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Anna Valent
Executive Director
Sport:
Swimming (NCAA)
Position:
Team(s):
University of Florida
Years Active:
1999-2003
Current City:
Career Highlights
Anna is an honors graduate of the University of Florida (UF) with degrees in Psychology and Public Relations. Anna is currently the Executive Director of Athletes for CARE, a global nonprofit focused on leveraging the influence of current and retired professional athletes to impact positive changes in health, wellness and safety for all. Anna’s prior professional experience includes five years as an entrepreneur starting three companies, nearly a decade with the JAX Chamber including four years as Vice President of Operations. Her expertise includes event management, information technology, facilities management, innovation, downtown engagement, board development and strategic planning. In 2005, Anna started the ImpactJAX program to help young professionals in Jacksonville become involved in the community and increase the likelihood they will stay in Northeast Florida. Anna implemented a concept she created called “Downtown’s New Front Door,” a $3.5 million renovation project to reinvigorate the JAX Chamber's facilities and inspire revitalization in downtown Jacksonville. Prior to her work with the Chamber, Anna was the Regional Manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In that capacity, she worked with families in crisis and created meaningful experiences to help them cope with the life-threatening illness of a child. While at UF, Anna was a world ranked distance freestyle swimmer, a four-year letter winner and the 2002-03 co-captain on the Gator Women’s Swim Team. She achieved Scholastic All-America and All-SEC honors all four years and received honors for her instrumental leadership and performing beyond expectations. Anna and her team were the 2002 SEC Women’s Swimming Champions. In 2009, Anna was one of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 under 40 and is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville. She was Vice Chair of the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission and served on the Art Selection Panel for Art in Public Places. Anna served for several years on the board of the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP). Currently, Anna serves on the board of HACAA and is Walkathon Chair for the Friends of Hendricks. In addition, she has volunteered with her church, Habijax, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Shands at University of Florida Arts in Medicine, the American Red Cross, the Jacksonville Humane Society's Pawfessionals and the American Cancer Society. Additionally, she served as a high school special education tutor. Anna is a Gator booster, lifetime member of both the UF Alumni Association and the Gator Splash Club and an F Club member. Anna was born in Winston-Salem, NC and spent eight years in the Atlanta area before moving to St. Simons Island, GA. Anna and her husband, Kevin, live in Jacksonville, FL and have three daughters.
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In The News
NFL's Clint Johnson Joins Cannabis Advocacy Group, Says Helping Others Is 'Lifelong Mission'
Athletes for CARE recently hired Clint Johnson, former football player for the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) and Notre Dame.
Johnson will be the organization's Director of Development.
Athletes for CARE is focused on advocating for research, education, and compassion around health issues, with a focus on cannabis. Johnson will bring a wealth of experience from a dynamic career focused on the growth, development, and expansion of organizations that directly benefit the community, to his role at Athletes for CARE.
Entrepreneur
The Week In Cannabis: GrowGeneration’s Spike, Big Earnings, Stocks In Decline, And Dutchie’s Funding
GRWG) managed to close in the green, with gains of 24%. This still meant giving up some of the gains accrued between Aug. 12 and Aug. 19.
The rally started last Friday when the grow supplies company reported its second-quarter financial results, establishing a new revenue record for the tenth consecutive quarter.
GrowGeneration continued to spike on Monday after Jim Cramer interviewed CEO Darren Lampert on CNBC, describing its business model as the “most exciting” he’s seen in retail.
Following a five-day rally, GrowGeneration’s stock hit a peak of $22.30 on Wednesday, and commenced a small decline as excitement around its earnings wore off and some investors looked to take profits. On Friday, shares took a dive of more than 9% after Hindenburg Research published a report arguing the “Euphoric Retail Stock Has The Brightest Management Red Flags” that analysts have “ever seen,” saying downside surpasses 70%.
Benzinga
With CFL season scuttled, Bergman enjoys 'just being a dad'
The silver lining for Norfolk County native Shane Bergman in COVID-19 upsetting plans for the 2020 Canadian Football League season is the extra time he got to spend with his nine-month-old son, Asher.
The season, originally scheduled to begin in June, was officially cancelled this week.
The CFL had asked the federal government for a $30-million interest-free loan with the intention of creating a hub city (Winnipeg) to host games with no spectators. But the loan was turned down and the CFL put the brakes on plans for a six-game regular season, followed by playoffs and a Grey Cup.
“I had no idea what was going on with those talks between the CFL and the federal government,” said the offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders. “I didn’t know about the final decision but I thought it was going (to be cancelled) just because it took so long. It was inevitable.”
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