NSU Horizons Spring 2012

33 HORIZONS Ron and Kathy Assaf, South Florida community leaders and well- regarded philanthropists for more than three decades, have a bevy of recognitions, both together and as individuals. But, the President’s Community Award, Nova Southeastern University’s highest honor bestowed at its annual Celebration of Excellence, wasn’t just another award to add to them; the designation carried with it a chance for them to spread a message. And the timing, they say, couldn’t be better. “Nova Southeastern University is entering a new chapter,” said Ron Assaf. “It’s a good time to reach out to the community to get people inter- ested in the university and to encour- age others, especially alumni, to get involved, too.” Leaders in various philanthropic and civic causes in South Florida, the Assafs’ passion is education. Sitting on a couch in their living room at their Boca Raton, Florida, home, Ron and Kathy Assaf tell how they both have firsthand knowledge of what it means to be given opportunity for education through scholarship. Kathy Assaf was one of the few women to be a senior auditor at Arthur Young and Co., one of the world’s largest accounting firms, and one of the first women to serve as chair of a bank in the South. She received a scholarship from the Hollywood, Florida, Women’s Club to help her with her studies when she attended Rollins College in Winter Park. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. Ron Assaf has a similar story. “I wouldn’t have been able to go to college without scholarship help.” He had scholarship assistance when he attended the University of Akron in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. After graduation, he created a theft protection company, Sensormatic, that produced a product that has become indispensable today in the retail world and helped Ron Assaf become the successful businessman he is. “We both worked during college and had scholarships and loans. Now, we want to make it feasible for students because it wasn’t easy for us, but the scholarships made it possible, and we were able to go to school,” said Kathy Assaf. Since his retirement from Sensormatic, one of Ron Assaf’s primary volunteer roles has been his dedication to the NSU Board of Trustees. “I was introduced to NSU in the 1970s, and then became reacquainted with the school in 1993.” Soon after, he was elected to the NSU Board of Trustees in July 1994 and became chairman of the board in May 2005. “Nova Southeastern University is a relatively young school, and the board consistently looks for ways to get our message out,” he said. Ambassadors Board Mission The newly formed Ambassadors Board is just one of those ways, he said. “Alan Levan brought this idea to our board. He and his wife, Susie, have put together a program to enlist people throughout the community who can help the university. The Ambassadors Board’s mission is to enlist widespread and active support for the university’s develop- ment efforts, to promote NSU programs, and to be the university’s ambassadors to our communities and constituencies. At other schools, these types of organizations have created a great source for scholarships and endowments.” Ron and Kathy Assaf have long been ambassadors for education with endowments at NSU, Lynn University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Akron. They founded the Ronald and Kathleen Assaf Center for Nursing Excellence at Boca Raton Community Hospital to help recruit, train, and retain nurses. “When you support education, you are helping society as a whole in so many ways,” said Kathy Assaf. The couple said they are certainly honored to have been selected for the President’s Community Award. Yet, in the same breath, Ron Assaf shares the couple’s philosophy on philanthropic dedication. “You don’t give to get trophies. You give because it’s the right thing to do.” Ron and Kathy Assaf have long been ambassadors for education with endowments at NSU. Ron and Kathy Assaf: Dedication toEducation BY MICHELLE F. SOLOMON