More than 800 students, alumni, faculty, corporate partners and community members gathered Feb. 20 to honor �鶹ӳ����ý President John C. Hitt with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrate the induction of three Hall of Famers and recognize several of the college’s distinguished alumni.

Before presenting the special award to Dr. Hitt, who will retire as president later this year, business Dean Paul Jarley thanked him for making �鶹ӳ����ý the partnership university, and then asked everyone in the audience who had graduated or worked for �鶹ӳ����ý during Dr. Hitt’s presidency to stand, spurring a majority of the audience to its feet.

“On behalf of everyone standing here tonight,” Jarley said, “it is my great pleasure to present you with our Lifetime Achievement Award. We are and forever will be part of the ‘Hitt Squad.’ ”

On the stage set to look like an Olympic news studio and with vice president of �鶹ӳ����ý Communications & Marketing Grant Heston serving as host, the college interviewed and inducted Sheila Jordan ’86, senior vice president and chief information officer of Symantec; Terry McNew ’86, president and CEO of MasterCraft Boat Company; and Dawn Olivardia ’89, ’90, tax partner, Grant Thornton LLP, into its Hall of Fame.

Ravago Holdings America and Verizon received Partnership Awards. In addition, the college presented Entrepreneurial Alumni Awards to Jorge Amaro ’13, founder and CEO of A3i Inc.; Ken Herndon ’87, founder and CEO of KC Curb Inc.; and Carey Sobel ’09, partner and chief strategy officer of Three21 Creative. Peter Laurinaitis ’93, ’95, partner of PJT Partners; Jason M. Reilly ’95, ’98, CFA, managing director and market investment executive of U.S. Trust; and Woody Walker ’92, ’94, senior vice president of alliances and client engagement of Convergence Consulting Group, received the Honorable Knights Award. Daniel Conn ’09, ’10, CPA, director of finance of Demetree Global; and Blaire Martin ’11, ’13, co-founder and executive director of Florida Angel Nexus, took home the Notable Knights Awards.

This was the 19th year for the Hall of Fame, which was presented by perennial platinum sponsor and partner BB&T. This year BB&T increased its sponsorship to allow for more students to attend and participate in the student-engagement session at which students network with alumni and the college’s corporate partners before the awards. Scott Keith, BB&T regional president of North and Central Florida, joined Knightro onstage to light the ceremonial torch to start the event.

The night’s closing ceremony saw Heston, a 2013 alumnus of the college’s executive MBA program, congratulate and thank all of the honorees before setting up the final video with sportscaster Al Michaels’ iconic line, ”Do you believe in miracles?” Onscreen, Jarley delivered a Herb Brooks-inspired speech to fire up the crowd. As the video ended, Knightro and the �鶹ӳ����ý men’s ice hockey team appeared in full uniform, to the delight of the audience, and marched through the ballroom prompting chants of “U-C-F! U-C-F!”

All students are invited to discuss their ideas, concerns and experiences at the forum from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union’s Key West Ballroom, Room 218ABCD.

More than 740 alumni, community and corporate partners celebrated the Knight at the Opera-themed inductions of Sonya Dixon, ’96, ’98, chief financial officer and senior vice president at Holiday Inn Club Vacations; Antonio “Tony” Moreno Jr., ’91, managing partner/financial consultant, MPC Wealth Management; and Michael O’Donnell, ’09, executive/entrepreneur for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at �鶹ӳ����ý. The Hall of Fame is the highest honor given by the college to graduates who have been in the industry for at least 20 years and have brought notoriety to the university through their professional achievements.

“Our annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony where we honor our most successful alums is an affirming event for our faculty and staff—it reminds us why we do what we do,” said Paul Jarley, Ph.D, dean of �鶹ӳ����ý College of Business. “It also is an opportunity to show our community what our college and our students are all about and why we are worthy of their time, talent and treasure.”

