Alumni Spartan Spotlight

December 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Tom Meachum ’81, MBA '93 

As a two-time graduate of UT and active alumnus, Thomas Meachum ’81, MBA ’93 continues to give back. From a successful career as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, to serving on The University of Tampa’s Board of Fellows, Meachum has committed himself to being Spartan Ready and a leader of the Spartan community.

While growing up in Lewisburg, PA, Meachum was no stranger to UT. As a child, he would visit family in the Tampa Bay area with views of the UT minarets. Meachum received his bachelor’s degree in 1981 and went on to complete his MBA in 1993. During his time earning his MBA, Meachum was a leader at the University participating in inaugural leadership training courses to help reinvent the MBA and career services programs, and he worked with renowned experts in different fields such as technology and quality improvement for hospitals. 

Meachum found his passion working for Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor. He believes that his career can be divided into thirds. “The first third I learned my craft, the second third I practiced my craft…and the third part of my career will be the giveback portion to train and help to support people.” Meachum believes he is in the second third of his career and looks forward to the next step through fundraising and teaching to help give back to others.

Meachum has given graciously to UT throughout his previous involvement within the Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter and his current involvement with the Board of Fellows. He fondly remembers participating in alumni events to fundraise and cites these events as sparking his interest in philanthropy.

Overall, Meachum defines success as “the realization of a person’s own understanding of their purpose in life and then fulfilling that.” If he could give advice to UT students and alumni now, he says create your own future and do not be afraid to reinvent yourself. If the future is not going the way you had originally planned, do not be afraid to try something new!

November 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Cynthia Cancio-Perez ’03  

Meet Cynthia Cancio-Perez ’03, a Spartan alumna with healthy ambitions, which shape her interests and ideals. She set a goal to graduate from The University of Tampa with an English undergraduate degree in three years and successfully did so. She started her career exploring, experimenting and discovering as she completed her Enterprise Rent-A-Car management training program in seven months (typically takes 12-18) to quickly enter into the role of assistant manager over two branches. Cancio-Perez continued her ambition and took a leap of faith and applied to a small Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) company called WilsonHCG. Within 12 years with the company, she made significant impacts in every area of business from team leader to vice president of global internal recruitment, which accelerated her into a leadership career.

Cancio-Perez said, "Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time,” a quote from Arnold H. Glasow. With a referral from past colleagues and exposure to influential people, she entered into a new role with TriNet and is currently the director of talent acquisition.

She shared that leading a group of people is her favorite aspect of her role. The empowerment within the organization pushes her to better the business and serve her team to her fullest potential.

Cancio-Perez shares that her biggest takeaway as a student at The University of Tampa was the individuals she was introduced to; with a strong diverse community she had the opportunity to meet people outside her Tampa bubble and meaningfully interact within the community. Her advice to current UT students is to maximize LinkedIn, and she challenges students to use the powerful tool to connect with people in the field they admire, follow thought leaders, explore the companies they revere and join their talent communities.

September 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Lauren Thomas Compton MBA '04

After more than 15 years in her multiple roles at Thomas Financial, Lauren Thomas Compton MBA ‘04 has developed a knack for operationalizing strategic plans – an ability that will serve her well as the recently elected president of Thomas Financial. Through her work with her family’s business, Compton commits herself to providing insurance solutions for high net worth individuals and closely-held businesses assisting in revenue growth, operations and finance. Compton was recently recognized in an article for making significant impacts in every area of the business from case design to finance to in-force management.

After earning her MBA at UT, Compton found the charm of Tampa Bay so endearing that she decided to make it her permanent home. It helps that her husband is also a Tampa native and the two of them enjoy every minute of their time here with their two children. Compton also holds a Master of Studies in Law with a focus in business law from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. Volunteering at the Tampa General Hospital Foundation keeps her busy, along with serving as a member of the Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council, Moffit Cancer Merit Society and the M Financial Member Firm Relations Committee. 

