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Invest in the Nest: Adam Polansky

He’s been warming up waiting to be featured in our #InvestInTheNest series, but it’s finally time to call to the bullpen. For this month’s edition, let’s bring in former Osprey pitcher and current assistant athletic director of marketing and ticketing for the Ospreys, Adam Polansky (’18, ’20).

Originally from Orlando, Polansky got an offer from ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ to join the baseball team during the fall semester of his senior year. He visited the Ospreys fresh off a 40-19 season, loved the campus and community, and enjoyed being close to home yet far enough that he could be independent.

As an Osprey pitcher, he recorded 65 strikeouts over 46 appearances and induced a groundout from 4-time MLB All Star Pete Alonso. He was also named to the ASUN Academic Honor Roll and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). During his senior year, he started an internship with the Ospreys marketing team for his COEHS practicum. “I did it, really liked it, and never looked back,” Polansky said. After earning his bachelor’s degree in sport management, he stayed on as a marketing assistant for the Ospreys while completing his MBA.

Once he earned his MBA, he joined the marketing staff for the Campbell Camels in Buies Creek, N.C. in the fall of 2020. Shortly after, his boss left Campbell University and Polansky became a one-man department running all the sports during the Winter/Spring crossover season, with the help of his student workers. His hard work paid off as he was named director of marketing, and he held onto that role until he returned to ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ as the assistant director of ticketing development and strategic revenue in 2022. This past fall, he was promoted to his current role overseeing both the marketing and ticketing departments.

Polansky credits his success to both his education and his experience. “As a student-athlete, you go to other places and see what other people have and start blending everything together.” By combining his knowledge from the classroom with real-life examples of marketing and promotions he’s witnessed traveling with the team, he can incorporate some new and fun things into Ospreys athletics that can entertain the North Florida demographic.

Polansky says the excitement surrounding the games is what drives him to continue. “Even in the most stressful of games ... I default to having fun,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m sitting courtside playing with lights and music. There are a lot worse things I could do. The downside, however, is now that he has seen all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make these games happen, he finds it hard to sit back and relax during a sporting event. “I went to a [Jumbo] Shrimp game over the summer, and I noticed everything.”

For ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ students looking to follow in his footsteps, Polansky said, “No matter what you do, make sure you have fun.” He said there are great people in this industry you can learn from, and he has been fortunate to have worked with so many. The athletics schedule fills up many nights and weekends, but he decompresses by completely unplugging at a certain point each night to just sit on the couch with his dog. On the rare day off, you can catch him golfing or on the beach.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 2/17/25)

Alumni Spotlight: Chris Creswell

The River City Rumble for basketball quickly approaches, which means it’s time for ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ alumnus Chris Creswell (’96) to face the music. After earning his bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ School of Music, he’s turned to the dark (green) side as the Director of Athletic Bands for JU.

Creswell became enamored with music at an early age. His dad was a director for Clay County high schools and he’d always been fascinated by playing jazz music before learning that most world-class musicians also write and teach. When he learned he had a great jazz-focused music program right in his backyard that was recruiting top talent from all over, he applied to be an Osprey along with his girlfriend, now wife, Jenny (’95).

While in the Ira Koger Eminent Jazz Scholar program, he performed with world famous guest artists at 19 years old. “I didn’t have the context to understand how special that was,” Creswell said. In addition to spending an entire week with the legendary Herbie Hancock, he was tasked with picking up flugelhorn pioneer Clark Terry from the airport. He also spent two summers performing in Disney’s All-American College Band program. He ended up staying an extra year to complete a couple of his final math courses while playing trombone in national performances and preparing for his graduate school auditions.

He was accepted to the Manhattan School of Music studying under one of his heroes, the award-winning David Taylor. While in NYC, his wife gave birth to his daughter, Krystin. With the way New York rent is, after completing his master’s, the Creswell family moved to Los Angeles where Jenny’s parents lived.

With two degrees under his belt, he was now set to make it in Hollywood. He started teaching at the Orange County High School of the Arts and composed and designed marching band performances to make some extra income. Six years later, his son was born, and they needed a bigger house.

The family decided to move back to Orange Park where they had an opening for High School Director of Bands. Creswell spent three years at Orange Park High and three years at Fleming High before he got a call for a university gig to teach Marching Band Design. He was initially tasked with starting the marching band, but while JU football is a thing of the past, the band has stayed strong. He coaches the students and they design everything, giving future music teachers a hands-on experience. Many of his former students are now teaching at other schools, and he takes pride in seeing them all together at state conferences.

