Humanitarian Awards Event
Each year since 1970, OneJax hosts a Humanitarian Awards Event to honor outstanding individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our community.
Anyone in the community may submit a nomination for someone to be selected as a OneJax Humanitarian. Self-nominations are also considered. Nominations are accepted during the month of September each year.
Once the nomination period closes, a selection committee made up of members of the OneJax Executive Committee and previous Humanitarians evaluate the nominations and make the final selection. The Humanitarian Awards is the largest fundraiser OneJax holds during the year. This notable event includes a formal ceremony to recognize the new group of Honorees each year.
Humanitarian Awards Event
2026 Humanitarian Awards Event
Date: TBA
Location: Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
2025 HONOREES
Dr. Charles B. McIntosh, Gold Medallion for Lifetime Achievement
Retired Pediatrician, Community Trustee
Dr. McIntosh was the first African American physician in Jacksonville to practice pediatric medicine. This 97-year-old Icon is a graduate of Old Stanton High School in Jacksonville as well as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee. Dr. McIntosh was also the first African American to sit on the Florida Board of Medical Examiners, a position to which he was appointed by Governors Reuben Askew and Bob Graham.
Dr. McIntosh opened his private practice in Jacksonville in 1958. He served on the Florida Ethics Commission and helped found the Florida Sickle Cell Foundation in 1973.. A pioneer in Sickle Cell Research, the University of Florida Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Center was named in his honor in December 2005.
Perhaps most importantly, Dr. McIntosh is revered as a kind and compassionate physician to thousands of babies, children, and teens during his career as a practicing pediatrician. He has universal respect and recognition within not only the Jacksonville Medical Community, but also the business, educational, religious, and philanthropic community as well.
He became a Humanitarian in 1981 when he received the Silver Medallion from the then-Jacksonville chapter of the National Association for Christians and Jews—NCCJ— the predecessor organization to OneJax.
Dr. McIntosh is also a very active Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The Kappa Alpha Psi Jacksonville Foundation, Inc will honor the life and legacy of this distinguished individual by naming a new Medical/Community Center planned for the Northside in his honor. The 17,000 Sq Ft facility will be named the Dr. Charles B. McIntosh Community Achievement Center. 4500 Sq Ft of this facility will be dedicated to a medical component (Village Pediatrics) and this initiative is a collaborative effort between Kappa Alpha Psi Jacksonville Foundation, Inc., I.M. Sulzbacher, and Wolfson’s clinic. This also connects his esteemed career to the Achievement Center’s mission of providing quality and affordable healthcare to those living in a healthcare desert as well as mentors and leadership training in an underserved community.
Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, President’s Medallion
Former President—Spelman College, Retired Director of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art; Retired DEI Consultant and educator
A native of Jacksonville who has come home to her roots, Johnnetta Betsch Cole is a noted educator, author, speaker and consultant on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in corporations, educational institutions, museums and other workplaces.
After receiving a PhD in anthropology, Dr. Cole held teaching positions in anthropology, women’s studies and African American studies at several colleges and universities. She served as President of both historically Black colleges for women in the United States, Spelman College and Bennett College, a distinction she alone holds.
She also served as the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, as a Principal Consultant at Cook Ross, and as a Senior Consulting Fellow at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Dr. Cole is currently the Chair and seventh President of the National Council of Negro Women, an advocacy organization for women’s rights and civil rights. She serves as the Dean of the Herndon Board Institute and she is a member of the Board of the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation.
An author, co-author, and editor of several books and numerous articles for scholarly and general audiences, Dr. Cole’s latest publications are Racism in American Public Life: A Call To Action and African Proverbs for All Ages.
She has received numerous awards and is the recipient of 70 honorary degrees. Throughout her career and in her published work, speeches and community service, Johnnetta Betsch Cole consistently addresses issues of racism, sexism and all other systems of inequality.
Debbie Buckland, Silver Medallion
Former Banking Executive, Community Trustee
Debbie Buckland is Area Manager for Client Advisory at Pinnacle Financial Partners in Northeast Florida, following a long career in banking and finance.
Buckland is currently chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and serves on the board of WJCT Public Media and Baptist Beaches Medical Center.
She is a past chair of JAX Chamber, Downtown Vision, Inc. and American Cancer Society and a member of Wolfson Children’s Hospital Women’s Board, Jacksonville Women’s Network, Women’s Giving Alliance and United Way’s Tocqueville Society.
Buckland was inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a recent recipient of DTJax Downtown Achievement Award. She was a founding member of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center and the steering committee of JAX Chamber’s Elevate Women initiative. In 2022, she was honored as Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by Association of Fundraising Professionals for her work with United Way of Northeast Florida. A 2009 graduate of Leadership Jacksonville, Buckland has been named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts, Woman of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal, Women with Heart by Volunteers in Medicine and honored by the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women as one of Jacksonville’s Women Making a Difference.