Compton shares that her definition of success is having the time to do what you love, with the people you love. “Prior to COVID-19 and quarantine, I might have said success has more to do with accomplishment or creating wealth. None of those things are special if you do not have time to enjoy them. In fact, that version of success just made me a busy person with a lot of things…I would fall into bed each night exhausted after a full day of work and after-school activities. Now, I am really appreciating the opportunity to be home with my family in the evenings, to (try to) cook, and not have to race from one place to the next. We recently drove to North Carolina for vacation instead of flying, which was a luxury I never thought I had before because I was always trying to cram a great family vacation in a few short days (to get back to work!)”   

Compton’s advice to UT students is to first, take advantage of the time value of money. Put 10% of your annual paycheck away into savings, especially your 401k when you are starting out after college. Make sure to always put enough to get your company’s match. She also said that it is important to continue to educate yourself even after you leave UT. Compton shares that she reads a lot of business and leadership books and in her 30’s went on to get another degree and her Certified Financial Planning designation. No matter how long you have been in a position or at a company, there is always room to grow your knowledge and make yourself more valuable to your employer. It keeps you prepared for new opportunities.

While women are underrepresented in the field of finance, Compton has seized the opportunities available and has been bold, passionate and driven in her role which has allowed her to continue to learn and excel in her business which she one day hopes her son or daughter will carry on as a Spartan.

August 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Cristophoros Beck '16 and Blaise Telemaque '18

Meet Cristophoros Allen Beck '16 and Blaise I. Alexander-Telemaque '18, two passion-driven alumni who started out as friends and have evolved into business partners as the founders of their company, breezeshare, Inc.

Beck, a sociology major, attended UT as a non-traditional student after being medically retired from the U.S. Army following two combat tours, but took advantage of every opportunity to engage as a student. While attending UT, Beck served as a student leader within several organizations, including Greek Council president, president of UT’s National Panhellenic Council (NPHC), Student Government, Black Student Union and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. Telemaque, a cybersecurity major, is also a pledge member of Phi Beta Sigma Inc. While attending UT, Telemaque enjoyed partnering in events that included social injustice panels and community service opportunities.

Founded in May 2019, breezeshare, Inc. aims to disrupt and change the way that music is created forever. Breezeshare is a SaaS (software as a service) platform that provides music creatives (producers, artists, audio engineers, videographers and graphic designers) with the space to collaborate with others beyond the locality of the studio. The online platform allows music creatives to host private or public sessions, create music, post and share videos, and live-stream content, as well as connect socially. One reason that their concept appeals to bigger record labels is because of the potential to save dollars in operational costs from hotel expenses to travel fees. 

Beck and Telemaque continue to build traction and a following around breezeshare with music industry titans, partnerships with TampaBeat and Rolling Loud, and promotional partnerships with 1017 Gang Gucci Mane’s record label, A & R. Their first music review gained the traction of over 700 followers in less than one business day.

When asked about his mentors at UT and advice he would give any student regarding their success, Beck's mentors at the University included Bob Ruday, Sabrina Griffith and Trustee Thomas Graham. His advice to students would be to understand success is a process and to keep in mind that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Telemaque exclaimed his mentors included professors Mia Plachkinova and Natasha Veltri. His advice to students is to “network with your professors and get to know them outside of just the classroom. Many are also business owners, experts in their industry and have their own network of connections.”

As CMO, Beck refers to himself as the voice of breezeshare, while Telemaque, chief executive officer and president, is the face. In June 2020, John Whitaker ‘19 onboarded as breezeshare's director of business development. Whitaker played on UT's men’s basketball team all four years and served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) his senior year.

While Beck and Telemaque's journey has just begun, breezeshare seeks to continue gaining momentum in accomplishing new goals and exceed set milestones as they pave their way to becoming a tech giant.

June 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Quincy Jenkins '04

Quincy Jenkins '04  graduated from UT with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. He is currently working as the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Chattanooga State University, where he oversees organization change in a time where we need diversity and inclusion more than ever. Jenkins shares his passion for creating a sense of belonging within his workplace, a college campus and community where he truly felt welcomed, which started post-graduation from UT. Entering the beautiful structure of Plant Hall from a small town in Georgia, Jenkins was unsure of how his college career and experiences would develop. Looking back, he made lasting impacts through his presidential leadership role for his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, Student Government Diversity Senator and winning awards such as Greek Man of the Year. All these moments inspired and gave him the confidence to create this same feeling and space for all students entering college.

