O’Keefe (BSBA ’90), Co-Managing Partner of the Shutts & Bowen Orlando office, has been reappointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees. In his current role, O’Keefe handles real estate and land use issues, from negotiating loans and government approvals to
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Robert Stern (BSBA ’86, JD ’90) | February 2023
Stern (BSBA ’86, JD ’90) is a Partner and Attorney for Trenam Law and has been appointed to the Southwest Florida Water Management District by Governor Ron DeSantis. At Trenam Law, Stern represents clients in all aspects of real estate,
Jay Wolszczak (BSBA ’90, JD ’93) | October 2022
Wolszczak (BSBA 1990, JD 1993) is the Chief Legal Officer for First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (“First Watch”). First Watch is an award-winning Daytime Dining restaurant concept serving made-to-order breakfast, brunch and lunch using fresh ingredients. There are more than
Stephanie Plaines (BSBA ’90) | September 2022
Stephanie Plaines (BSBA ’90) was named the new Chief Financial Officer at JCPenney. Plaines will lead all financial activities across the enterprise. She will drive best-in-class execution across functions including financial strategy, real estate, capital deployment, credit services, sourcing and
In Memoriam | July 2022
Charles Kerekes | BSBA ’50 | 1925-2022 | Kerekes, of Clearwater, Florida, passed on May 30. Born in Ft. Pierce, Florida, he served in the Navy during WWII as an EOD technician and later graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in
Troy Atlas (BSAc ’88, MAcc ’90) | January 2022
Atlas (BSAc 1988, MAcc 1990) has been named President and CEO of Home Safety Solutions. The Tampa native specializes in business development and process optimization. His career includes successful roles at Raymond James, AIG SunAmerica and Deloitte. With Atlas’ arrival,
Cynthia Crofoot Rignanese (BSBA ’87, JD ’90) | June 2021
Rignanese (BSBA 1987, JD 1990) is the founder and senior managing law partner at Rignanese & Associates. This year, she is celebrating 30 years of practicing law in Polk County. Rignanese has received numerous awards for her outstanding professional accomplishments
Murat Mercan (Ph.D. ’90) | April 2021
Mercan (Ph.D. ISOM 1990) has been appointed Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, D.C. the United States. Previously, he was ambassador to Tokyo, Japan. Before being appointed to Tokyo in 2017, Mercan served as deputy minister of energy and natural resources. He
Carolyn J. Messinger (BSBA ’90) | December 2020
Messinger (BSBA 1990), CEO of UNIVERSALPREQUAL.COM, is proud to announce the launch of their standard, nationwide system for construction prequalification. The system serves the construction industry as the resource for firms to manage their prequalification process in one reliable, easy,
Beth Kigel (BSBA ’90) | December 2020
Kigel (BSBA 1990) has been appointed to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees. Her term on the board will run from 2020 to 2025. Kigel serves as national practice leader, intelligent transportation systems and vice president at HNTB Corporation.