ORANGE PARK – St. Johns River State College Foundation selected Kate Adornetto as its development and foundation operations director.

Adornetto, formerly SJR State Foundation’s fundraising and alumni engagement director, returns to SJR State with a wealth of foundation experience. She currently serves as the Central Lakes College Foundation’s executive director, leading the Foundation, the Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center and Student Housing. Before her work with foundations, she was the director of leadership giving and affinity groups for the United Way of Palm Beach County.
In addition to its Orange Park campus, SJR State has Palatka and St. Augustine campuses.

“We are excited to have Kate return to our Foundation team,” said SJR State President Joe Pickens. “Her experience with foundation operations, relationship building, fundraising, community engagement, communication, student housing management, and events will help us take our foundation to the next level and serve our students well.”

Adornetto holds a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication from Wichita State University, a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management from Florida Atlantic University and a doctoral student in Higher Education Administration at St. Cloud University.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to return to SJR State in this capacity, and I look forward to connecting our college community with the philanthropic generosity of others,” Adornetto said. “This feels full circle for me, being able to return to the community where my passion for higher education began while raising funds for students. It truly is an honor to be a part of the SJR State Foundation.”
Adornetto will begin her role at the Foundation in January 2024. To learn more about the St. Johns River State College Foundation, go to sjrstate.edu/foundation.