About the Cookseys

John Cooksey was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Science from FSU’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1993 and was a member of Delta Tau Delta. In 1996, he earned his M.S. in Agriculture and Entomology from University of Florida and graduated from the Wedgeworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources at UF. He was Chief Operations Officer and Entomologist of McCall Service, which acquired several other pest control businesses across Florida. In 2021, John was named Chairman of the Board for The Arc Jacksonville where he has served since 2015. He also serves as an advisor for Rollins, Inc. (Jacksonville) and is a board advisor of The Jacksonville School for Autism. He is “semi-retired.”

Leyda Garcia Cooksey was born in Miami, Florida. Her parents immigrated from Cuba in the sixties. She was a first-generation college student. Leyda earned her B.S. in Multinational Business Operations and Finance from FSU’s College of Business in 1993. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and served on the Greek Life Board. She was Assistant Vice President at First Union and chose to stay home after her daughter was diagnosed with autism. She later took a part-time job at Starbucks for 10 years for the health benefits. In June 2023, John and Leyda invested in the Yoga Den franchise and the investment group they are a part of has plans to add 10 franchise locations in Northeast Florida within the next year. Leyda is now retired.

Garnet and Gold Roots

The Cookseys have three children: Leyda Caroline, John Jr. “Jack”, and Kate. Leyda Cooksey Spiro (’20) studied abroad in the Valencia Program and earned a B.S. in Information and Communication Technology from FSU’s College of Communication & Information. She is married to Michael Spiro (’20) who earned his B.S. in Social Entrepreneurship. Michael was a Presidential Scholar, Honors Program, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, participated in International Programs in Indonesia. Both Leyda and Michael joined the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. Jack (’24) was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and graduated with a B.S. in Anthropology from FSU’s College of Arts & Sciences. Their third child, Kate, attends Jacksonville School for Autism.

Memories Made

John and Leyda worked together at a mom-and-pop grocery store in high school and started dating their senior year at FSU after a chance meet up at Bullwinkle’s Saloon. They were both “very involved in Greek life,” which they state was one of best things for both of them.

Leyda: “I learned for anybody who goes to college, you have to get involved and show up. Take advantage of the many opportunities. The more you get involved, the more people you meet, connections you make—lifelong friendships.”

John: “For two years, I worked with Professor Bill Landing (Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science). It was a great opportunity for me and I learned a lot. My degree in Chemistry was actually very useful with my careers. I worked as a chemist right out of college then had a career in the pest cntrol industry for the last 30 years. It’s a much more science-based industry than most people think. My chemistry background was very helpful in making informed decisions on the uses of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. It was also a great background for my future degree in entomology.

Leyda: “A lot of my memories are of football games. I never even watched football until I went to FSU. Now we’re football crazy. I’m incredibly grateful for the friends that we made.”


Friendships and Future

The couple each reflected on how being a part of FSU’s Greek Life led to strong friendships that have withstood time. And while there were many years when they didn’t travel to Tallahassee or FSU because they were busy raising kids, they have remained connected.

Leyda: “When you join a fraternity or sorority, you have events and get immersed in life together. To this date, I’m part of a group of eight women who pledged together, became good friends, graduated and have kept together. We take a trip every year for 30 plus years.”

John: “I’m still really active with my fraternity brothers. We go on trips and play in tons of golf tournaments together. It’s been great to see the success of every one of these guys. All are successful in their own way and that has a lot to do with FSU and the Greek system.” 

Individually, the Cookseys shared how grateful they are to their Greek families for the support they receive to raise awareness and funding for autism. A post on John’s social media channel reads: “So proud of my fraternity brothers supporting the Jacksonville School for Autism at our annual tournament. 30+ years together and we are still solid friends. My daughter has been at this school for 20+ years and is living her best life.”

"We’re honored to be able to give back to support those who gave to us. We believe that if you’re given a lot, you have a responsibility to pay it forward.."

Giving Back

John and Leyda are strong advocates for the Division of Student Affairs and FSU as a whole. They serve on the Parent and Family Advancement Council which was formed about two years ago. In January 2022, the Cookseys made the generous commitment to sponsor the suite for the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Organizational Wellness which opened this September. They recently opened up their home in Jacksonville to host a dinner to encourage other families to get more connected with Florida State. 

John: “FSU had a big influence on the successes we had in our life and our children; we feel it’s important to give back so others could experience the same thing.”

Leyda: “We’re honored to be able to give back to support those who gave to us. We believe that if you’re given a lot, you have a responsibility to pay it forward. I know not everyone can do that, but you can give in so many ways: time, treasure, talent. I hope people will be inspired to give back—it all goes forward to helping students get out there and be successful.