Circle of Friends Annual Meeting

Circle of Friends Board Members pictured left to right: Adolfo J. Cotilla, Jr., Ronnie Oller, Michael C. Greenberg, Larry Maurer, Janet Speth, Peter Woolf, Kitty Preziosi, Tom Zimmerman, Ann Porterfield, Jim Hutchens, and Jana Hanbury.

The Circle of Friends for the NSU Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center recently hosted its Annual Meeting to review the past year’s accomplishments, recognize outgoing board members, and to install new board members and officers.

Outgoing board members Lydia M. Acosta, Elaine F. Blattner, Laurence Alan Maurer and Gilbert H. Young, M.D. were recognized for their service. Bonnie Lippman was elected to the Board of Directors for a three year term from the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Elected for office were Ronnie Oller, President, Kitty Preziosi, Vice-President, Ann Porterfield, Secretary, Peter Woolf, Treasurer, and Michael Greenberg, past President. Also remaining on the board are Karla Avecillas, Adolfo J. Cotilla, Jr., Lindsey Glantz, Jana Hanbury, Greg McDermott, Chuck Malkus, Charles Morton, Janet Speth, and Tom Zimmerman. Ex-Officio Board members include James Hutchens and Luis Muriel.

Lydia M. Acosta and Jim Hutchens pictured with Circle of Friends Annual Meeting guest speakers Banana Wave founders “Nature” and Trendolyn

At a reception, Banana Wave founders H.E. Neter (“Nature”) Kush Ben Alkebulan and his fiancée, Trendolyn Hopkins shared their inspirational story of how determination, perseverance, entrepreneurial spirit and the support of the NSU Alvin Sherman Library turned their dream into a successful company. “Nature” and Trendolyn dreamed of bringing his grandmother’s generational banana milk recipe to life. Armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, they dedicated themselves to making that dream a reality. Every day for two years, they planted themselves in a study room at the Sherman Library to search for answers. “What do we need to know to build a successful company?” From survey design, trade show information, market research, distribution lists, packaging information, demographics, business valuation, accounting and taxation, alternative medicine, supply and demand, law, economics, researching types of bananas to discovering buyer habits, and with the support of the Alvin Sherman librarians, a formidable business plan was built.

Today, Banana Wave (http://www.bananawave.com) is now being distributed through Whole Foods and Walmart.

The Circle of Friends is a diverse group of individuals who share the common goal of furthering the intellectual resources of the Alvin Sherman Library. As a result of an innovative agreement between NSU and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, the Alvin Sherman Library is a unique joint-use facility. This means that anyone who lives or works in Broward County is eligible to have a library card and to access the five-story Library, Research, and Information Technology Center.
Together, the Circle of Friends is dedicated to:

• Promoting the development and achievements of the Alvin Sherman Library
• Encouraging greater visibility and interaction between the Library and the University, its host community, alumni, and friends
• Enriching the cultural life of the University and its larger community through funding of special exhibits, programs, and collections
• Supporting the goals of the Library through volunteer activities and programs
• Assisting in developing resources to benefit the Library and its departments and programs
• Serving as a liaison with the private sector and building strong relationships between the Library, corporations, and foundations

For more information, or to join the Circle of Friends, please call 954-262-4627, email libdev@nova.edu or visit http://sherman.library.nova.edu/cof. To sign up for a library card, please visit http://public.library.nova.edu/card/