At the same time, the performance work he’d been doing for the marching bands had been gaining steam. In 2024 alone, Chris Creswell Music and Design LLC had written for bands in over 20 states. FiHe reached a crossroads deciding whether to continue at JU or run the business full time, but he loves composing and teaching. He decided he can balance his schedule by teaching during the school year while working on a few pieces, then focusing entirely on the business during the summer. He’s hired on additional staff to help the business but remains the primary designer and composer.

A little-known fun fact is that Creswell wrote the updated fight song used by the Ospreys pep band back in 1996, in addition to writing an updated fight song for the Dolphins when he started at JU. So, for a couple of rivalry matchups, you heard Creswell pieces from both sides. With JU vs. ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ on the horizon, he feels like he gets a win either way, although he admits it makes for a better day when his students are happier.

While he enjoys composing and teaching, playing will always be his main passion. In his free time, he’ll grab his trombone and perform at weddings or take some corporate band work.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 2/18/25)

Alumni Spotlight: Debbie Guild

From the banks of the St. Johns River to the banks of corporate America, one CCEC student has journeyed to become one of the most powerful women in banking. Today’s Alumni Spotlight shines a light on Debbie Guild (’94), executive vice president of PNC Bank.

Area Coder

Guild had a non-traditional education. As a student at St. Augustine High, she was already learning to code at 15. She didn’t feel much pressure to attend college, but after graduation she enrolled at St. Johns River State College. Her brother enrolled at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, so once she completed her AA, she joined him at the Nest. Between her day job at Barnett Bank and taking night classes at CCEC, she was hanging on by a thread. She recalled nights where “dinner” plans consisted of her and her brother splitting a bag of chips from the vending machine. However, her hard work paid off and things quickly began to change.

In 1992, she got an offer to work with Intel as an engineer, contingent on her finishing her education. She moved out to California and took classes at San Jose State that she transferred toward her ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ degree to earn her bachelor’s in computer science with a mathematics minor. Initially, she wanted to use her education to work for NASA, but after landing her first job at a data center, she stumbled into the banking world. She liked how they “applied technology to business needs.”

After wrapping up at Intel, she returned to Florida and Barnett Bank, which was in the process of being acquired by Bank of America. She believes the consumers need good trust in their banking solutions. “It’s a huge part of the American dream,” she said, and she worked hard to safeguard it. For 21 years, she stayed with Bank of America, moving up the corporate ladder all the way up to Divisional chief technology officer (CTO) for Enterprise Functions and End User Computing.

Someone You Can Bank On

In 2013, recruiters convinced her to join the PNC team. She never saw herself moving to Pittsburgh, but PNC’s mission resonated with her. She took over the role of CTO, and felt it was her responsibility to serve “meaningful, valuable products to the consumers.” Remembering her college days splitting snacks for a meal, she was part of the team to integrate Low Cash Mode, utilizing intelligent alerts, extra time and payment control to help consumers avoid surprise overdraft fees. She loved being part of a bank where you can see a direct path from the board to the customer.

As head of technology, she oversees everything from the data center and app development to the mainframes and midrange database systems. A huge portion of her duties consist of security – cybersecurity, physical security and fraud. Tasks like monitoring lower-level indicators to determine issues or adding physical location plus IP addresses to determine if wire transfers were initiated through the branch or remote access. She said, “We’re in one of the most regulated sectors in the U.S.” The more technology grows, the stronger and faster their ecosystem functions. But more challenges arise as a result. She ensures they have controls and their data presents no bias. They’re also embracing AI, but making sure it’s used responsibly with proper disclosure, so the consumer has confidence in the output.

One of her biggest tasks was leading the $11.6 billion acquisition of BBVA in 2021. Luckily, she had plenty of experience starting from earlier in her career with Barnett Bank’s acquisition by Nations Bank, and subsequent merger with BankAmerica. She said, “I got to see what other technologists have done, and learn what to do and what not to do.” Her department has good technologists to not only merge them but merge them well. They created a greenfield deployment of their website and incorporated a standardized stack when pulling over the BBVA data to be absolutely certain the website could manage the influx of new customers on the launch date.

