NSU to Honor Don Taft and John C. Johnson with Chancellor’s Community Award at Celebration of Excellence

Alumni of Distinction also to be recognized at annual event on Jan. 21

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) will award philanthropist Don Taft and Holy Cross Hospital CEO John C. Johnson with the university’s highest honor, the Chancellor’s Community Award, at NSU’s annual Celebration of Excellence on Jan. 21, 2010, at 6 p.m. The Chancellor’s Community Award, formerly known as the President’s Community Award, is bestowed annually to individuals whose leadership and support provides the foundation for continued growth of the university.

Taft is a philanthropist who has spent more than 50 years as a leader in business having founded, owned, and managed both private and publicly traded companies. His business expertise has been applied across a wide range of industries.

Last February, the Taft Foundation announced a significant gift to the university. The gift gave naming rights to its 366,000 square-foot University Center in honor of Taft and his gift. Proceeds from the gifts were used to help Special Olympic Broward County (SOBC) secure a permanent home for its athletes on the NSU campus. SOBC moved into its new space in August.

Taft’s philanthropic and charitable endeavors have led him to support many of South Florida’s worthwhile causes. His commitment to the community includes serving as honorary chairman for Gilda’s Club of South Florida; member of the Board of Directors of several organizations, including the SOBC; the Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center and the Ronald McDonald House. He is a member of the advisory board for the Children’s Cancer Center at Broward General Medical Center and the Jeff Conine Golf Tournament. He has contributed to the Conine Clubhouse at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and donated to the cost and upkeep of its chapel. He is an active member and contributes to the Jack and Jill Center of Broward County and is an honored member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Johnson has served as president and CEO of Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale since 1998. Under his leadership, Holy Cross Hospital has been named one of the “Top 50 Hospitals” by HealthGrades for three consecutive years and one of the top 100 cardiovascular centers in the U.S. In addition to his position at Holy Cross Hospital, Johnson also became president and CEO of Mercy Hospital in Miami in 2008.

For his work in healthcare, Johnson has been recognized by the South Florida Business Journal for Excellence in Healthcare in the CEO category and as a Healthcare Heavy Hitter, was awarded the Tenent Circle of Excellence Award in 1997, and received the Valor Award from the American Diabetes Association in 2004.

Johnson has also been active in the community and is the recipient of many awards for his service. He was the recipient of the Alexis De Tocqueville Award from the Broward County United Way in 2002 and served as the United Way of Broward County’s chairman from 2004-05. He has also supported the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk and the American Cancer Society. Johnson received the Sun-Sentinel Publisher’s Community Service Award in 2005.

NSU’s Celebration of Excellence is a premier event held at Davie’s Signature Grand. Held each year since 1997, the awards presentation brings together community leaders and industry pioneers who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities.

Individual seats may be reserved for $75 and sponsorship opportunities are available by calling (954) 262-2110.

NSU will also present the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards to graduates of the university’s schools, colleges and centers. Honorees are:

