Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy celebrated its 2024 class of Distinguished Alumni – John Dailey, Renisha Gibbs, Vincent Long, and Kathy Mears – at the Distinguished Alumni Gala on Tuesday, February 4.
Established in 1992, the annual awards honor accomplished alumni for their professional achievements, contributions to society and support of the college and university.
“This year’s cohort of Distinguished Alumni in the College highlights the immense impact of our graduates in the fields of public service and higher education,” said Dean Tim Chapin. “Each of these individuals are true leaders, bringing the skills and knowledge they learned as students to the work they do to make Tallahassee, Leon County, the State of Florida, and Florida State University the best they can be.”
Mayor John Dailey, elected in 2018, began his professional career working for the Florida League of Cities, representing over 400 municipal governments before the Florida Legislature and Administration. He returned to Tallahassee in 2005 and founded JDA Strategies, a research and development consulting firm focused on local governance. Dailey received his bachelor’s degree in political science from FSU and his first master’s degree in public administration from FSU. He went on to receive a second master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the London School of Economics.
Renisha Gibbs has held several positions within the FSU Office of Human Resources, including assistant director of employee and labor relations, director of equal opportunity and diversity, and director of employee and labor relations before being appointed associate vice president for human resources and finance and administration chief of staff in 2014. A first-generation college student, Gibbs earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Florida State University and her master’s degree in human resources management from Troy University.
Vincent Long is the county administrator of Leon County, FL, which is home to the state’s capital, two major universities, and is the largest county in the metropolitan area. He is recognized internationally as a leader in the profession and his fiscal, strategic, and operational expertise in a uniquely challenging field. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from FSU’s Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy and is a graduate of the Harvard University, JFK School of Government Institute for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Kathy Mears is the assistant commissioner of agriculture for the State of Florida. She has over 25 years of state government service, including three terms as chief of staff in the Florida Legislature, and a term as the deputy chief of staff for the governor. Additionally, she worked as the chief legislative affairs officer at Florida State University. Mears, a first-generation college student, earned her bachelor’s in sociology, graduating summa cum laude, and her Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Florida State University.
For more about each of this year’s honorees, visit cosspp.fsu.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni.
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