March 19, 2008
Contact:
Alan Hancock
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5385 Office
hancocka@nova.edu
NSU to Induct Three Business Leaders into Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. ----The Nova Southeastern University H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship will induct three local business leaders – Ralph A. Marrinson, Douglas J. Von Allmen and Jordan Zimmerman – into its Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on April 16. The induction ceremony will be held at the Signature Grand in Davie beginning at 6 p.m. Attendance is by invitation only.
Marrinson, a leader and innovator in the healthcare industry, is the founder of Marrinson Senior Care Residences. He opened the Manor Pines Nursing and Convalescent Center in Ft. Lauderdale in 1966 and, in 1973, opened Independence Hall in Ft. Lauderdale, the first retirement residence in Broward County. Marrinson Senior Care Residences now operates seven facilities, including five in South Florida, and remains family owned and operated.
Von Allmen has acquired more than 50 different businesses during his career, including Sunsations Sunglass Company and Beauty Alliance. Von Allmen bought Sunsations Sunglass Company in 1990 and sold it five years later after expanding the chain from 70 stores to 350. He founded Beauty Alliance in 1987 and built it into the largest privately owned professional beauty supply distributor in the United States before selling it to L’Oreal last year. Von Allmen graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1965 and the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and School of Accountancy are both named after him.
Zimmerman is the founder and chairman of Zimmerman Advertising. He founded the Ft. Lauderdale-based company in 1984 and has overseen its growth into the nation’s 15th largest advertising agency. With more than 1,300 associates and 22 offices, Zimmerman Advertising serves clients such as AutoNation, Lennar Homes, Miami Dolphins, Office Depot, and Six Flags, allowing it to reach virtually every retail sector. South Florida CEO magazine recently named Zimmerman among its “100 Most Powerful People in South Florida.” He is also part-owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
Celebrating its 19th year, NSU’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame honors the achievements of outstanding business people in the South Florida community. The selection committee for this prestigious honor is comprised of current Hall of Fame members. Other members of the Hall of Fame include John "Jack" Abdo; Joseph Amaturo; Rick Case; Carl DeSantis; James Dunn; Arthur J. Falcone; Steven Halmos; Whit Hudson; H. Wayne Huizenga; Alan Levan; Michael Maroone; James Moran; Charles L. Palmer; Kaye A. Pearson; Garth C. Reeves; Frederick Ruffner, Jr.; David Rush; Kay Smith; Terry Stiles; R. David Thomas; Walter L. Banks; Shaun M. Davis; Carlos de Céspedes and Jorge de Céspedes.
About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the sixth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.