• Monty T. Baker, Ph.D., 2002 (Center for Psychological Studies)
  Dr. Baker has served as an active-duty Air Force psychologist for the past eight years. He is currently the director of research for the Warrior Resiliency Program at the San Antonio Military Medical Center.
• Alex F. Brylske, M.S., 1997 (Oceanographic Center)
  Dr. Brylske is an adjunct professor at Edison State College and holds an appointment at Florida Gulf Coast University as a member of their External Associate Graduate Faculty. He is Florida’s regional coordinator for Reef Check and is a member of the Sanctuary Advisory Council for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
• Jayden Carr (Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies)
  When he was two years old, Jayden was in a car accident, leaving him with numerous challenges. Even at such a young age, Jayden’s determination and persistence were remarkable. Jayden is now in a mainstreamed kindergarten class at the University School.
• Elizabeth W. DeGrace, Ph.D., 2001 (College of Allied Health & Nursing)
  Dr. DeGrace is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. She has worked for 20 years as an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics.
• Elizabeth Feldman, D.M.D., 2005 (College of Dental Medicine)
  Dr. Feldman provides maxillofacial prosthodontics/dental oncology services as part of the Thoracic/Head and Neck Cancers Department at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando. She focuses on prosthetic correction and management of the head and neck cancer patient with maxillofacial rehabilitation needs.
• John D. Geake, D.O., 1993 (College of Osteopathic Medicine)
  Dr. Geake owns his own practice at Riverside Glades Medical Center. He is also on staff at Hendry Regional Medical Center and is the medical director of their Corporate Health Division. He is on the board of the Everglades AHEC, Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network, and the ACOFP Congress of Delegates and helped to establish the Lake Area Medical Society.
• Andrew Gregory, O.D., 2002 (College of Optometry)
  Dr. Gregory is assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He is on temporary duty attending the Army’s Command and General Staff College Course. He provides full scope optometric care to active duty, retirees and their family members. Dr. Gregory deployed to Iraq for 28 months, serving with the 101st Airborne Division during the initial invasion and as a medical detachment commander and optometry consult for the entire Iraqi Theater of Operations.
• Jeffrey A. Groom, Ph.D., 2003 (Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences)
  Dr. Groom has been appointed director and associate professor of anesthesiology nursing at Florida International University. At the 2006 International Meeting on Medical Simulation, Dr. Groom received first place for his research. He is a board member of the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education in emergency medical teaching programs at the University of Miami.
• Cristina M. Medina, Pharm.D., 2000 (College of Pharmacy)
  Dr. Medina is the liaison between CVS/pharmacy and all Colleges of Pharmacy in Florida and Puerto Rico. She serves on NSU’s College of Pharmacy Committee of Admissions to determine which applicants are accepted to all NSU College of Pharmacy locations, and on the Dean’s Advisory Committee to discuss current pharmacy topics and make recommendations to the dean of the College of Pharmacy.
• Noël Linke Miner, M.S., 1998 (Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences)
  Miner established Linke Mediation, Inc., in 1997 and maintains an active practice. She has enjoyed a 20-year career as a legal professional and has been involved with mediation since 1991. Her future goals include continuing in the advancement of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and improving its social awareness in everyday conflict.
• Ben M. Morey (Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale)
  Morey is working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Maryland Institute College of Art, majoring in interactive media. He is the winner of MICA’s 2009 Competitive Scholarship Award and the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award. Morey is grateful to the Studio Art Academy at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University, for the opportunity help him develop his skills as an artist. Morey plans to graduate from MICA in the spring.
• Alejandro Palacios, M.I.B.A., 2003 (H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship)
  Palacios is vice president of strategy and GoGreen for DHL Global Forwarding Americas, a business unit of DP DHL, the world’s largest logistics group. He is responsible for business strategy, focusing on growth, continuous improvement, product development, innovation and M&A activity. He also manages the environmental sustainability program, and oversees the program management office and the communications function for the region.
• Nicole M. Prouty, 1994 (University School)
  Prouty has been at EHS Partners for eight years managing project work for clients in various industries including utilities, financial services, business services, consumer goods, and insurance. Her project management focuses on logistics, orientation, database management, and financial analysis. Prior to joining EHS, Prouty worked for a not-for-profit that specialized in financing low- and moderate-income housing throughout New York and New Jersey.
• Drew Richardson, Ed.D., 2003 (Fischler School of Education and Human Services)
  Dr. Richardson is president and CEO for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the world’s largest recreational diver training and educational organization. He has been involved in water safety, scuba diving and diving education for 35 years. Under Dr. Richardson, PADI’s educational system is used in 183 countries and territories. Over 14,291,000 divers have been trained using standards, procedures and educational materials created under his leadership worldwide.
• Roy Jacob Smith IV, B.S., 1997 (Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences)
  Smith is a partner/shareholder with the Weiss Legal Group. While in law school at the University of Florida, Smith was the recipient of both the “Frank E. Maloney Award for Outstanding Candidate” and the “Gertrude Brick Award for Outstanding Board Member” from the Florida Law Review. He dedicates his career to the representation of consumers and accident victims in the State of Florida as well as the representation of clients in family law matters.
• Theresa Van Vliet, J.D., 1983 (Shepard Broad Law Center)
  Van Vliet is an attorney with Genovese, Joblove and Battista and concentrates her practice in white-collar litigation and related civil and compliance matters including international fraud and money laundering, consumer protection, mortgage industries, health care, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, general fraud offenses, USA Patriot Act of 2001 and Bank Secrecy Act, and matters relating to the imposition of economic sanctions by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Media Contact:
Alan Hancock, NSU Office of Public Affairs
(954) 262-5385, Hancocka@nova.edu