ONE NSU MAGAZINE CLASS NOTES Maria Minenko, B.S. (’24), who received her degree in business administration management, joined a developing technology start-up in New York City, where she is living her dream of being an entrepreneur in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Daniella Ortiz, M.S. (’00), was inducted into the college’s Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame in October 2024. She attended the event with her husband Alfredo and their two children, Lucas and Delfina. Her business, Daniella Ortiz Design Corporation, continues to thrive in Palm Beach County, Florida, and beyond. Alejandro Palacios, D.B.A. (’14), M.I.B.A. (’03), serves as chief information officer for DHL Global Forwarding. Arlene Pecora, M.B.A. (’01), who also earned her B.S. in Hospitality Management from the college in 1995, has made a career pivot. Following decades of success as president and CEO of Signature Grand—a premier venue for weddings, special events, charity galas, and business meetings in Broward County, Florida, she sold the business in late 2024 and is in the process of embarking upon a new venture with a start-up mobile catering service. Ryan Shea, M.B.A. (’09), who resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serves as president of Right Management-Florida/ Caribbean, where he oversees the growth and management of the company’s diverse talent development and career management services. Adam Taback, M.S. (’96), who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family, serves as executive vice president and chief investment officer at Wells Fargo. He stays involved with the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship as chair of the advisory board of the Student Managed Investment Fund. Michael Weymouth, M.S. (’91), who earned his M.S. in Real Estate Development, leads the Las Olas Company—an organization dedicated to building, maintaining, and preserving Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. NSU UNIVERSITY SCHOOL Ben Axelrod (’99) became the software engineering lead at the newly created Boston Dynamics AI Institute after working for more than 12 years at iRobot. In his new role, Axelrod will be working on solving the most fundamental challenges in AI and robotics. Jessica Bentley (’95), joined Ascension Global Technology, a cybersecurity firm in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She was recently promoted to enterprise director and helps large enterprise companies with their security posture. Steven Blattner, M.P.S. (’11), was appointed deputy chief of staff/legislative director at the U.S. House of Representatives. His position assists in the development of policy positions and legislative initiatives and assists in managing the office’s legislative staff. 2023 NSU won three NCAA DII National Championships—in men’s basketball, women’s swimming, and men’s golf. 2024 Thanks to a four-year, $16-million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded to researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, NSU and nine other South Florida entities are partnering to develop and scale up new approaches to increase the climate resilience of Florida’s restored coral reefs. 2025 NSU reached a level of standing fewer than 5 percent of the 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States have achieved, which is designation as an R1 research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. 89
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