Power in Numbers

PNC Bank is a huge proponent of an inclusive environment focused on outcomes. The key to Guild’s success elevating from CTO to Executive VP was never shying away from opportunities. “What can I learn from this?” she said as she took on roles no one else wanted, gaining vital experience in the process. After previously being named among American Banker’s “Most Powerful Women to Watch,” she’s been moving up the rankings for “Most Powerful Women in Banking” since 2022. Most of her current role involves developing the leaders of the future. Tech remains a male-dominated field, so she continues to do a lot of work to attract women. “We just need to invite them into banking,” she said. “Once they get in, they do phenomenally.”

Outside the work, she does a lot in the sector. She’s part of the G7 cyber experts’ group and will be headed to Japan later this month. She also enjoys exploring with her husband and spending time with her four kids, two of whom will be getting married in 2025. She also is an exercise enthusiast. After accidentally joining an Ironman triathlon to bond with her new team at PNC, she realized how much she enjoyed it and now has five races under her belt.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 2/4/25)

Alumni Spotlight: Michael Blair

Today’s Alumni Spotlight is a seasoned veteran of the restaurant industry with special emphasis on the “seasoned.” After 13 years in the finance realm for Outback Steakhouse and Miller’s Ale House, Michael Blair (’04) now serves as the Chief Financial and Strategy Officer for Checkers and Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants.

Investing In Your Future

Blair’s path was anything but conventional, but he is a quick learner that gets stuff done. He started out at Hillsborough Community College while working full time but intended to transfer to a four-year university. After earning his AA degree, he visited ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ and liked how despite the nearby metropolis, “it’s tucked away in its own little universe.” The smaller class sizes in the School of Communication were a positive as he initially pursued a career in radio, unbeknownst to what the future had in store.

Once he graduated with a bachelor’s in political science and a communication minor, he returned home to Tampa where he ran into a friend’s sister who was working in human resources for the Home Shopping Network (HSN) on the hunt for new employees. Blair initially started as a backstage coordinator for live HSN shows, working overnight shifts for six months before joining the business side as a merchandise assistant of food. While playing in a company kickball league, his teammates encouraged him to apply for an associate planner role. In his role, he optimized the profitability of the show by “blending art and science.” Since viewership numbers varied throughout the day, he would optimize attention-grabbing items with a lower price point before building up to the high-ticket items.

Blair eventually got recruited by companies on the West Coast and took a position in San Francisco as a merchandise planner for Gap Inc./Old Navy. The new location and responsibilities posed new adjustments for Blair, but he made friends and leveraged his relationships to quickly transition from Microsoft Excel novice to expert. However, when looking to put down his roots, he wanted to come back home to Florida. Chicos brought him to Fort Myers in a similar role with higher pay and allowed him to be close to Tampa to start dating Kalei, now his wife.

Journey Down Under

The mom of his wife’s best friend from childhood worked as an accountant at Bloomin’ Brands, a holding company that owns restaurant chains like Carrabba’s, Bonefish Grill and Outback Steakhouse. At a wedding, she and Blair talked about his experience, and she asked for his resume which made its way to the desk of John Massari, the CFO of Outback. While Blair had no direct experience in financial planning and analysis, Massari was impressed by his background and his work ethic. He hired him as a senior financial analyst and learned under the tutelage Shaun Lewis, who did everything from marketing and analysis to pricing and testing. Blair took to it immediately, volunteering for every opportunity to understand the consumer before understanding the numbers. He became skilled at budgeting and forecasting, which was rewarded by quick upward mobility in the organization.

Unlike many other CFOs that rose up solely in finance, Blair’s communication background allowed him to bring a new perspective to the company, transitioning from the myopic accounting viewpoint to a more operational and transformational role. After six years working at Outback domestic, his career growth led him to become the director of finance for the international markets before being promoted to international CFO. A few weeks each month, he traveled extensively across South America, Asia and Oceania. However, with two young children at home, he decided to prioritize family over work.

Miller’s Ale House had a CFO position open, and the commute to Orlando was much more reasonable than Australia. In 2019, he accepted the role where he helped grow LTM EBITDA by over 60% in 4 years while broadening his scope by leading departments outside of the traditional finance functions, including HR. Then, the Tampa headquarters for Checkers and Rally’s gave him a chance to return home and oversee accounting, finance and payroll, with the addition of legal, real estate and IT at the start of this year. He is now well suited to mesh his communication skills and his financial acumen to lead his unit with the support of his family nearby and aspirations of CEO on the horizon.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 2/3/25)

Local Business Showcase: Cork Media

For one Osprey, migrating south meant finding a unique career opportunity – and a life partner! Check out this month’s MetInTheNest Local Business Showcase.

