Stetson University is proud of its more than 25,000 alumni who live and work all over the world. Our alumni are as diverse and dynamic as our student population.

Max Cleland, '64
Former U.S. Senator for Georgia
Head of U.S. Veterans Administration

Max Cleland graduated from Stetson in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in history. He earned a master's degree from Emory University before volunteering for duty in Vietnam. He later became the youngest person ever elected to the Georgia Senate and went on to head the U.S. Veterans Administration under President Jimmy Carter. In 1982, he was elected to become Georgia's youngest Secretary of State. He went on to serve in the U.S. Senate in 1996 and represented constituents in Georgia for six years. Following his service in the Senate, he taught at American University in Washington, D.C., as an adjunct professor and research fellow. In late 2003, he was confirmed to sit on the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States - an independent federal agency that helped finance about $14.3 billion of U.S. exports around the world in 2003.

Lawrence R. Johnston, '72
Chairman and CEO
Albertson's Inc.

Larry Johnston received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Stetson in 1972. He entered General Electric's Management Training Program right after graduation and spent the next 28 years building his career at GE. In 1999, he was elected a senior vice president of the company and named president and chief executive officer of GE Appliances - a $6 billion global business. He joined Albertson's in 2001 as chairman and chief executive officer of one of the largest food and drug retailers in the world. A Fortune 50 company with 2,300 stores in 31 states, Albertson's has revenues of over $35 billion and the company employs more than 200,000 associates.

J. Barry Griswell, '72
Chairman, President, and CEO
The Principal Financial Group

J. Barry Griswell graduated from Stetson in 1972 with a master's degree in business administration. He joined The Principal Financial Group in 1988 as an agency vice president and later became a senior vice president and executive vice president. He was appointed president in 1998 and named chief executive officer a year later. The Principal Financial Group is a Fortune 500 company with more than $119.6 billion in assets under its management. In 2003, he was honored by The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans for having overcome humble beginnings and adversity to achieve both personal and professional success.

Richard J. McKay, '84
President and General Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Rich McKay received his law degree from Stetson's College of Law in 1984 after graduating from Princeton University. He was a law clerk for U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges for two years before joining the Tampa law firm of Hill, Ward, and Henderson. At the firm, he was legal counsel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for six years before joining the NFL team in 1992 as vice president of football administration. He was promoted to general manager in 1995 and supervised the entire football operation of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and negotiated player contracts for nearly nine seasons. In December 2003, he joined the Atlanta Falcons as president and general manager. In this role, he is responsible for all football and other operational areas of the team.

Alethea Bonello, '94
Southeast Regional Youth Field Director
NAACP

Alethea Bonello graduated from Stetson in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in secondary social science education. During her studies at Stetson, she participated in the Washington (D.C.) Semester program at American University and interned with the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Delinquency Programs. Involved with the NAACP since 1989, she became a lifetime member in 1994 and is currently the regional youth field director of the Southeast Region- covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In this position, she interacts with more than 500 youth councils and college chapters and provides training designed to develop and empower young people.

Jill Jinks, '79
CEO
Southern General Financial Group

Jill Jinks received her bachelor's degree in economics and finance from Stetson in 1979. She later earned master's degrees from New York University and Georgia State University. In 1997, she became chief executive officer and president of the Southern General Financial Group- following in the footsteps of her father, who was one of the company's founders in 1964. The company is now a $90 million Georgia-based property and casualty insurance company that manages four companies and one wholesaler in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and North Carolina.

Amy Horton, '77
Legal Advisor
International Center for Not-for-Profit-Law

Amy Horton graduated from Stetson in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She went on to earn a law degree from the University of Miami and is the legal advisor to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law in Washington, D.C. In this role, she provides technical legal assistance on non-governmental organization (NGO) law reform activities and public participation initiatives. Her previous experience includes associate general counsel for the Peace Corps and litigator for the Washington, D.C. firm of Shea & Gardner. Before earning her law degree, she worked as an editor for numerous national magazines including Time, Vanity Fair, Forbes and Rolling Stone.

Reed Choate, '00
Junior Portfolio Manager
Mellon

Reed Choate graduated from Stetson in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He now manages portfolios worth more than $300 million as a junior portfolio manager in the private wealth management group for Mellon in New York City. During his studies at Stetson, he studied abroad in Hong Kong and had an internship with Sanford Bernstein in New York City.

Nicole Mendez Chancy, '97
Investment Analyst
Aon Investment Consulting

Nicole Mendez Chancy graduated from Stetson in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and in 2000 with a master’s of business administration. She is an investment analyst with Aon Investment Consulting in Atlanta. The firm provides independent investment advisory services to institutional investment clients such as 401K plans, pension plans, college endowments and non-profit organizations. She is responsible for behind-the-scenes work such as gathering and analyzing data, setting up and writing reports and contacting investment managers, vendors and custodians.

Luis Prats, '78
Attorney Managing Shareholder
Carlton Fields

Stetson University Alumni Association President Luis Prats graduated from Stetson in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and in 1981 with a juris doctor degree. He is a trial attorney with Carlton Fields and is the Tampa office’s managing shareholder. He works in the construction law practice group at the firm and represents a diverse clientele in commercial disputes. He is a member of the Florida Bar, Hillsborough Bar Association, American Bar Association and International Bar Association. Other past and current associations include serving on the board for Tampa Habitat for Humanity.