Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

2016 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees

Rising Star

Elizandra Pierre MS ‘09
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Natalie M. Bieule ‘11
Para-Olympic Athlete

Matthew Sherman MS ‘11
Founder and CEO of JugoFresh

Distinguished Alumni

Jean-Paul Dardenne MS ‘03
Sr. Vice President of Corporate Partnerships of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans

Dr. Marvin Diaz-Lacayo MBA ‘91
Physician/ Hematologist – Oncologist

Joseph Fernandez ‘94
President of the Florida Region of BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Rai Johnson ‘96, MSW ‘13
Health and Wellness Director, Board Member and Alumnae,
Lotus House Women's Shelter

Eileen Maloney-Simon ‘75
CEO of YWCA of Greater Miami Dade

Roymi V. Membiela ‘86
Corporate Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Baptist Health South Florida

Jorge A. Plasencia ‘01
Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, República

Jennie Weiss Block MBA ‘88, MA ‘98, DMI ‘07
Theologian and Author

Laurie Weiss Nuell MSW ‘83
Community Activist and Philanthropist

2015 Distinguished Alumni Award

Mirta Fuentes ‘01
Executive Director
Leadership Learning Center

Saima Hossain ‘97, MS ‘02, SSP ‘04
Licensed School Psychologist
Member WHO's Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health
Chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Autism

Nelson Lazo ‘84
Chief Executive Officer
Doctors Hospital

Maria Mas Blet ‘01
Chief Executive Officer/Managing Principal
GSK Wealth Advisors, Inc.

Allyson Maynard-Gibson ‘75
Attorney General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas

2015 Rising Star Award

Adriane Jackson, MSW ‘12
Executive Director
Partners in Education Inc.

Joy Taylor ‘09
Sports Radio Host, The Zaslow and Joy Show
FM 104.3 & AM 790 The Ticket Miami

2013 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Erbi Blanco-True, BPA '98
Senior Vice President and Director of Community Development
Great Florida Bank

Lourdes Cowgill, BA '65, PhD
President Emerita
Pine Crest School

The Honorable Alex Ferrer, BPS '83, JD
Host and Arbiter
"Judge Alex" Nationally Syndicated Courtroom Television Show

Michael D. Vaardahl, MS '95, DPM '98, FACFAS
Owner and Podiatrist
Foot & Ankle Center of Northern Colorado

2013 Rising Star Award Recipients

LaCriscia Fowlkes, MS '07, MBA '07
Program Director
PACE Center for Girls - Miami

The Honorable Adam McGinnis, JD '05
Orange County Judge
Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

2012 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Laurent Salvador Lamothe, BS '96
Prime Minister of Haiti

Luis Marin, MS '90, DPM '94
Leon Medical Center
Director of Podiatric Medicine

Mimi Watson Sutherland, RN, BSN '94, MS '96, CNRN
Jackson Medical Center
Director of GATE Program

2011 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Jaime Carbonell, DPM ‘96
Garnet & Carbonell DPM LLC
Podiatrist

Carlos Gimenez, BPA ‘99
Miami-Dade County
Mayor

Joan Lutton, MS ‘77
Cushman School
Head of School

Stanton Sloane, BS ‘75
Decision Sciences Corporation
President and CEO

2010 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Distinguished Alumna in Podiatry
Mary Elizabeth Crane MS ’91, DPM ’94
Foot and Ankle Associates of North Texas, LLP
Managing Partner

Distinguished Alumnus in Law
Alfredo J. Gonzalez ’88
Greenberg Traurig
Shareholder

Distinguished Alumna in Community Leadership
Phillis Inez Oeters MSW ’82
Baptist Health South Florida
Vice President of Government & Community Relations

Distinguished Alumnus in Technology
Javier Polit MS ’90
The Coca Cola Company
Bottling Investments Group
Chief Information Officer

Distinguished Alumnus in Business
Gary John Spulak MBA ’80
Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc.
President

Distinguished Adrian Dominican Sister Award
Sister Attracta Kelly, OP
Adrian Dominican Sisters
Prioress

2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recipients

Bradley Bakotic ’89, MS ’91, DPM ’92
Bako Pathology Services
Principle Partner

Alberto M Carvalho ’90
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Superintendent

Helen Aguirre Ferre ’87
Diario Las Americas
Opinion Editor

Heather Rohan ’77, MBA ’89
President and CEO of Tristar Centennial Medical
Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recipients

Juan Carlos Fernandez MS '98, BS '92
Miami Dade Fire Rescue Special Operations

Greg Greene '88
Ryder System, Inc.
Executive Vice President

Dr. Bradley Haves '90
Dr. Bradley Haves, DPM
Podiatrist

Eric V. Hires, Esq., '94
The Law Office of Eric V. Hires, LLC
Attorney

Neta Kolasa, PsyD '75
Kolasa Foundation
President

Louise McCormick '69
McCormick-Green Center for Holistic Therapies
Co-Founder and President

Pamela Simonton '71
Exelixis
Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Janis Smith, PhD '02
Heartland Community Church
Minister

Steve Stowe '03
Miami Heat
Director of Charitable Fund

Sister Carol Coston, OP '62

2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recipients

Susan Jeter BS ’04
Commander/Jail Administrator
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office

Regine Cordon Shiver, BA ’86
Chief Operating Officer
Women in Distress

Teresa Rodriguez Oquendo, BS ’79
Anchorwoman
Univision Television Network

Silvia Reyes, BS ’93, MS ’96
Director of Prevention and Promotion Programs
Family Counseling Services of Greater Miami

Juan Fernandez, BS ’92, MS’98
Miami Dade Fire Rescue Special Operations

Sherri McVay, JD ’02
Florida Political Director
Romney for President

Annabelle Dizon Scott, ‘04 MSN, DNP ’10
Clinical Practice Specialist
Mercy Hospital

John Steinberg, BS ‘93, DPM ’95
Full-Time Assistant Professor
Georgetown University

Joni Goodman, MSW ’77
Regional Director
State of Florida Guardian Ad Litem

Catheryn Shaw Johnson, BS ’01
Owner/ Occupational Therapist
Catheryn Johnson Occupational Therapy Corporation