Ian Cork (’24) graduated from the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ School of Communication with his bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism. A Chicago native, he spent a year at Georgia Southern University before transferring to the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, where he was deeply involved on campus. Cork was a member of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ PRSSA and co-founded the Kappa Omicron chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi.

It was during a Greek life event that Cork met his future partner, Kaitlynn Sorondo (’22), at a bowling event hosted by her sorority, Alpha Phi. As the two talked, Cork was so intrigued by a storytelling course she was taking that he switched his major to multimedia journalism, which became the first step towards his future as a communicator and entrepreneur.

Cork said his time at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ readied him for a career in media. He credits his courses for teaching him about creating a strong brand and selling a story, plus he learned videography, lighting and production skills that he puts to use in his occupation. One of his most memorable experiences as a student was working with a Chicago-based music production agency, where he had an opportunity to develop his public relations and social media management skills.

While still an undergraduate student, Cork launched his independent business, Cork Media, and he started serving local businesses looking for help with social media management. After graduation, he hired additional social media managers and advertising professionals. Today, the company offers its clients a broad range of services, from social media management to videography, advertising and graphic design. Cork says the company plans to expand its offerings to include traditional marketing while delivering bespoke solutions for each client.

Cork’s favorite part of entrepreneurship is seeing local businesses flourish. He enjoys attending events across Jacksonville and getting involved with the city he has come to love. For example, one of his favorite events to work has been with the Indian Cultural Society of Jacksonville.

When he isn’t busy running his business, Cork enjoys hiking, playing basketball and traveling. He is looking forward to an upcoming mission trip to Tanzania, where he will help build schools. He also plans to climb Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai in northern Tanzania.

(Written by Kai Edu, Published 2/13/25)

Donor Spotlight: Eddie Collins

Continuing our “Thanks for Giving” campaign, we’d like to recognize Dr. Eddie Collins, founding faculty member for the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ - College of Arts and Sciences Department of Sociology, who has established a need-based undergraduate scholarship to echo his commitment to student success.

Collins attended public school in eastern North Carolina and went to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University for his bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology. After graduating in 1966, he went to Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) where he got a master’s degree. He then taught at Clark College across the street for four years, and when he was researching for his thesis, he ran across Dr. Carroll Simms, a professor at Georgia State, who ultimately became the first chairman of the department of sociology at the newly founded ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ. Simms called Collins and asked if he’d be interested in joining him, and he became an Osprey in 1972. After three years, Simms left to go up north, but Collins has remained part of the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ community ever since. 

In the early years, there were the core four in the department. Simms, Kumar Kuthiala, Chris Rasche and Collins. “Students were attracted to sociology because at least they had a vision of having some impact on society,” he said. Many of his students were much older than him; some were military and some had started their education before joining the workforce and never finished. Collins said, “Students who had a lot of real­ world experience and [were] very eager to get through.” The University allowed them to complete their degrees. 

When he started, he taught the three courses of the social welfare program for about ten years and was also an advisor. He’d never taught these courses before, but he says “I was lucky to find some good textbooks and took a couple of other courses at Gainesville, and those courses became the courses that I enjoyed.”

He also organized a fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, who got charted in the first couple of years. He’s loved seeing the growth of campus and the student body and remembers the first time he walked around and noticed students were playing around and suntanning on the green.

“Coming out of the 1960’s, it was a very optimistic time,” he said. “I saw this university as a part of that new revolution of creating a society that was much more open, much more diverse, and much more optimistic in terms of human possibilities.”

“I think the university probably impacted the city in terms of its racial climate more than anything that’s happened in the last hundred years,” he said. He was an active member of the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. that did an assessment of the city. Back then, the city was fragmented by regions, and he’s seen it grown tremendously in terms of developing an identity.

After 35 years, he retired from the University in July 2007, but still finds ways to contribute as an emeritus.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 11/26/24)

Oz For A Cause: Sarah Roberts

In this month’s edition of #OzforACause, we are highlighting a triple alumna who’s not only dedicated her life’s work to helping others through counseling and art therapy but has also staunchly advocated for herself and others living with diabetes. November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and we recently sat down with Sarah Roberts, RMHCI (’21, ’21, ’24), to discuss her career and advocacy. She currently works as an associate therapist at Elite DNA Behavioral Health in Jacksonville.

