Junior Achievement of North Florida recently announced Mary Ann Callahan is the new chair of the board of directors. Callahan took over the leadership role July 1. She has previously served on the executive committee as vice-chair and secretary.
“Junior Achievement is fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Mary Ann Callahan take over the reins of the board of directors,” said Steve St. Amand, president of JA of North Florida. “There will be much choppy water to navigate as we negotiate the pandemic and Mary Ann is the perfect individual to lead the organization during these times.”
Callahan will serve as the board chair through June 30, 2022. She joined the organization as a board member in 2016 but her involvement extends beyond the executive team. She has also been a volunteer with the organization and served as the Chair of the $mart Women Make Change event, an annual fundraiser to support the JA Girl$ Initiative.
“My favorite part of being involved with JA is to see our students get excited as they think about preparing for the future through all of the different programs that we have to offer,” Callahan said. “As board chair, my goal is to continue to build on the legacy of our previous board chairs and Steve. I want to ensure we continue to support our community in a relevant matter in these uncertain times and prepare our students for the future.”
Callahan has more than 30 years of lending experience in the financial industry including in sales, servicing, loss mitigation and operations. She serves as the production executive for the centralized and online retail auto sales team for Bank of America. She has also held leadership roles with EquiCredit, Homeside Lending, Washington Mutual, Chase and PNC. She started her career with ITT Financial Services.
Callahan holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Miami University and is a certified Women’s Business Advocate. In addition to her involvement with JA, Callahan has also volunteered with United Way, served as a mentor for Women’s Unlimited’s LEAD program and as an advisor for Year Up Jacksonville. She also actively participates in the equestrian sport of dressage. Callahan currently lives in Neptune Beach with her husband and two rescued Labrador retrievers.
