in the workplace, Raevyn is committed to fostering supportive and inclusive environments where individuals can thrive.
New to the field of higher education, she is excited to be part of Jacksonville University and looks forward to serving the university community.
Raevyn plans to pursue graduate studies in the future and strives to make a positive impact on the lives of everyone she encounters. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, watching documentaries, trying new recipes, and taking road trips.
Telephone number (904) 256-7708
Email address rcoffey1@ju.edu
DJ Strong
HRIS Analyst
DJ Strong serves the Office of People and Culture as an HRIS Analyst. He comes to Jacksonville University with four years of experience as a payroll and HR professional with ADP, and 15 years in Retail leadership where he developed a passion for helping organizations and the people within them succeed.
DJ’s interest in human resources comes from a simple belief: people matter, and how people are treated matters. He is excited to bring his experience to JU while continuing to grow professionally and explore the new horizons and adventures that this opportunity brings for him and his family.
Originally from Blountstown, FL, DJ has called Bainbridge, GA home since October 2012. Outside of work, he enjoys watching and attending hockey games, playing video games, and writing. DJ and his wife Deanne have been married since March 2015 and are proud parents to three daughters, Malia, Nolie, and Abigail.
Telephone number (904) 256-7279
Email address dstrong891@ju.edu
Cassidy Pembrooke
HR Generalist
Cassidy serves the Office of People & Culture as an HR Generalist. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2020 and brings many HR skills from a variety of different industries to the team. Her favorite areas include recruiting and employee engagement. This is her first foray into higher education, and she is eager to take on this new experience!
Originally from central Pennsylvania, Cassidy prefers Sheetz to Wawa and is very appreciative of winters in Florida. In her free time, she loves reading, playing video games, and spoiling her cats. She also loves to travel, and one of her best vacations was a trip to Paris, France
Telephone number (904) 256-7027
Email address cpembrooke@ju.edu
Who is my Business Partner?
In the interest of serving JU even better, the Office of People & Culture assigns a People & Culture Business Partner to each college/organization at JU. The specific areas below are listed so you will know who your professional People & Culture Business Partner is. Please note, we are still a team -- if you have a question when your Business Partner is out, we are all here to serve you.
College/Department by Business Partner
Laurie Philpot
- Linda Berry Stein College of Arts & Sciences
- Biology & Marine Science
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Education
- History, Political Science, & Economics
- Humanities
- Literature, Language, & Culture
- Media Arts
- MSRI
- FL Fish & Wildlife
- St. Johns River Keeper
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Policy
- Science & Math
- Social Sciences
- Sociology & Criminology
- Sustainability, Geography, & Environment
- Visual Arts
- College of Law
- Student Affairs
- The Advising Center
- Career Resource Center
- Disability Student Services
- Jax Rec Well
- Military & Veterans Resources
- Residential Life
- RISE
- Student Activities
- Student Counseling
- Student Engagement and Leaders
- Student Experience
- Student Health Center
- Varsity Sports (Sailing & Shooting)
Ava Cain
- Academic Affairs
- Academic Technology
- Honors Program
- Library
- Registrar's Office
- Sponsored Programs
- STEAM
- Athletics Administration
- Athletics Sports
- Davis College of Business & Technology (DCOBT)
- Accounting, Finance, & DSIM
- Aviation
- Business
- Communications
- Computing Science
- Engineering
- Management, Communications, Marketing, International Business & Sports
- NROTC
- People & Culture
- President's Office Admin
- Strategic Events
Raevyn Coffey
- College of Healthcare Sciences (BRCHS)
- Beach BLVD Healthcare Simulation Center
- Comm Sciences & Disorders
- Kinesiology
- Mental Health Counseling
- Orthodontic Clinic
- School of Orthodontics
- Enrollment Management Administration
- Graduate Admissions
- Admissions
- University Marketing & Communications
- Financial Affairs Administration
- Information Technology
- Purchasing (Imaging & Post Office)
- Controller's Office
- Wilma's Little People School
- Student Accounts and Financial Aid
- Keigwin School of Nursing
Cassidy Pembrooke
- Aramark
- Campus Security
- External Affairs
- University Advancement Administration
- LECOM