Buckland is a 1979 graduate of Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, with a B.A. in Business & Economics and Philosophy. She and her husband Jamie live in Atlantic Beach.
Josh Martino, Silver Medallion
President and CEO for Home Team Restaurant Group and Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q
Josh Martino is President and CEO for Home Team Restaurant Group and Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q.
Josh graduated from Vanderbilt University and earned his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Josh has served on the Board of Directors for The Tiger Academy Charter School, the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, and UNF Student Affairs Community Council as well as the Taylor Leadership Institute.
He currently sits on the Boards for Operation New Hope, Feeding Northeast Florida, and is a member of the Jacksonville Civic Council. Josh also serves on the Executive Council of the Cost Honors College at Jacksonville University, the Student Wellbeing Committee at the University of North Florida, and the Jewish Community Relations Council. He has been a member of the Florida Bar Association since 2003 and is a member of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2015.
Josh currently lives in Ponte Vedra Beach with his wife, three daughters, and two dogs, Rosie and Max.
John Peyton, Silver Medallion
President—Gate Petroleum
John Peyton is President of GATE Petroleum Company, one of the largest privately-held companies in Florida. GATE operates in a variety of industries including retail convenience stores, fleet and wholesale fuel services, car washes, commercial real estate development, resorts, and private clubs.
Prior to leading GATE, Peyton was two-term Mayor of Jacksonville, Fla. As Mayor, Peyton played a key role in helping Jacksonville host Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. During his time in office, he focused on several key initiatives including:
- RALLY! Jacksonville, an early literacy initiative to ensure that children entering kindergarten were prepared to read at grade level by third grade, which is a critical indicator of future academic success.
- Jacksonville Journey, a comprehensive anti-crime program focused on prevention, intervention and enforcement efforts.
- River Accord, a 10-year, $700 million restoration and preservation project aimed at reducing pollution, improving water quality, and protecting the St. Johns River’s ecosystem.
Peyton is an alumnus of Mercer University, where he served as President of both the Student Government Association and Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity. He also is alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program as well as Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida. He has served as chairman of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville Symphony Association and Greenscape of Jacksonville. In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Peyton to the board of trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. He currently serves on the board of trustees for The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
2024 Honoree Videos
Become a Sponsor!
As an event sponsor, your leadership sends a powerful message in support of the mission of OneJax and of the Honorees’ good works in support of our city. Sponsors of this event gain exposure to a large group of community leaders. The impact of your sponsorship is equally powerful – enabling OneJax to create opportunities for diverse groups of individuals to learn about themselves and one another. As a result, you will directly help to reduce stereotypes and bias and develop community awareness and understanding about critical social issues facing our city.
2024 Humanitarian Awards Major Sponsors
2024 Honorees
Martha Frye Baker
Community Trustee
Silver MEdallion
Martha Frye Baker is a community volunteer who is actively involved in philanthropy and leadership of numerous organizations. She has led the charge for many initiatives throughout the community for years, as well has working behind the scenes—sometimes anonymously—to help stimulate support for efforts needing a boost from the broader community.
She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, Baptist Health Foundation, the WJCT Foundation, Renewing Dignity, Florida House and Davidson College Board of Visitors.
Martha is also a co-founder of the Beaches Community Fund and co-chaired the Women’s Collective Giving Network’s 2017 National Leadership Forum. She is a founding member of the Women’s Giving Alliance, a member of the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital and a Christ Episcopal Church Foundation Trustee Emeritus. In the past, she has been a trustee of The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Bolles School, HEAL, MOSH, MOCA, Beaches Habitat for Humanity Advisory, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and Episcopal Children’s Services Foundation.
William B. “Bill” Bond
Community Trustee
Silver Medallion
Bill Bond spent most of his career in banking, retiring as Vice Chair of First Union National Bank in 1989.
While he was still working and, especially since he retired, Bill has spent his time, energy and treasure on many community issues, working closely with a wide assortment of organizations. Included among his activities have been:
Serving as Chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce in 1987. He also served as the Chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s International Development Department. While Chairman of the Chamber, Bill and his Executive Committee dedicated themselves to trying to end the last vestiges of organized segregation in Jacksonville. He joined with the leaders of the Urban League and the NAACP to found the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in 1988.
Bill served as a Trustee of the National Urban League, the first person from Jacksonville to serve on its National Board. He was also the recipient of the Jacksonville Urban League’s highest award for his efforts to promote the inclusion of African-Americans in all levels of community activities.
Serving on the Board of Directors of the University of North Florida Foundation, including one year as its president.
He served on the Boards of Jacksonville Country Day School and Episcopal High School, including serving as board chair of each during his tenure. He also served as the Chairman of the Episcopal Foundation for several years.
Bill, along with his wife, Sandy, were dedicated supporters of passing the updated Human Rights Ordinance, which final passed in 2017, after failing to receive City Council approval in 2012. They funded a documentary, “Six Words,” purchasing time on a local television station to tell the story of LGBTQ concerns in our city.
