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
Gaby Coelho (She/her)
People & Culture Business Partner
Gaby Coelho (she/her) serves Jacksonville University as a People & Culture Business Partner in the Office of People and Culture. Having studied Psychology and Sociology in her undergraduate schooling, she loves working with and understanding people. Her overarching goal is to positively impact the lives of the people she works with. She loves to continuously learn and be challenged, and has goals to pursue a graduate education. When she is not working, Gaby enjoys going to the beach, running, cooking, spending time outdoors, and listening to live music.
Olivia Crews (She/her)
HRIS Analyst
Olivia Crews joins the Office of People & Culture as HRIS Analyst. Her background in Finance and Customer Service serves the team through analytics reporting, process improvements, and new technology implementation.
She is overjoyed to continue to build relationships across campus and looks forward to meeting new people. Olivia is currently working on a Master of Business Administration at Jacksonville University. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys live music, making hot sauce from her pepper garden, and is always open to suggestions for her next Netflix or podcast binge.
- Telephone number (904) 256-7183
- Email address ocrews@ju.edu
Ava Cain (She/her)
HR Generalist & Office Coordinator
Ava Cain (she/her) serves the Office of People and Culture as HR Generalist & Office Coordinator. She comes to Jacksonville University with a passion for education, helping people, and cultivating impactful work and learning environments. Ava has a Bachelor’s degree in Counseling and plans to pursue graduate education to increase her effectiveness in higher education administration. She is excited to be part of the JU community.
Having lived in both Memphis and St. Louis, Ava has strong opinions when it comes to barbecue. Ava enjoys crocheting, baking, going to the beach, and curling up with a good book and her three-legged cat, Marcie.
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
Jasmine Deschamps (She/her)
People & Culture Business Partner
Jasmine (she/her) is the People & Culture Business Partner for the Office of People and Culture at Jacksonville University. With a background in staffing, she's handled various tasks like full-cycle recruiting, client management, and international and domestic payroll. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, is eyeing a master’s degree in organizational leadership.
Her passion lies in fostering workplace relationships, striving to cultivate a positive and safe environment through collaboration. Always hungry for knowledge, Jasmine is a perpetual learner, eager to explore diverse subjects. She's all ears for recommendations on compelling books and movies that offer glimpses into different cultures and parts of the world.
Outside of work, Jasmine finds joy in aerial and flow arts, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and nurturing her growing collection of plants.
Telephone number (904) 256-7708
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
Gaby Coelho
- College of Healthcare Sciences (BRCHS)
- Beach BLVD Healthcare Simulation Center
- Comm Sciences & Disorders
- Kinesiology
- Mental Health Counseling
- Nursing
- Orthodontic Clinic
- School of Orthodontics
- 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)
- People & Culture
- President's Office Admin
- Strategic Events
Laurie Philpot
- College of Law
- Financial Affairs Administration
- Controller's Office
- Information Technology
- Purchasing (Imaging & Post Office)
- Resource Management
- Student Accounts and Financial Aid
- Wilma’s Little People School
- 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
- OCEARCH
- St. Johns River Keeper
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Policy
- Science & Math
- Social Sciences
- Sociology & Criminology
- Sustainability, Geography, & Environment
- Visual Arts
- Women’s Health Innovation Network (WHIN)
Jasmine Deschamps
- 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
- Enrollment Management Admin
- Admissions
- Graduate Admissions
- External Affairs
- University Advancement Administration
- University Marketing & Communications
Ava Cain
- Aramark
- Campus Security
- Strategic Events