Leonard and Jayne Abess

Jayne and Leonard Abess

Campaign Chairs

With their unwavering commitment to the South Florida community, Jayne and Leonard Abess prove that leadership by example inspires others to work for positive change. The Abesses endowed and continue to support the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy at the University of Miami. They also founded the Abess Floating Research Station in the Amazon.

President Barack Obama recognized Leonard Abess’s generosity and kindness toward others in a 2009 televised address to Congress, where he lauded Leonard’s decision to share proceeds from the sale of City National Bank of Florida with 471 of his current and former employees. Jayne is United Way of Miami-Dade board chair and has been actively involved in early childhood education advocacy. The Abesses are the parents of three children, one of whom is a ’Cane.