Inspire Award for FSU Women of Distinction

The Inspire Award recognizes alumnae who have distinguished themselves as leaders within their industry and whose hard work and determination serves as an inspiration to current students and young alumni at Florida State University.

Award Criteria

• A woman who has “shattered the glass ceiling” in her career

• A woman who has proven to be a mentor to others

• A woman who has given of her time, talents and treasure back to FSU

• A woman who is a leader in her community

2021 - Honorees from Central Florida

• Cecelia Bonifay (B.A. ’71, M.S. ’76, J.D. ’85)

Ms. Bonifay is chair of Akerman’s Land Use and Development Practice, helping developers navigate the governmental approval process for their real estate projects. With a strong background in urban planning and development approvals for large-scale projects, clients benefit from her keen analysis of a wide range of land use, zoning, sustainable development, and environmental matters. She performs due diligence for development projects in Florida and across the United States.

2019 - Honorees from Central Florida

• Naomie Baptiste (B.S. ’06)

Ms. Baptiste is an international subcontract program manager at Lockheed Martin Corporation. She is responsible for leading major subcontractors in all cost, schedule and technical performance requirements that are levied on the subcontractor or the product family and is required to ensure performance and support of the contract milestones of the system.

 

• Anne Hamilton (B.S. ’79)

Ms. Hamilton is the vice president of global travel for The Walt Disney Company. In this role, Anne provides essential organizational and strategic leadership for her teams who serve the needs of traveling cast members on a global basis for The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries. Anne has been with Disney for 23 years; before leading the global travel team, she served most recently as vice president of resort sales and services for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

 

• Jennifer N. Hanson (B.S. ’01)

Ms. Hanson is the national sales director of direct to consumer sales & corporate sponsorships for GolfNow, a division of Golf Channel and part of NBC Sports Group. Jennifer has held sales and marketing roles in digital, television, radio, print, and previously owned an advertising agency which specialized in media planning, media buying, commercial/infomercial production, and digital/point of sale asset creation. Part of the GolfNow leadership team, Jennifer oversees the Revolution Golf product platform and Endemic Direct Response television business, plus affiliate and corporate partnerships.

 

• Heather Pinder Rodriguez (B.A. ’95, B.S. ’95, J.D. ’98)

The Honorable Rodriguez is a Circuit Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, where she has served in the felony, family, domestic violence, and juvenile delinquency divisions. Before becoming a judge, Judge Rodriguez was senior counsel with Holland & Knight’s construction industry practice group and Board Certified in Construction Law. She was an active pro bono attorney and has served as president of the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association Board of Trustees. Judge Rodriguez was also recognized routinely as one of the leading construction lawyers in both the state of Florida and the nation.