A Third-Degree Swoop

As an Osprey, Roberts stayed active on campus and in the classroom, earning dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and interdisciplinary studies, focusing on ceramic art therapy. This year, she completed her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and incorporates her ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ education into her work, primarily counseling children aged 9 and up.

Art therapy, in many ways, inspired Roberts to become a therapist. During undergrad, while taking 17 credit hours one semester, she struggled with stress as she pursued forensic psychology aspirations. Practicing ceramics during this time helped her manage the pressure and persevere through her studies.

“I thought, ‘How cool would it be for me to be able to use the tools that I’ve learned to put my stress into something and create something out of nothing and teach that to people.’”

During undergrad, Roberts also worked as an orientation leader, senior mentor, and development associate for ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ’s University Development and Alumni Engagement office after graduation.

She speaks highly of her master’s program, noting classes such as Expressive Arts Counseling, Equestrian Therapy, and Sexology as enjoyable and beneficial for helping clients. Currently, she holds a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI) designation and will need to pass an exam after two years of client work and 1,500 direct-client hours to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).

Diabetes at a Glance

Diabetes is a group of diseases affecting how the body uses glucose (blood sugar), according to Mayo Clinic. Glucose provides energy for muscles, tissues, and the brain, but diabetes can lead to excess blood sugar, causing severe health issues.

With Type 1 diabetes (T1D), the pancreas makes little or no insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and produce energy. There is no cure for T1D, which is often caused by genetics or viral infections and typically appears in childhood or adolescence but can develop in adults.

In Type 2 diabetes (T2D), the pancreas produces insufficient insulin, often due to inactivity, obesity, or insulin resistance in fat, muscle, and liver cells. While T2D usually occurs in older adults, rising obesity rates have led to more cases among younger people, including children.

Roberts was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3 after a severe strep throat infection triggered an autoimmune response that temporarily shut down her pancreas. She uses two medical devices to manage her blood sugar: a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and an insulin pump. These devices create a closed-loop system, acting as an external pancreas, she explained.

“I like to call myself part robot,” she said.

Insurance coverage for these devices can be challenging, and rising insulin costs remain a major issue for the diabetic community. Roberts said she’s had to fight her insurance provider to access the care she needs, while legislators often fail to grasp the life-or-death nature of insulin access.

“I think a lot of the time it’s seen as a luxury,” she said. “If you don’t have insulin, you can’t eat, you can’t function. You need insulin to survive.”

She also noted research showing that COVID-19 has triggered autoimmune responses in some adults, leading to late-onset Type 1 diabetes diagnoses.

“I know a lot of people in the mid-to-late 20s who got COVID and now they have Type 1, so it’s definitely something to pay attention to.”

Advocacy and Diabetes Camp

Roberts uses her T1D diagnosis to educate others and encourage younger generations to persevere despite their condition. As a child, she wrote a letter to President George W. Bush advocating for stem cell research, a potential avenue for curing diabetes. She received a reply with a presidential stamp, which she still has to this day.

Since age 5, Roberts has been involved with the Florida Camp for Children and Youth with Diabetes (FCCYD), returning frequently as a counselor. The camps offer a safe space and community for children with T1D.

Recalling her childhood, she faced bullying from peers who joked about her condition or mocked her medical devices. She said she often hid in school bathrooms to check her blood sugar.

“To be able to go to a space at least once a year [where] I didn’t have to hide part of myself is the best part about it,” she said.

Diabetes Camp provides a refuge where kids can participate in activities without worry, supported by trained counselors and professionals. The camps also offer diabetes education and mental health counseling. Roberts’ favorite, Camp Winona in DeLeon Springs, features lakeside cabins and is run by the YMCA.

Roberts advocates for person-first language, encouraging people to say, “I have Type 1 diabetes” instead of “I’m diabetic.” She explains that this distinction emphasizes that individuals are more than their condition—a principle she also applies to mental health and autism.

Living with diabetes requires constant decision-making, from monitoring blood sugar and food intake to managing devices and insulin. Roberts acknowledges this can be exhausting, especially after difficult fluctuations in blood sugar.

When she is not working as a counselor or volunteering at Diabetes Camp, Roberts enjoys pottery, spending time with friends, searching for shark teeth, visiting local breweries, and growing her vinyl collection.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 11/19/24)