He is the owner and instructor of Alliance Business Schools which incorporates Alliance Mortgage Business School and Alliance Real Estate Institute. It has been open seven months and is licensed by the Florida Banking and Finance Department and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I instruct the courses for mortgage brokers, processors, loan originators, real estate sales persons, and real estate brokers. We offer real estate and mortgage licensing courses and continuing education for all courses.”
HISTORY
He has been in the education field teaching courses since 1967. He is a licensed real estate broker, mortgage broker and licensed real estate instructor.
FUTURE PLANS?
The school’s future plans is to develop licensing courses for contractor licensing and home inspector courses.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TEACHING?
“Seeing successful students once they have been licensed.”
BEFORE CURRENT COMPANY?
He owned and operated a real estate school in Atlanta. He sold the school in 1986 and then moved to Pensacola where he became a licensed real estate salesperson and broker and practiced real estate in commercial and business properties. He moved to Jacksonville in 1994 and opened Alliance Realty Group, which is still open today and specializes in commercial and business property.
WHY OPEN A SCHOOL?
“The call to get back into education was strong. I saw the need to open a school that focused on licensing mortgage brokers and the training of mortgage processors.”
WHERE IS YOUR SCHOOL LOCATED?
In Mandarin in the Pall Mall Business Center.
HOW MANY ARE ON YOUR STAFF?
Four instructors.
HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOUR COMPANY?
“Through advertising in print and television media. The rest comes from word-of-mouth.”
BIRTHPLACE
Goldsboro, N.C.
WEBSITE
www.alliancebusinessschools.com
FLYING HIGH?
He is a retired airline captain from Eastern Airlines after 27 years and once owned a flight school, Georgia Flyers School of Aviation, in 1966.
FAMILY
He has been married to Peggy, a leisure artist and homemaker, for 44 years. They have two children, Scott and Shaye and four grandchildren, Weston, J.P., Jeffrey and Julia.
HOBBIES
He is on the board of directors and editor of Retired Eastern Pilots Association. “I put out their magazine four times a year.”
RESIDES
River Oaks Plantation in St. Johns County.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
He is a member of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville and the Florida Aviation Historical Society/Laurie Yonge chapter. He is on the board of directors of the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame and of the U.S. Airline Museum Foundation.
FAVORITES
His favorite movie is “The High and The Mighty” with John Wayne. “It got me interested in aviation.” His favorite book is “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier. When relaxing at home, he likes tuning into anything on the Discovery Channel. When dining out, he prefers The Loop and a place he wants to go back and visit is Pensacola.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis