Huizenga School Hosts 17th Annual Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

NSU president Ray Ferrero, Jr., (far left) and Huizenga School dean Randy Pohlman (far right) with Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees Walter L. Banks, Shaun M. Davis; Carlos M. de Céspedes; and Jorge L. de Céspedes.

The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship inducted four local businessmen into its Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on April 11 at the Signature Grand, Davie.  More than 400 guests attended to recognize the achievements of this year’s honorees.  Celebrating its 17th year, the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame honors outstanding business people in the South Florida community.  Honorees this year were: Walter L. Banks, owner and president of Lago Mar Resort and Club; Shaun M. Davis, founder and managing partner of S. Davis and Associates; Carlos de Cespedes, chairman/CEO, and his brother Jorge de Cespedes, president/COO, of the Pharmed Group Corp. 

Banks has built on his family’s legacy and has kept the 212-room resort independent over the years.  Lago Mar is one of Fort Lauderdale’s premier beach resorts and has received numerous awards, including being rated the Best Hotel in Fort Lauderdale by the Zagat Survey in 2005. 

Davis has more than 19 years of public accounting experience with local and international firms.  S. Davis and Associates is recognized as one of the top 10 minority businesses in Florida and one of the top 3 minority CPA firms in the southeastern United States.  The firm has offices in Hollywood, Miami, and Lake Worth. 

The de Cespedes brothers founded Pharmed Group in 1980 and through their efforts the company’s local operations have grown to become the largest minority distributor of health care products in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.  The company has been recognized as the 10th largest Hispanic business in the United States and the “Fastest-Growing Hispanic Company” in the country by Hispanic Business magazine.

Hall of Fame members in attendance included John “Jack” Abdo, Joe Amaturo, Ronald Bergeron, Steven Halmos, Harris “Whit” Hudson, Alan Levan, James McKinley Thomas Miller, Albert Miniaci, Charles Palmer, Ramon Rodriguez, David Rush and Robert Steele.

View the photo gallery.