Jenkins shared that one individual at UT who stepped into his life and stood out to him was Stephanie Russell Krebs, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Krebs impacted him by becoming a mentor. Even now, Jenkins says he has run into Krebs at higher education conferences and still keeps in touch.

Jenkins' advice to current UT students is that the world can be a daunting and challenging place for all of us, however UT truly provides a platform of guidance to prepare you for diversity and how to engage with individuals different from us. Additionally, UT is a school of educational privilege, so recognize that but know it is not a negative point. Use this educational privilege in a way that will do good for others, improving the lives of those around you whether that be in your workplace, in your classrooms or in your extracurricular activities.

May 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Charles F. Scherer '02

Charles Scherer  graduated from UT in 2002 with his bachelor's degree in government and world affairs. He is currently serving as the regional executive director for the Children’s Home Society of Florida, leading in the bold direction to end the need for foster care as we know it. 

With a career built on integrity and a strong work ethic, Scherer’s commitment and passion began in public service close to two decades ago while working with the United States Department of Justice’s Executive Office of The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. He was a legislative intern on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for a United States congressman from Florida and completed an internship with a national nonprofit organization, the Human Rights Campaign, in conjunction with a United States senator’s re-election campaign. Scherer mentions that before stepping into this experiential internship, he had gained the necessary requirements through UT’s Career Services by preparing his resume, practicing mock interviews and gaining mentorships with individuals within his field.

Scherer was later appointed as director of field operations and campaign treasurer for a candidate running for the United States Senate in Florida. He began his career with the State of Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) in 2004 as a certified child protective investigator and was promoted through the ranks to statewide leadership during his 15-year tenure. Scherer served as operations manager for the DCF assistant secretary for operations/deputy secretary and was appointed as the statewide deputy director for the Florida Abuse Hotline and Command Center, where he served until 2015 when he joined DCF’s Southern region leadership team as the regional operations manager for child protective investigations. A year later he was appointed as the director of family safety and community services leading the region’s child protective investigations, adult protective investigations and services, child care regulations and the family safety program office teams overseeing a $26 million annual budget and serving a population of around 3.5 million. Scherer also served as DCF acting regional managing director when delegated, overseeing all DCF operations for the Southern region. In October 2019, Scherer joined the statewide nonprofit organization, Children’s Home Society of Florida, as regional executive director leading CHS’ mission and vision in Broward and Palm Beach areas.

As he has served on many local and statewide family safety and child well-being initiatives, Scherer shares that The University of Tampa gave him the platform to be able to be a part of these outstanding organizations and provide invaluable services within the community. Scherer’s advice to UT students is to “be bold, be brave and be brilliant. Have fun and live your life to the fullest, always be you, and be proud of you. Never be satisfied with what is, constantly pursue what can be. Never give up and make your dreams reality. The world is yours — go for it.”

April 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Jessica Spencer '98

Jessica Spencer '98  graduated with a bachelor's in criminology from UT, which she has applied to a successful career in the substance use intervention and prevention field. She also holds a master’s in substance abuse counseling and education and doctorate in education in organizational leadership at Nova Southeastern University. With over 21 years of experience working with substance abuse counseling and education, she currently is the treatment coordinator, consultant and public speaker for her firm, Spencer Solutions Group.

With influences from her upbringing and some struggles experienced, Spencer learned that the most rewarding aspect of her job is helping communities, more specifically aiding these communities to raise “strong and healthy children who are free as possible from mental health issues and struggles and avoid substance abuse as long as possible.” Spencer shares that success to her ultimately means bringing joy to others, defining success in relation to an individual’s place in the world and community.

