‘Papa John’ Among Three Business Leaders to Be Inducted into NSU’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

William E. Mahoney, Jr., Beverly Raphael and John H. Schnatter to Become Newest Hall of Fame Members on April 13

William E. Mahoney, Jr., Beverly Raphael and John H. Schnatter (Papa John) to Become Newest Hall of Fame Members on April 13

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship will induct three business leaders into its Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on April 13, 2011. This list includes “Papa John,” the Hall of Fame’s second woman to be inducted, and a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Joining the distinguished list of previous recipients this year are William E. Mahoney, Jr., president, Mahoney & Associates; Beverly Raphael, president and chief executive officer of RCC Associates, Inc.; and John H. Schnatter, founder, chairman and co-chief executive officer, Papa John’s International, Inc.

The induction ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Signature Grand in Davie, Florida. The annual event hosts 400-500 guests, and attendance is by invitation only.

The Entrepreneur Hall of Fame was established in 1990 to honor the lifetime achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs who contributed not only to the growth of a phenomenal entrepreneurial business, but have also demonstrated a willingness to contribute time, effort and financial resources to programs and activities that enhance the quality of life in the communities in which we live.

“It would seem to be a difficult task to meet the high caliber established by our existing Hall of Fame members, but these three exceptional entrepreneurs do just that – they are shining examples of entrepreneurial industry in Florida and beyond,” said Huizenga Business School Dean Michael Fields, Ph.D. “We count these three distinguished business leaders among our friends here at NSU – it is a pleasure to honor them.”

WILLIAM E. MAHONEY, JR.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Mahoney dove into the world of insurance at New York Life Insurance Company in 1963 before founding his own company, Mahoney & Associates, which now has offices in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Springfield, MA; and New York City, NY. Mahoney has built an international compensation and benefits management firm by specializing in employee benefits, taxation and law as it relates to benefits, executive compensation, and estate planning. He leads his company by ensuring that clients are guided through complex benefits legislation, new tax laws and volatile market conditions. Over Mahoney’s 48-year career, he also learned the value of giving back, serving on the boards of such organizations as Children’s Harbor and United Way of Broward County.

BEVERLY RAPHAEL

The second woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its founding, Beverly Raphael is a shining example of entrepreneurial success. Following the unfortunate death of her husband in 1998, she took the helm of the general contracting firm, RCC Associates. Raphael grew the business from a respectable $19 million in revenue to more than $105 million in 2007. Today, RCC Associates is one of the nation’s premier restaurant, retail and commercial construction firms, and lists companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang’s, Bongo’s Cuban Café at Seminole Hardrock, Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, Sun Life Stadium, and the Fisher Island Beach Club among its many clients. Prior to RCC, Raphael owned BRA Inc., an apparel company with showrooms in Miami, FL and Atlanta, GA. She also worked in public relations and in the healthcare industry. Raphael has been awarded many distinctions, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, and South Florida Business Journal’s Excalibur Award and CEO Businesswoman of the Year award in 2004 and 2007. She has also given of her time to work for the betterment of the community, serving on the board of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, as a trustee for the Jewish Women’s Fund as well as numerous other charities.

JOHN H. SCHNATTER

Better known the world over as “Papa John,” John H. Schnatter began his global franchise in 1984 with a single pizza oven in a broom closet in his father’s tavern “Mick’s Lounge” in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Twenty-six years later, there are 3,700+ Papa John’s restaurants in all 50 states and 32 countries.  The son of a judge and business entrepreneur, Schnatter learned from an early age that “not quitting builds character.” Schnatter’s grandfather, who was also an attorney and businessman, instilled a strong work ethic in him and always taught him to “focus on what you do best.”  Among Schnatter’s many achievements, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2007, along with high-profile entrepreneurs such as Ted Turner and H. Wayne Huizenga.

Criteria for induction into the NSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame include: the individual’s success as an entrepreneur; peer identification; the means by which their wealth was accumulated; contributions to educational, social, and other philanthropic organizations; and involvement in supporting opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking entry into business.

Celebrating its 22^nd year, NSU’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame honors the achievements of outstanding business leaders. The selection committee for this prestigious honor is comprised of current Hall of Fame members. Members of the Hall of Fame include John “Jack” Abdo; Joseph Amaturo; Rick Case; Carl DeSantis; James Dunn; Arthur J. Falcone; Steven Halmos; Whit Hudson; H. Wayne Huizenga; Mike Jackson; Alan Levan; Michael Maroone; James Moran; Charles L. Palmer; Kaye A. Pearson; Garth C. Reeves; Frederick Ruffner, Jr.; David Rush; Kay Smith; Terry Stiles; Don Taft; R. David Thomas; Walter L. Banks; Shaun M. Davis; and Jordan Zimmerman, among others.

For more information, visit: www.nova.edu/business

About the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship: Serving more than 6,000 students, the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in areas such as accounting, finance, human resource management, public administration, sales and more. The Huizenga Business School also boasts the largest Master of Business Administration MBA sales program in Florida as well as sales certificate. The school is housed in the five-story state-of-the-art Carl DeSantis Building on Nova Southeastern University’s main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, but programs are available at multiple locations and online. For more information, visit http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 29,000 students and is the seventh largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences.  Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU was also awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010 for the university’s significant commitment to and demonstration of community engagement.   For more information about NSU visit www.nova.edu.

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Media Contact:
Brandon Hensler, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5385 (office), 954-393-5926 (cell), brandon.hensler@nova.edu