A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of Broward College

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER

For 60 years Broward College has served our community and offered our students an extraordinary, high-quality educational experience. We are able to accomplish this because of the people who work tirelessly in the classrooms, in the counseling centers, in administration and behind the scenes. While the past few months have presented a unique experience none of us could have foreseen, we have risen to the challenge, and some of our achievements have been recognized. I’m pleased to offer congratulations to five of my colleagues, who have recently been honored for their extraordinary service to our students and our community.

Latina Style Magazine, in partnership with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Latin Biz Today, has recognized Isabel M. Gonzalez, Chief of Staff and Vice President of Communications and Community Relations, as a 2020 Hispanic Woman of Distinction. Isabel and her fellow honorees will be recognized during the 19th Annual Hispanic Women of Distinction Charity luncheon to be held on November 20 at the Signature Grand in Davie.

Legacy Magazine in South Florida has selected three Broward College employees for this year’s “40 Under 40: Black Leaders of Today and Tomorrow.”

• Joevania Alexandre, who has been with the College for more than six years and currently serves as TRIO Director.
• Rudy Jean-Bart, an assistant professor for History and Political Science out of our South Campus and recent recipient of the Gaddis Corporation Endowed Teaching Chair award.
• Fortin Jean-Pierre, who has been with the College for more than seven years and serves as District Director of Career Services.

On August 12, they will be featured in the 40 Under 40 edition of the magazine, which will be available in the Sun-Sentinel. A special reception hosted by Legacy Magazine celebrating all of this year's honorees will be announced in the near future.

The South Florida Business Journal named Lacey Diggs Hofmeyer, General Counsel and Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, as one of its 2020 “Forty Under 40 Awards” honorees. The award recognizes outstanding professionals under the age of 40 based in the tri-county area for their leadership, success in business and contributions to their communities. Honorees will be recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on August 14.

Congratulations to everyone being honored and recognized for your achievements.

Nancy O'Donnell-Wilson
Vice President for Advancement, Broward College
Executive Director, Broward College Foundation

WELCOME ABOARD

We’ve welcomed a new colleague to the Office of Advancement! Hector E. Ramos comes onboard as our new Chief Financial Officer for Direct Support Organizations.

With more than 20 years of hands-on experience in strategic planning, overview and operating budget preparation, Hector comes to Broward College from Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, where he served as controller for the past three years, playing a pivotal role in the transition of the agency from a county department to a nonprofit entity. He successfully implemented the financial infrastructure, including software, reorganizing the chart of accounts, and implementation of fund accounting.

Other positions he’s held include tenures at His House, ChildNet, Creative Home Group, and the City of Miami. He started his career as a Financial Analyst for Johnson & Johnson.

Hector earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Management from Florida International University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Hector’s depth of expertise in nonprofit and civic finances is a perfect fit for this position, and we are excited to welcome him to the team.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALUMNI

All Broward College alumni are cordially invited to the Pillars 11th Annual Conference, which provides opportunities for leaders to strengthen their sense of global purpose, personal well-being and individual resilience.

The event will take place virtually this year on August 8, 9 and 10. Each of the following sessions will include presentations on self-management and team management in large group meetings, and and there will be opportunities for interactive learning in breakout rooms:

• On Saturday, August 8 at 9:30 a.m., Dr. Jessica Vera will present on Self-Management.
• Sunday, August 9 at 2:30 p.m., Clayton Mitchell (US Navy) will present on Team-Management.
• Monday, August 10 at 6 p.m., Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile and Mrs. Chae Haile will share insights on resiliency during a virtual fire-side chat.

If you are an alumnus or alumna of Broward College and would like to participate in any or all of these opportunities, please click here to register. Participants are respectfully requested to make a donation to the Broward College Comfort Closet Initiative.

A complete schedule is on the registration page, and there is also a link to a video from previous Pillars conferences.

If you have any questions, please email Phillipa Vassell or call 954-201-6513.

NEW VIRTUAL EVENT

The Broward College Alumni & Friends Network has something special planned for the month of August!

The event will be accessible via Zoom. Register now!

If you would like to suggest a topic or volunteer for a future Alumni & Friends event, email Jill Horowitz, your Alumni Engagement Officer.

RECENT ALUMNI & FRIENDS EVENTS

On July 8 the Broward College Alumni & Friends Network hosted its third interactive webinar, Rewarding Relationships: Three Keys to Success. More than 80 individuals registered for this event.

Panelists were two Broward College alumni, Dr. Jameson Mercier, LCSW, and his wife Herdyne Mercier, LCSW, of Mercier Wellness and Consulting. The couple met while they were students at the College. They were informative and engaging, and both were very grateful for the education they received at Broward College and are super proud to be Seahawks!

If you were unable to attend the webinar, you may watch a recording of the event online.

On July 22, the Network hosted Alumni Connect, a virtual Meet & Greet in the “Zoom Room.”

Registrants had the opportunity to meet four inspiring alumni: Brenda Morrison, president of the Young Professional Network of the Urban League of Broward County and former staff assistant to Senator Bill Nelson; Rosa Fabiola Vicent and her husband Andersen Zapata; owners of Lighting of Tomorrow; and Samuel Phanor, a Margate Police Officer working in the Community Service Division.

PROVIDING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Recently, the Broward College Foundation received a generous gift from the Estate of Arthur H. Foss, a Broward County resident who passed away in November of last year. Mr. Foss was appointed as an instructor at the Junior College of Broward County (our original name) in March of 1961 and later became Department Head for Physical Sciences. These funds will be used to support a new Memorial Scholarship initiative.

When you include the Broward College Foundation in your financial and estate planning, you ensure your legacy of providing opportunity to students who are determined to change their lives through the pursuit of higher education. Help someone become Empowered by Broward!

For more information, email Scott Rivinius or call 954-201-7490.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS NETWORK BENEFIT

In these trying times, we want to remind you that we’ve partnered with GEICO to offer alumni, friends and our employees a special discount on car insurance. Visit GEICO online or call 1-800-368-2734 to find out how much you could save today!

Be sure to mention your Broward College affiliation to be eligible for the special discount.

Did you know you could save money, save time, and help students become Empowered by Broward all at once? When you buy your gifts, clothing, food, and other products through Amazon Smile, you can direct a percentage of your purchase to the Broward College Foundation and support the Empowerment Fund, which provides the most flexibility to do what is right for our students.

Prices on Amazon Smile are identical to those on the regular Amazon site. You’ll enjoy the same convenience and help make a student’s dream of higher education a reality.

Learn how easy it is to set up your Amazon Smile account.

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Past issues of the You & the Blue newsletter are available online.