Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
2017 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees
Sister Mary Margaret "Peggy" Albert, OP, PhD '82, '88
President, Siena Heights University
Nelson Andreu Sr. '11, MPA '12
Chief of Police, City of West Miami
Rodney Barreto '88
President and CEO, The Barreto Group, Inc.
Rev. Mary Ellen Dakin Cassini, D. Min '77, '10
School Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life Palmer Trinity School
Andrea Ivory '13
Founder and Executive Director, The Women's Breast & Heart Initiative
Sister Nancy Murray, OP '72
Adrian Dominican Sister Preaching through Acting
Carlos Orta '95
Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Carnival Corporation & plc
Stephanie L. Rakofsky, MA, MSW '81, LCSW, CCM, C-ASWCM
Medical Social Work Leader and Change Agent
2017 Distinguished Alumni Faculty/Staff
Dr. Roxanne Davies, PhD '12
Associate Vice President, Mission and Institutional Effectiveness, Barry University
Dr. Mario Cala, DPM '08
Assistant Professor of Podiatric Medicine, Barry University Chief of Podiatry, Jackson North Medical Center
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
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