Horizons Fall 2016

21 NSU HORIZONS “I was able to go to school for 18 months and work during the week without taking a break.” NSU continues to offer Steigelman support by providing classroom space for meetings of her professional group, Association of Talent Development. “NSU lets us use their classroom for up to 12 meetings a year. We’re very grateful for that.” Alumni at the NSU Jacksonville Campus include professionals who have pursued careers in a wide spectrum of fields, such as higher education, health, community service, and government. Johnny Gaffney, Ph.D., was the CEO/owner of a mortgage lender when he pursued his doctorate in education, focusing on organiza- tional leadership. “It took my career to another level,” said Gaffney, the administrative assistant to the mayor and liaison to more than 60 city boards and commissions. “When we students came out with our degrees, we were well-prepared. NSU has a reputation for quality,” added Gaffney, who served as a Jacksonville City Councilman representing District 7 for eight years and has long been active in community service. NSU alumna Sabrina Edwards, Ph.D., also a fierce believer in giving back to the community, is the founder and executive director of the Little Bookworms Commu- nity Resource Agency, which helps low-income individuals and families pursue an education, among other needs. At one point, her agency paid for an apartment deposit for a homeless young woman. “We want to help students get into schools and keep them in school,” she said. Edwards completed her doctorate at NSU’s Jacksonville Campus while she was working as a college administrator at Edward Waters College. She is currently an assistant professor of business administration and organizational management at Edward Waters College and an adjunct professor teaching student life skills at Florida State College at Jacksonville. She recently was appointed by the Jacksonville mayor to serve as a commissioner for the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. “I believe in the importance of education,” Edwards said. “I want to leave a mark, inspire, and make a difference. NSU provides the all-around structure and support you need.” Visit nova.edu/jacksonville for more information on the NSU Jacksonville Campus. n For his entrepreneurial success and community involvement, NSU President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., was awarded the 2015 Excalibur Award for Business Leader of the Year in Broward County. Arlene Pecora received the 2015 Excalibur Award for Small Business Leader of the Year in Broward County. President and CEO of Signature Grand, a catering and conference center in Davie, Pecora holds a bachelor’s degree from NSU and received her M.B.A. in 2002, also from NSU. H. Wayne Huizenga, Jr., who owns super-yacht marina Rybovich and heads Huizenga Holdings, Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, received the Excalibur Award for Business Leader of the Year in Palm Beach County. He is the eldest son of H. Wayne Huizenga, for whom the NSU H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship is named. Linda Cooke, chief executive of Habco Manufacturing, which offers jobs to special-needs workers, received the Excalibur Award for Small Business Leader of the Year in Palm Beach County. Cooke received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from NSU. The Excalibur Award is presented by Sun Sentinel Company, LLC, to business leaders in South Florida. n HANBURY HONORED WITH EXCALIBUR AWARD AROUND NSU PHOTO: KARA STARZYK, COURTESY OF THE SUN SENTINEL Howard Saltz, publisher and editor in chief of the Sun Sentinel , gives the Excalibur Award to George L. Hanbury II.