NSU Salutes Veterans and Service Members at Private Reception

2010-2011 NSU Yellow Ribbon Scholarship Recipients with Chancellor Ferrero and President Hanbury

More than 130 members of the NSU community attended the NSU Salute to Veterans and Service Members hosted by the President’s Office on Nov. 30. 

NSU President George L. Hanbury, II served as emcee for the evening and welcomed distinguished guest speakers Colonel Kimberly K. Toney, Colonel Barry L. Boulton, and alumnus veteran law student Timothy Nies, Esq., who commended Chancellor Ray Ferrero, Jr. and President Hanbury for the university’s unwavering commitment to those who serve in the military.

NSU has been actively supporting service members and their families for more than 40 years and is a proud partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship Program.  In addition to this program on main campus, NSU Student Educational Centers in Orlando, Tampa, Kendall, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers honored military students and raffled off scholarships to veteran students in early November, while the Jacksonville SEC held a Military Appreciation Reception which featured a special guest speaker and scholarship raffle.

Eighteen of NSU’s 172 Yellow Ribbon Scholarship recipients attended NSU’s Salute to Veterans and Service Members and received special recognition during the program. Three of NSU’s veteran students won additional scholarships raffled off by Stephanie G. Brown, Ed.D., associate vice president of Enrollment and Student Services.

Chancellor Ray Ferrero, Jr., who served in the US Marine Corps, was presented with an American flag along with a Certificate of Authenticity that had been issued to College of Osteopathic Medicine faculty member David L. Thomas, M.D., J.D., professor and chairman, Department of Surgery, and professor and chairman, Division of Correctional Medicine. The flag was flown over Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on September 1, 2006, and was presented in the spirit of patriotism as a tribute to those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks on the United States and to those who continue to fight in the Global War on Terrorism. 

Other speakers included Colonel Kimberly K. Toney, Director of J1, Manpower and Personnel, United States Southern Command, who spoke about the efforts of Joint Task Force-Haiti, which contributed to international relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake and Timothy Nies, Esq., attorney and graduate of the Shepard Broad Law Center, who was injured in the line of duty during a parachute mission with the 3rd Ranger Battalion.  He passionately appealed to the community to write to legislators in support of veterans, having experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to reintegrate into society after discharge.

The final speaker of the evening was Colonel Barry L. Boulton, guest of honor at this year’s Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Colonel Boulton, who joined the Hollywood Police Department to begin his second career, also touched upon the common theme of how the military and higher education are interconnected institutions. 

In preparation for the event, the steering committee collected pictures and essays from veteran students on how their military careers impacted their educational goals. Their corresponding responses were on display on poster boards around the reception area and after the event, the posters were presented to attending students as gifts.  

For more information on the event and veteran benefits at NSU, please contact Patrick Rafferty, Veterans Benefits Administrator at praffert@nova.edu.