Miami Dade College to Honor Outstanding Alumni at Sixth Annual Alumni Hall of Fame Awards Dinner
Jungle Island, Thursday, April 3, 6:00 PM
Miami, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - In what has become a spring tradition in South Florida, Miami Dade College will honor some of its most outstanding alumni at the Alumni Hall of Fame Gala to be held Thursday, April 3 at 6:00 p.m., at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami.
MDC’s 2008 Hall of Fame honorees are 23 of the nation’s premier impresarios, public servants, artists and community leaders. The ceremony will celebrate the career achievements of former students such as Miami Herald Managing Editor Dave Wilson, Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Chief David C. James and President and CEO of U.S. Century Bank Octavio Hernandez, among others.
MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, himself an MDC alumnus, invites the community to join in celebrating the honorees. “These deserving alumni are proof that a solid education opens doors and creates great career opportunities. The Alumni Hall of Fame is proud to add their names to the group of luminaries we celebrate each year.”
Previous Hall of Fame Alumni Awards have recognized leaders from the worlds of entertainment, politics, and sports. Among them, actor Andy Garcia, music industry mogul Emilio Estefan, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, and star athlete and former Dolphin receiver Nat Moore.
Individual tickets to the event are $250, with $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, and $25,000 sponsorships available. Proceeds from the event will benefit student scholarships. For more information on tickets and reservations, please contact the MDC Foundation at (305) 237-3240.
Following a cocktail reception and an elegant dinner, some of MDC’s most accomplished alumni will take to the stage to receive the sculpted crystal Hall of Fame award.
The 2008 Hall of Fame honorees are:
Accounting
Tanya Ferreiro, Principal, Kaufman Rossin and Company, P.A.
Architecture
Luis Revuelta, Principal, Revuelta, Vega, Leon, P.A.
Banking
Octavio Hernandez, President and CEO, U.S. Century Bank
Business
Mario Murgado, President and CEO, Miami Automotive Retail (d/b/a Brickell Motors)
Education
Dr. Gerardo M. Gonzalez, University Dean, Indiana University School of Education
Engineering
Rafael Robayna, President and CEO, Robayna and Associates Inc.
Entrepreneurship
Anastasios Kyriakides, President and CEO, Interlink Global Corp.
Health Care
Ana Mederos, CEO, Palmetto General Hospital
Journalism/Broadcast
Helga Silva, Vice President of News, Univision Television Group, Channel 23
Journalism/Print
Dave Wilson, Managing Editor, News, The Miami Herald
Law
Carlos Lacasa, Vice President and General Counsel, MD MedicareChoice Inc.
Leadership
Barney Bishop, President and CEO, Associated Industries of Florida
Marketing
Zevin Auerbach, Creative Partner, Zimmerman Advertising
Medicine
Dr. Steven Vanni, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Non-Profit Sector
Liliam M. Lopez, President and CEO, South Florida Hispanic, Chamber of Commerce
Nursing
Sandra Hyatt, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Doctors Hospital
Public Safety – Fire
David C. James, Fire-Rescue Chief, Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Department
Public Safety – Police
Carlos Noriega, Chief of Police, Miami Beach
Sports
Bucky Dent, Co-Founder, Bucky Dent’s Baseball School, and former player and manager, Major League Baseball
Technology
Luis Paez, Chief Information Officer, Perry Ellis International
Transportation
Roger Madan, President, Air Marine Forwarding Co.
Urban Development
Hank Klein, Executive Director, Cushman & Wakefield
Visual Arts
Luis Gispert, Mixed-Media Artist
Media-only contacts:
Juan Mendieta, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu, MDC communications director
Beverly C. Williams, 305-237-3949, brodrigu@mdc.edu, MDC media relations director