By Kellie Britch, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty, staff, students and community members gathered at the School of Public Affairs (SPA) this spring to honor Rebuilding Together Greater Florida (RTGFL), a local nonprofit
and this year’s recipient of the Gladfelter Award.
Community partnerships are key to faculty, students and nonprofit organizations alike. (Photo courtesy of Kiley Mallard)
“The Gladfelter Award was established at USF in 1993 by Lloyd D. Gladfelter, a government
reporter for the city of Milwaukee and resident of Sarasota,” said Jocilyn Martinez, the undergraduate program coordinator and assistant professor of instruction in
the School of Public Affairs. “The purpose of the fund is to annually distribute one
or more awards to encourage suggestions from public employees, who are not elected
officers, for improvement of public service, federal, state, county or municipal,
in the State of Florida.”
In an effort to support the work and dedication of those engaged in the nonprofit
sector, SPA provides a cash award of $10,000 to one organization that delivers services
to the community in collaboration with a government partner. Rebuilding Together Greater
Florida was a clear choice for this year’s board.
“This organization transforms neighborhoods and empowers families across Florida through
no-cost critical repairs and community partnerships,” Martinez said.
For organizations like Rebuilding Together Greater Florida, this kind of funding can make a huge impact, especially as we prepare for the 2025
hurricane season.
“This funding will support our disaster recovery efforts by providing critical capacity
support,” said Jose Garcia, CEO of RTGFL. “This will help us to advance our mission
of strengthening and unifying communities through preparedness, resilience and the
fortification of homes across our region.”
Partnerships between USF and organizations like RTGFL can provide much needed expertise,
collaboration and experiential learning opportunities for both parties.
“Community partnerships not only support nonprofit organizations that are doing amazing
work, but it can help students with experiential learning and networking opportunities,”
Martinez explained. “For faculty, partnerships like this can help enhance curriculum
and provide research opportunities. For both students and faculty, it helps to develop
a stronger connection to the world outside of the campus.”
Learn more about getting involved.