Although she is passionate about her career, there is another part of her life she is actively pursuing and enjoys sharing with others. She believes in using community and connectivity to empower people to influence their experiences pertaining to mental health and substance abuse/alcohol prevention awareness. Her commitment to passionate prevention allows her to still stay connected to UT, through advising for her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau. Spencer also joined the Alumni Association Board in 2019 and will serve for a three-year term. The board is a group of dynamic alumni volunteers who represent UT by promoting engagement with the University, attending board meetings and alumni events, voting on alumni awards and providing feedback to UT leadership. She has been a strong voice in the group and is currently helping with the “Letters to Spartan Seniors” campaign for the Class of 2020.

Spencer's advice to UT students is to avoid over-partying so that you won’t miss the unique and pivotal experiences offered to you throughout your college career. She reflected that “it might be one of the best experiences in your lifetime.” Additionally, as her work has always been community based, she “implores everyone to pursue community-based work or even volunteer!”

March 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Josh Murphy '08

Josh Murphy '08 graduated with a B.A. in government and world affairs. Currently, he is the founder and CEO at IdeasFWD, an organization that partners with companies, social entrepreneurs and philanthropic organizations seeking to re-imagine the American Dream and expand the next generation of leaders. In his role, Murphy works to design unique programs and initiatives that focus on storytelling for diverse communities in order to make a social impact. Some of these communities have been left behind when it comes to certain economic priorities and social justice conversations, and IdeasFWD’s engagement strategies help to prevent this. His company has recently worked with Gucci to design and launch three programs under Gucci’s $6.5 million Changemakers Initiative.

Before beginning with his entrepreneurial ventures, Murphy spent five years with the Rockefeller Foundation in the Office of the President gaining experience in external affairs, programmatic funding, communications and innovative projects. Josh has also published two books, “Writings from a Teenage Mind” and “Generation We Solve: Cause the Effect.”

Murphy said that UT provided the avenues to discover his passions. On campus, he worked part-time in the Admissions mailroom, but also volunteered his time with the PEACE Volunteer Center, including an alternative break to Mississippi to construct houses. As Student Government vice president, he was inspired to focus on student rights and interpersonal connections with other students. Involvement with Student Productions gave him the creative freedom to create events for the entire student body. He was even the 2007 Fall Homecoming King.

Ultimately, he said the combination of his extracurricular involvement and classes contributed to his success. Academic lessons taught him communication techniques, while leadership opportunities helped him to discover the meaning of philanthropy. He reflects that if you “build a community of lifelong friends starting while you’re at UT, it ensures that when you travel near or far, you’ll bump into someone. Life wouldn’t be the same without those impactful individuals you met during your time at the University.”

February 2020 Spartan Spotlight
Francisco Garcia MBA '18

Francisco Garcia MBA '18 currently serves as the digital operations and marketing specialist for BeniComp Health Solution, a company that uses prediction, prevention and technology to transform healthcare for employers and employees. In his role, Garcia works to uniquely structure group health plans and provide an ROI to employers while measurably improving employee health. He also helps employers provide employees with preventive health technology, which allows them to gain insight into what is actually going on within their bodies, right beneath the surface. This high-touch, self-serve technology allows people to hone in on their health risks. For this reason, he believes that the opportunities in healthcare lie in using technology to empower people to influence their health through decision-making resources. With tools like these, people will be able to predict and prevent their own health risks while also alleviating their financial strain. Garcia was recently recognized as a 2020 Rising Star in Advising by Employee Benefit Adviser.

Before he stepped into his role at BeniComp, Garcia said that UT gave him the avenues to develop his professional toolset. Outside of class, he worked as a graduate assistant in the First-Year Experience office and was the coordinator for the financial literacy program. He also actively pursued public speaking opportunities not just at UT, but at Providence College, Duke University, the University of Rhode Island and others. 

Garcia said it all begins with a growth-mindset, which is what enables anyone to effectively and efficiently use any toolset. His advice is to align your personal and professional goals to create purposeful work and strive for excellence every day by seeing challenges as opportunities to thrive. Ultimately, he said this is how he found his passions and empowerment for optimizing his own personal success. Garcia also said that it’s important to develop your personal brand. “We all have different life experiences. People connect with people. That’s who people want to work with. If people can see your values, passions and your commitment, that’s what makes a difference!”