On Thursday, the college honored longtime partners CFE Federal Credit Union, Lockheed Martin and entrepreneurs Chip Headley, ’78, ’97, Rock ’Em Apparel and founder Rob Starkman and UBreakiFix founder Justin Wetherill, ’07. Also recognized were Notable Knights Joe Barbito, ’02, vice president of Agency Management, Galaxy Asset Management, LLC.; Kevin O’Connell, ’02, managing partner, Northwestern Mutual; John Gill, ’86, president and CEO, Quest Inc.; and Yvonne Baker, ’80, ’11, regional managing partner, Franklin Street.

The night began with a Minute of Mentorship, at which business students asked guests for career and professional-development advice. High-energy musical numbers, led by �鶹ӳ����ý mascot Knightro, bookended the night.

“Business people, entrepreneurs and economists have not always been represented fairly in popular culture. But now – in 2017 – we are indisputably cool. The biggest show on Broadway is about the founder of our nation’s financial system. And he’s the hero,” said master of ceremonies Grant J. Heston, ’13, vice president of Communications and Marketing at �鶹ӳ����ý, as he introduced the opening song. “Like Alexander Hamilton, our students are ‘young, scrappy and hungry’ and they’re not giving away their shot at success, at making a difference or at this opportunity to tell their story in song.”

Several business students joined professional dancers to perform the “B-School Rapsody,” an original song set to the tune of Freddie Mercury’s iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which appears on Queen’s “Night at the Opera” album. At the end of the night, 40 student ambassadors joined Knightro and the dance company for a rousing rendition of Queen’s stadium anthem “We Will Rock You.”

For more information regarding the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Business Hall of Fame, visit or email business@ucfalumni.com.

The forum will be 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Key West Ballroom, Room 218AB.

Acting Provost Elizabeth Dooley and vice presidents Maribeth Ehasz, Grant Heston, Dan Holsenbeck and Bill Merck also will be at the meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Key West Ballroom, Room 218 ABCD.

The forum will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the . All students are invited to discuss their ideas, concerns and experiences.

Woodruff spoke at a President’s Focus on Excellence breakfast in downtown Orlando and also visited the Center for Emerging Media.

In a post on PBS’ “Rundown” blog, Woodruff called �鶹ӳ����ý a “stunning success story.”

“With a philosophy that encourages entrepreneurship, �鶹ӳ����ý has helped students launch their own businesses immediately upon graduation, as well as partnered with industries to find jobs,” she wrote. “Its president, Dr. John Hitt, believes in taking risks when he thinks they’re warranted: ‘I hire smart people and let them come to me with their ideas,’ he said. His decision to aim for state approval to launch the medical center and to take over a public television … operation — with very little turnaround time or funding — are just two examples.”

Woodruff also noted some of the challenges that the university faces, including state budget cuts for �鶹ӳ����ý and public television.

“But meeting the leaders at this extraordinary school and seeing their “can-do” spirit up close gives one hope that not only will things eventually turn around, but that young people are developing the skills to see them through.”

W�鶹ӳ����ý TV, a partnership between �鶹ӳ����ý and Brevard Community College, broadcasts popular PBS programs and high-quality local shows to more than 3.5 million viewers. The station began broadcasting on July 1, just three months after WMFE announced it was ending its affiliation with PBS.

“I’m very proud to say this community did not miss one second of PBS programming during the transition,” Grant J. Heston, �鶹ӳ����ý’s associate vice president for Communications and Public Affairs, said at the Focus on Excellence breakfast last week.

Popular PBS Kids programming includes seven literacy series and 11 series on science, technology, engineering and math. Local shows that have premiered this fall include Metro Center Outlook with Diane Trees and Global Perspectives with Pulitzer Prize-winner John Bersia.

The channel — the primary PBS channel for nine Central Florida counties – is seeking to raise $1 million in community support this year.

Hitt encouraged viewers to share feedback about programming with W�鶹ӳ����ý TV. He also urged the community to consider investing in the station.

“I intentionally use the word ‘investing’ because this is not a gift or a donation,” he said. “Your investment makes it possible for everyone to enjoy all of what we love most about PBS.”

To share feedback or invest in W�鶹ӳ����ý TV, go to .