Bill is a former member of many boards, including OneJax, Children’s Home Society, the Cathedral Foundation, the Mental Health Association of North Florida, United Way of Northeast Florida and the United Negro College Fund campaign, among many others.
Jeffrey R. Edwards
CFO, Beaver Street Fisheries
Silver Medallion
Jeff Edwards is a Jacksonville native. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania/The Wharton School of Business, he returned to Jacksonville and worked with the Arthur Young & Company and the Charter Companies for a few years. As a CPA, he joined he joined Beaver Street Fisheries in 1982 and has been there ever since, working his way up to Chief Financial Officer.
Throughout his career, Jeff has been very involved with the community and has worked with several nonprofit and religious organizations, including Congregation Ahavath Chesed – The Temple, where he served as President, Treasurer, VP, Board Member, Campaign Co-chair, Committee Chair; the Jewish Federation of Northeast Florida as a Board Member; Campfire USA – Jacksonville (VP, Board Member); and Groundwork Jacksonville’s McCoy’s Creek Committee for Emerald Trail.
In addition, he’s been involved and remains engaged with Junior Achievement of North Florida where he has served as Chairman, Treasurer and Board Member. He is also the recipient of the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Award; Florida State College of Jacksonville Foundation where he has been Chairman, Treasurer, Board Member, Emeritus, Development Committee, Campaign Cabinet; the Rail Yard District Business Council, which he co-founded and served as President and Board member. They recognized Jeff with the Janet Owens Rail Yard District Leadership Award; River Garden Foundation where he was Board member and VP; River Garden Home where he serves as a Board member; and the Jewish Community Foundation, where he served as a board member and officer; many others too numerous to list here.
Brian Wolfburg
CEO VyStar Credit Union
Silver Medallion
Brian Wolfburg has made a big impact on the Jacksonville Community since arriving here in 2017 to become the president and chief executive officer of VyStar Credit Union.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Wolfburg served as the chief operations officer for Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, where he was from 2013 through 2017, as well as previous employment with KeyBank, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch for a total of 25 years in diversified financial services.
As much as Brian focused on building a better, more efficient and customer-oriented financial institution, he also jumped into becoming involved in the community. He is a member of the board of directors of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Vice-chair of the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors advisory board, a member of the Jacksonville Civic Council and Chair of the Civic Council’s Foundation, a member of the Museum of Science & History board of directors, the USO Southeastern Board of Directors, the Jacksonville Country Day School board of directors and a member of the Credit Union National Association’s World Credit Union Committee. In addition, he served as co-chair of JASMYN’s capital campaign, co-chair of the OneJax Event Committee for the 2023 Humanitarian awards and has been recognized for his efforts with a number of awards and honors.
Brian also facilitated VyStar Credit Union’s greater engagement in the community. It underwrites many programs and services for nonprofit organizations and awards grants throughout their market areas. The company also sponsors many local events and is the name sponsor of the VyStar Veteran’s Memoria Arena.
VyStar Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative founded in 1952 as Jax Navy Federal Credit Union. It became VyStar Credit Union in 2002. With $13.5B in assets, VyStar is the third-largest credit union in the Southeast and the 13th-largest credit union in the United States, serving more than 925,000 members nationwide.
Rhianna Scyster
Community Equity & Policy Manager, 904WARD
Acosta-Rua Young Professional Medallion
Rhianna Scyster is a St. Petersburg native and lover of books—and a fervent advocate for equitable practices and policies in K-12 education. She currently serves as the Community Equity and Policy Manager at 904WARD. Prior to her current role, Rhianna was an educator and policy analyst.
During her time as an undergraduate student at the University of North Florida, Rhianna became a Student Ambassador for the College of Education and Human Services and received a two-year scholarship from the Florida Funds Minority Teachers. In 2021, she presented at the WJCT TEACH conference, where she provided insight on the intersection of equity and policy in education. In 2020 she was awarded the Minority Fellowship from Jacksonville University, where she earned her Master’s in Public Policy. As a fellow, she interned with The Honorable Darryl Willie, District 4 Duval County School Board Chairman.
She has been recognized by the Florida Black Expo as Top 20 Under 40,received the Alumni Achievement Award from UNF’s Black Alumni Association for her contributions to the field of education and was a distinguished panelist for the Black Mental Health Symposium. Rhianna has also been a guest speaker for the 2021-22 Teach for America cohort, 2022 City Year Leadership Panel, and has led the Jacksonville Urban League Young Professionals as its President for more than a year. She is honored to serve as a board member for The Sanctuary on 8th Street and a Board Service Fellow for the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. Her elevated experiences, coupled with hands-on community service, have developed Rhianna’s expertise on the impact of empowering differences and advocating through policy—she is dedicated to improving her community through justice work, policy development, and servant leadership. Her most valued roles are wife, aunt, and dog mom.
