FSU recognizes four alumni with Circle of Gold Awards

The Florida State University Alumni Association has honored four distinguished alumni for their contributions to the university by inducting them into the Circle of Gold.

The new Circle of Gold inductees are David K. Coburn, staff director of the Florida Senate Rules Committee; Leon County (Fla.) Commissioner John E. Dailey; Sen. Mel Martinez, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2005-2009; and Janet L. Stoner, retired vice president for human resources for Texaco Inc.

The Alumni Association bestows the prestigious award to worthy individuals who, through their service and achievements, personify the university’s tradition of excellence. About 175 men and women have been inducted into the Circle of Gold since the association established the award in 1993.

Coburn, who has had a distinguished three-decade career in public service, is one of only seven recipients in the history of the university to be awarded the James D. Westcott Distinguished Service Medal, one of the university’s highest tributes. Coburn earned three degrees from Florida State, a bachelor’s, master’s and law degree, and he has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. He and his wife, Mary Coburn, Florida State’s vice president for Student Affairs, have been recognized as members of the Westcott Society for their contributions to more than 15 different university funds.

“David Coburn has used his FSU education to become one of the most accomplished public officials ever to serve our citizens,” said Alumni Association Board Chairman Don Eddings. “His knowledge, skill and demeanor have accorded him the highest accolade one can receive in the realm of politics: Leaders from both sides of the aisle have sought his wise counsel and given him their trust. His service to the community has been equally impressive.”

As a student at Florida State, Dailey took a leadership role in a number of activities, including president of the Sigma Chi fraternity, chair of the Florida Student Association and president of the Student Government Association. Eddings noted that one administrator who knew Dailey then described him this way: “Even when John came in to discuss a controversial issue, he delivered the message in a wonderful, public spirited way. He was always positive and uplifting.”

After college, Dailey studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he founded the London Seminole Club and served as president — a role he later reprised with the Seminole Club of Greater Washington, D.C. In Washington, he worked for Sen. Bob Graham and the National League of Cities before returning to Tallahassee, where he now serves on the Leon County Board of County Commissioners and is a member of the NAACP, the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees and the Leon County Civic Center Authority Board. Dailey holds three degrees from Florida State: a bachelor’s in political science, a master’s in public administration and a master’s in urban and regional planning; he also has been an active financial contributor to a dozen Florida State organizations, including the Alumni Association, of which he is a life member.

Martinez began a career in law and public service after earning a bachelor’s and a law degree from Florida State. He chaired the Orlando Housing Authority before being elected chairman of Orange County (Fla.). In 2000, Martinez became the first Cuban-American to serve in a presidential cabinet when President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Five years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2003, Florida State recognized him as a Grad Made Good, and the College of Law named him a Distinguished Alumnus. Martinez has served on the Seminole Boosters Board of Directors and as president of the College of Law Alumni Association. His financial contributions have touched many campus organizations, especially the College of Law.

“As wide and far ranging as his accomplishments and service, one gets the sense that Mel Martinez has never lost sight of the remarkable journey his life has taken,” Eddings said. “In the true spirit of the American Dream, he utilized higher education to lay the foundation for his future, and Florida State University would be the bedrock of that foundation.”

Stoner earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s in mathematics from Florida State. While a student, she was a member of the famed synchronized swimming team, the Tarpon Club, an experience that would fuel her dedication to FSU women’s athletics, especially through her work with the Committee of 30. She was among the first recipients of the committee’s Champions Beyond the Game Award, and she was recognized by her alma mater as a 1999 Grad Made Good and received the Award for Outstanding Alumnae: Women in Math, Science and Engineering. Stoner is a member of Seminole Boosters and the Varsity Club and is a life member of the Alumni Association. She has served as president of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council and is a member of the Doak Campbell Society as recognition of her extraordinary financial support.

“Janet Stoner’s life has been about exploration,” Eddings said, referencing her career as an executive in Texaco’s oil exploration division. “FSU has discovered in her an alumna of whom we are very proud.”