P R I DE I N GIV IN G:
A C ON V ER SATI ON WITH C YNT HIA BARQUIST C HOMIAK '83
A N D H . M ARTIN CHOM IAK '81/'84
Lifelong volunteers and philanthropists,
Cynthia “Cindy” '83 and H. Martin “Marty”
Chomiak '81/'84 know the tremendous impact
one small contribution can make. Having
spent their lives living around the country
and the world, the Chomiaks have remained
steadfast to the philanthropic spirit given to
them by their mothers—a commitment they
have now passed along to their children,
Catherine and Christopher. In addition to
their generous contributions to Jacksonville
University, the Chomiaks have worked with
organizations including March of Dimes, Girl
Scouts of America, Southern Ocean County
Hospital Association and many more.
At JU, the Chomiaks have made annual
contributions to the University for an
incredible 38 consecutive years and are
members of the new Shircliff Circle, a giving
society that honors individuals who give
for three or more consecutive years. They
have been participants and advocates for
the ASPIRE campaign from the beginning,
making their first priority the ASPIRE
scholarship program, through which they
have now given life-changing financial
support and mentorship to some of the
University’s best international students.
Cindy, a Jacksonville University Board
of Trustee member since 2015, founded
Educated Decisions, LLC in 2007, a college
admissions consultancy that helps navigate
high school students through the admissions
process. Marty, a member of the Davis
College of Business (DCOB) Advisory Board,
recently retired after 34 years with Johnson
& Johnson, working for the healthcare
company around the globe in positions of
increasing responsibility.
The couple sat down with WAVE Magazine
to discuss their influential and amusing
experiences together as students and what
it means to be a part of the University's
growth today.
FEATURES
JU: How did the two of you meet?
Marty Chomiak (MC): We met at the
Rathskeller over the foosball table. We
spent the evening talking until the Rat
closed and I went back to my dorm and
she went to her’s with some of her sorority
sisters. We ended up right back to talking
on the phone on one of those permanent
landlines that don’t exist today.
Cynthia Chomiak (CC): A rotary dial.
MC: No, mine was touch-tone.
CC: Mine was a rotary dial. I remember
pulling the phone out into the hallway where
Marty and I talked until two or three in the
morning.
MC: It was 4 in the morning. We sat there just
talking and we hit it off.
JU: Looking back, were there any specific
experiences you had as students that have
impacted your life today?
MC: There was one toga party … just
kidding. In retrospect, it was the opportunity
to chart my own course. I got involved
with student government, Greek life, and
intramural sports, and it allowed me to do
things I hadn’t done before while, at the
same time, making changes.
In my junior year, I was elected president of
the Student Government Association, and it
allowed me to experience the administration
side of JU. At the time, the Board of Trustees
were some very powerful people like Flo
Davis and Ash Verlander. The board and
Fran Kinne really accepted and embraced
me and even had me on a subcommittee. It
was an incredible experience. Every other
week there were meetings in Fran Kinne’s
office with the vice president, the CFO [chief
financial officer] and four Board of Trustee
members including Bob Shircliff. Recently,
some 30 years later, we saw him [Bob
Shircliff] out somewhere and he said ‘Hey
Marty, how you doing? It’s good to see you.’ It
had been so long since those meetings at JU
and I said ‘There’s no way you can remember
me, Mr. Shircliff.’ He said, ‘No. It’s Bob.’
JU: What would you say has changed the
most about JU?
MC: For me, the caliber of the education
has become stronger and more dynamic. I
have seen this growth over the years, and
it keeps getting better and better. I see how
powerful and impactful that education is to
the students.
CC: I think it was very fortuitous when
we were enrolled, JU started the nursing
school, and I remember thinking ‘why are
they doing that? This is a liberal arts school.’
But it was just great foresight. JU has
continued to add agile and dynamic majors
over the years like Nursing, Aviation and
the Marine Science Research Institute now
partnering with OCEARCH.
It’s not only the education. I haven’t met a
student on the campus these days that hasn’t
impressed me. It just gives me hope that our
country and our world are in good hands,
because they are all are rock stars.
JU: With the ending of the ASPIRE Campaign
raising an unprecedented $121.4 million,
how does that make you feel about your
alma mater knowing that you were a part of
that achievement?
CC: Proud. Super proud that the community,
the JU family, faculty, staff, corporations,
came together to reach this goal that has
already impacted not only the beauty of the
campus but also new programs, an increased
endowment, and scholarships. It’s amazing,
and there’s so much more to be done. It
makes me feel proud that I’m a JU alum.
MC: What impresses me is that so many
other people outside of JU now look at the
University and see what JU can deliver. They
see what it does for the students, what it