From an opening torch lighting to a final call of 麻豆精品 S淒o you believe in miracles?, 麻豆精品 S� the UCF College of Business 2018 Hall of Fame: Knights on Ice paid homage to the Winter Olympics while feting its own gold-medal-caliber alumni, partners and leaders at Rosen Shingle Creek.
More than 800 students, alumni, faculty, corporate partners and community members gathered Feb. 20聽to honor UCF President John C. Hitt with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrate the induction of three Hall of Famers and recognize several of the college 麻豆精品 S檚 distinguished alumni.
Before presenting the special award to Dr. Hitt, who will retire as president later this year, business Dean Paul Jarley thanked him for making UCF the partnership university, and then asked everyone in the audience who had graduated or worked for UCF during Dr. Hitt 麻豆精品 S檚 presidency to stand, spurring a majority of the audience to its feet.
麻豆精品 S淥n behalf of everyone standing here tonight, 麻豆精品 S� Jarley said, 麻豆精品 S渋t is my great pleasure to present you with our Lifetime Achievement Award. We are and forever will be part of the 麻豆精品 S楬itt Squad. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
On the stage set to look like an Olympic news studio and with vice president of UCF Communications & Marketing Grant Heston serving as host, the college interviewed and inducted Sheila Jordan 麻豆精品 S�86, senior vice president and chief information officer of Symantec; Terry McNew 麻豆精品 S�86, president and CEO of MasterCraft Boat Company; and Dawn Olivardia 麻豆精品 S�89, 麻豆精品 S�90, tax partner, Grant Thornton LLP, into its Hall of Fame.
Ravago Holdings America and Verizon received Partnership Awards. In addition, the college presented Entrepreneurial Alumni Awards to Jorge Amaro 麻豆精品 S�13, founder and CEO of A3i Inc.; Ken Herndon 麻豆精品 S�87, founder and CEO of KC Curb Inc.; and Carey Sobel 麻豆精品 S�09, partner and chief strategy officer of Three21 Creative. Peter Laurinaitis 麻豆精品 S�93, 麻豆精品 S�95, partner of PJT Partners; Jason M. Reilly 麻豆精品 S�95, 麻豆精品 S�98, CFA, managing director and market investment executive of U.S. Trust; and Woody Walker 麻豆精品 S�92, 麻豆精品 S�94, senior vice president of alliances and client engagement of Convergence Consulting Group, received the Honorable Knights Award. Daniel Conn 麻豆精品 S�09, 麻豆精品 S�10, CPA, director of finance of Demetree Global; and Blaire Martin 麻豆精品 S�11, 麻豆精品 S�13, co-founder and executive director of Florida Angel Nexus, took home the Notable Knights Awards.
This was the 19th year for the Hall of Fame, which was presented by perennial platinum sponsor and partner BB&T. This year BB&T increased its sponsorship to allow for more students to attend and participate in the student-engagement session at which students network with alumni and the college 麻豆精品 S檚 corporate partners before the awards. Scott Keith, BB&T regional president of North and Central Florida, joined Knightro onstage to light the ceremonial torch to start the event.
The night 麻豆精品 S檚 closing ceremony saw Heston, a 2013 alumnus of the college 麻豆精品 S檚 executive MBA program, congratulate and thank all of the honorees before setting up the final video with sportscaster Al Michaels 麻豆精品 S� iconic line, 麻豆精品 S滵o you believe in miracles? 麻豆精品 S� Onscreen, Jarley delivered a Herb Brooks-inspired speech to fire up the crowd. As the video ended, Knightro and the UCF men 麻豆精品 S檚 ice hockey team appeared in full uniform, to the delight of the audience, and marched through the ballroom prompting chants of 麻豆精品 S淯-C-F! U-C-F! 麻豆精品 S