MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Holtz
561-297-0159, lholtz@fau.edu
FAU Honors Distinguished Alumni at Hall of Fame Reception
BOCA RATON, FL (June 23, 2006) - The Florida Atlantic University National Alumni Association (FAUNAA) held a reception for distinguished FAU alumni at the Eleanor R. Baldwin House. Hosted by FAU President Frank T. Brogan ’81 and Mrs. Courtney Brogan, and drawing close to 250 guests to the Boca Raton campus, the event honored distinguished alumni from each of FAU’s eight colleges for their career accomplishments and celebrated the induction of Patricia A. McKay ’78 into the FAUNAA’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Since 1985, the FAUNAA’s Hall of Fame has served as a platform for recognizing alumni excellence.
As executive vice president and chief financial officer for Office Depot, Inc., Patricia McKay plays an integral role at Office Depot’s corporate headquarters. Once a member of Office Depot’s board of directors, McKay stepped down from that position when she joined the company as CFO in 2005. Prior to joining Office Depot, McKay served as executive vice president and CFO at Restoration Hardware, Inc. She previously held the position of senior vice president of finance at AutoNation and was the vice president of finance and controller at Dole Food Company. A certified public accountant, McKay worked for 10 years with a major international public accounting firm. She is a member of the Financial Executives Institute and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
“I am truly honored,” said McKay. “The fabulous things that have happened to me are a consequence of my education at FAU. I am humbled and pleased to be here tonight and look forward to being a part of the blossoming relationship between FAU and Office Depot.”
Representing FAU’s eight colleges, distinguished alumni honored at the reception included -
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Dr. Mohamed G. Alkadry ’00, from the College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs. Alkadry is an assistant professor of public administration at West Virginia University, a specialist in bureaucratic behavior and public involvement, and the author of numerous books and articles on the subject of economic and community development.
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James W. Osterman ’76, ’88, from the College of Business. Osterman is the senior vice president, claims and administration, for U.S. Epperson Underwriting Company and Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance, a leader in insurance, serving the forest products industry.
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Samuel “Bruce” McDonald ’66, from the College of Education. McDonald is a retired area school superintendent, assistant principal, administrator, teacher and adjunct professor. He is an advocate for children and a community leader who for many years has worked on behalf of education reform and access to health care.
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Philip Zimmermann ’78, of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Zimmermann is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy, an email encryption software package. He is the recipient of numerous technical and humanitarian awards.
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Jennifer A. Geiser ’02, of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. Geiser is an attorney with Fowler White Boggs Banker in West Palm Beach where she specializes in all areas of civil litigation.
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Dr. Kelley H. Newlin ’97, of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. Newlin is a diabetes nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator. She was a volunteer nurse for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. Newlin is returning to the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing in the fall as a postdoctoral fellow.
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Dr. Leslie Terry ’82, ’85, of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Terry is the associate dean for research and graduate studies and an associate professor of psychology in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Joining the FAU faculty in 1991, Terry has taught thousands of undergraduate students. She is a member of the FAUNAA board of directors.
Unable to attend the event, Marc Kudisch ’88 was chosen to represent the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. Kudisch is a twice Tony Award-nominated actor who has had major roles in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway shows.
For more information about the FAUNAA and upcoming events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-888-FAU-ALUM, or alum.affairs@fau.edu.
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Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the university serves 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses strategically located along 150 miles of Florida's southeastern coastline. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts eight colleges - the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the Colleges of Business, Education, Engineering & Computer Science, and Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs.
