6 Warrington staff honored with UF Superior Accomplishment Awards
Staff from across the Warrington College of Business were recognized for their exceptional service as part of the 2025 University of Florida Superior Accomplishment Awards. The program recognizes faculty and staff members who contribute outstanding and meritorious service, efficiency and/or economy, or have created an impact on the quality of life provided to students and employees.
Heavener School of Business Career Readiness Curriculum Director Amber Bollinger and Executive Assistant & Donor Relations Coordinator Elizabeth Hauck were both selected in the Office Administration, Human Resources, and Information Technology category. Design Lead Jason Williams was selected for the Student, Academic & Alumni Services category.
Heavener School Director of Competency Development and Program Evaluation Catherine Coe, MIB and MSM Associate Director of Recruitment Pratibha Singh and Administrative Assistant JoAnn Smolen were each recognized in the Sustained Excellence category, which recognizes exceptional performance, contributions and successes took place over a longer span of time.
Amber Bollinger
Born and raised in Tennessee, Amber earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Middle Tennessee State University. She began her career at National Healthcare Corporation, where she discovered her passion for training and development. This passion led her back to MTSU to pursue a master’s degree in business education, ultimately guiding her to a career in higher education.
Amber currently serves as the Director of Career Readiness Curriculum, collaborating with faculty and staff to ensure business students graduate with the skills employers seek through the implementation of a new career readiness degree requirement. Previously, as the Assistant Director of the Heavener Leaders Sequence, she led the Warrington Welcome course and its associated Peer Leader program. Her leadership earned her the 2023 Sponsored Program Advisor of the Year award, while the Peer Leader program was recognized as the 2023 Sponsored Program of the Year.
Additionally, Amber oversees the Heavener internship course, which enrolls more than 900 students annually, providing structured learning alongside hands-on internship experiences. Beyond her role in higher education, she is a certified trainer with the Dale Carnegie organization, where she leads professional development sessions focused on building confidence, enhancing communication, strengthening people skills, developing leadership abilities, and managing stress.
Elizabeth Hauck
Elizabeth is the executive assistant and donor relations coordinator for the development team at Warrington. In her role, she handles the stewardship efforts and donor relations programs for the college. This is her second Superior Accomplishment Award in her 6 years at UF, previously winning during her time in the College of Design Construction and Planning. Elizabeth is also in the Santa Fe College Hall of Fame (Class of 2013). She has an AA from Santa Fe College and is working to finish her degree at UF, where she is studying sociology.
Jason Williams
Jason is a marketing and design professional with nearly 20 years of experience in branding, multimedia and creative direction. As the design lead for the Warrington College of Business, he has shaped the college’s visual identity, leading a graduate program marketing refresh that drove a 419% increase in ad clicks and launching Warrington’s first-ever magazine, which contributed to the college’s rise in U.S. News rankings. His efficiency and innovation have earned him the Superior Accomplishment Award, and he consistently delivers impactful designs ahead of schedule.
Jason holds an AA in Fine Art, AS degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor’s in Multimedia and Video Production from Santa Fe College. He is also the founder of Gander & Kutty Design Co., where he provides freelance branding and design services for local businesses such as The Top, Cry Baby’s, and Baby J Bar. Committed to professional growth, he has completed UX design accessibility courses and integrates AI tools to streamline workflows. With expertise spanning paid media strategy, publication design, and video production consulting, Jason continues to craft compelling visual narratives that drive engagement and results.
Catherine Coe
Catherine serves as the Director of Competency Development and Program Evaluation in the Heavener School of Business. She began her career at the University of Florida in 2008 as an academic advisor and career coach. In 2012, she transitioned to the online advising team, after she developed a deeper understanding of digital learning environments to enhance the student experience. Catherine then spent some time in the UF College of Education working in instructional design and faculty professional development before returning to Warrington in 2016 as the Director of Online Business Programs.
As Director of Online Business Programs, she developed the framework for what would become Gator Ready—a platform that integrates experiential learning and co-curricular opportunities with career readiness competencies. The Gator Ready app engages students in skill-building activities while allowing the college to track and assess experiential learning. This empowers students to tell their unique stories and showcase their professional competencies.
In addition to overseeing Gator Ready, Catherine manages the evaluation of Heavener programs, ensuring their alignment with career readiness skills. She has taught Intro to Business: Warrington Welcome course 37 times, provided data analysis support for Heavener, and, as a former undergraduate course scheduler, continues to assist in optimizing course and exam scheduling.
She earned her BSBA and MA in economics from the University of Florida as well as her MEd in Student Personnel in Higher Education and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Education Technology and minor in Research Methods.
Pratibha Singh
Pratibha (Poly) has served as the Admissions Coordinator for the MIB, MSM, and MS Marketing Programs at the Warrington College of Business for the past seven years. In this role, she guides prospective students through the admissions process, helping them navigate their options and choose the program that aligns with their goals.
Before transitioning into higher education, Poly had an illustrious career as a civil servant in the Indian Forest Service. Initially selected for the Indian Foreign Service, she later followed her passion for environmental conservation. She worked extensively at the grassroots level in Himalayan villages, in the Doon Valley Integrated Watershed Management Project across 65 villages in the lower Himalayas. Over the years, she held several key assignments, including Director of Kanpur Zoological Park, Member-Secretary of the Biodiversity Board, and Special Secretary to the Government (Forests and Wildlife). She was awarded for outstanding public service by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh in 2003. Again, in recognition of her contributions to conservation, she was honored with the G-Files Good Governance Award at the national level in 2014.
On moving to academia, she taught Captive Wildlife Management and Plant Physiology to undergraduate students at Unity College, Maine, and Environmental Science and Aviculture at Santa Fe College, Gainesville.
Her academic journey is equally remarkable. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Botany and a master’s degree in Botany (specializing in Genetics and Tissue Culture) from the University of Delhi. She further pursued a Master’s in Forestry and Wildlife Management from the National Forest Academy, India, followed by a master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Her career in public service also enabled her to attend Syracuse University (Maxwell School) and the University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu. After moving to the United States, she earned a Master’s in Public Management (specializing in Energy, Environment, and Sustainability) from Carnegie Mellon University. Most recently, she completed her Doctorate in Business Administration from Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, where her dissertation focused on employees’ perceptions of mattering at work.
Beyond her professional and academic pursuits, Poly is an avid birdwatcher and an active member of the Alachua Audubon Society, where she also served on the board for two years. For her, birding is a simple yet powerful means to slow down, de-stress, practice mindfulness, and improve concentration. Her passion recently reached an exciting milestone when she recorded her 1,000th bird – a stunning purple sandpiper, spotted at Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville.
