FSU PANAMA CITY ANNOUNCES ALUMNI NAMED AS 2024 NOTABLE NOLES
Florida State University Panama City announced today the 2024 Notable Noles. This year’s honorees include Collegiate School teacher Ted Czupryk, City of Panama City Manager Jonathan Hayes and Beachy Beach Real Estate owner/broker Karen Key Smith.
As part of a nearly 30-year campus homecoming tradition, the award is given to FSU Panama City alumni who demonstrated excellence as students and have made outstanding contributions to the community and within their careers. Since the award’s inception in 1996, FSU Panama City has recognized 91 Notable Noles, accounting for less than 1 percent of the campus’s alumni.
The Notable Noles will be celebrated during a luncheon at FSU Panama City on Nov.19. Following is a brief biography of the honorees.
“Ted has contributed a lifetime of work and service to students and schools in Bay County,” the nomination statement said.
He founded the Mosley High School Advanced Placement Program and later became the Collegiate Studies program director at Arnold High School. He served as the Bay Council for Social Studies president and has taught numerous dual enrollment classes at Gulf Coast State College and FSU Panama City.
In 2016, Czupryk retired from Bay District Schools with 38 years of service. In 2023, he and his wife, Sherry, were named Bay District Schools Teachers of a Lifetime for their profound impact on local students. His influence continues to be felt at The Collegiate School, where he returned from retirement to teach collegiate studies and dual enrollment courses for high school students at the laboratory charter school.
Hayes initially came to the City of Panama City as director of Logistics, and he transitioned to the position of director of Public Works in April 2022. Following an extensive search for a new city manager, the Panama City Commission selected Hayes in December 2023 and approved his contract in January 2024.
“It is a tremendous honor to partner with the City Commission, City Staff and, most certainly, the community as we lead Panama City into its next chapter,” said Hayes. “I will take my intimate and deep knowledge of Panama City’s history, geography, people, communities and politics and hit the ground running.”
Panama City Commissioner Janice Lucas (’89 and a 2020 Notable Nole) said Hayes had proven himself “to be steadfast” and he brought experience to the manager’s role.
“She firmly believes in the unique touch each of us possesses, urging us to make a difference in our own special way,” said Brian Baber, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, who nominated her. He also interviewed Smith for his Entrepreneurship series in 2023. “Beyond merely motivating and inspiring, she leads by example, catalyzing action and inviting us to contribute positively to the world.
A 1995 graduate of FSU PC, Smith recently partnered with Premiere Property Group, amassing over 250 exceptional agents. Yet, her influence stretches far beyond business success. She is active in many social organizations and charities, giving extra time and resources to groups including Panhandle Golf Therapy Alliance, local school clubs and teams, the Humane Society of Bay County, The Children’s Advocacy Center, as well as “all kinds of recovery, anyone that needs a hug or a smile or a general uplift,” she said.
According to Smith, “The only people we have to get even with are those who helped us.”