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- Joe McDonnell
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- Mario Murgado
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- Willam M. Murphy
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – In 1990, Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship established the Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors the lifetime achievements of South Florida business founders and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the growth of enterprise and demonstrated a willingness to contribute time, effort, and financial resources to activities that enhance the quality of life of the community where they do business.
On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, our 33rd annual Hall of Fame induction will celebrate the accomplishments of three exceptional leaders: Joe McDonnell, CEO/chairman of Great Innovations LLC; Mario Murgado, president & CEO of Murgado Automotive Group; and William M. Murphy, president of Douglas Management & Realty, Inc. This year, we are excited to return to the Rick Case Arena on NSU’s campus for our induction dinner event, co-chaired by past Hall of Fame inductees James Donnelly, founder and CEO of The Castle Group; Keith Koenig, co-founder and CEO of City Furniture; and Alan Levan, chairman of BBX Capital.
The Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame will be held at NSU’s Rick Case Arena at the Don Taft University Center on the university’s Davie Campus from 5:30-9:30 p.m.
“This year’s inductees may come from different backgrounds, but their connections run deep when it comes to their strong ties to South Florida, their commitment to growing noteworthy businesses, and their devotion to their communities and beyond,” said Dean Andrew Rosman of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
For years, Joe McDonnell’s product inventions have not only saved thousands of Americans lives, they have also made many Americans literally – and figuratively – breathe easier. They also have helped many shop safer, and made homes shine and look new again. The founder of Great Innovations, iShopSecure, and For Life Products, this entrepreneur has spent his life creating products, and building brands including carbon monoxide detectors, an online identity authentication platform, and most recently manufacturing and marketing humidifiers, fans, and air purifiers in addition to many other consumer products. McDonnell has taken his many inventions to TV shopping networks, where he began promoting his Rejuvenate® cleaning and restoration product line which he launched in 1999 and remains very popular today at all the major home centers and hardware stores throughout the world.
Mario Murgado embodies the American Dream, arriving in the U.S. just short of his 4th birthday in 1966, during the Cuban freedom flights. Raised in Chicago with Midwest values that have served him throughout his life, in 1978 his family moved to Miami where his passion and love of cars guided him to work at Braman Imports. There more than 20 years, Murgado worked his way up from salesman to president and CEO, before starting his own dealership. Today with 41 years’ experience in automotive retailing, Murgado serves as owner, president and CEO of Murgado Automotive Group, one of the most successful auto-dealership groups in South Florida. Murgado generates over $1.2 billion in annual revenues and employs over 730 people in Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, representing brands including Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, Buick, Cadillac, Ferrari, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Maserati, Mazda and Volkswagen.
William M. Murphy built his career in the building industry. A licensed real estate broker in Florida and New York, Murphy is president of Douglas Management & Realty, Inc., a full-service real estate investment company he founded in 1990. Throughout his career in South Florida, Murphy has owned, operated and/or developed in excess of 3 million square feet of office, retail and industrial property, as well as 7,500 multifamily units. His investment and development projects in Fort Lauderdale include the Capital Bank Center, a 200,000 square foot office project; the 550 Building, a 100,000 square foot office project; Executive Court at Jacaranda and Executive Court at Cypress Creek, 90,000 and 60,000 square foot office projects respectively, among other signature South Florida developments.
The event will feature a special presentation from past Hall of Fame inductee Armando Codina, executive chairman of Codina Partners, as well as a new tribute to H. Wayne Huizenga. Presenting sponsors for the 2022 Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame Induction are Great Innovations, LLC, and The Bergeron Family of Companies.
Please join us and other leading CEOs from across the region in honoring our 2022 Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame inductees at this dynamic and very special evening. For any questions, please contact Hall of Fame liaison Kathy Eggleston at (954) 262-5179 or keggleston@nova.edu. Also find out more event information, HERE.
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About NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship: The college prioritizes a passion for innovation, vision, creativity and daring – all essential to being a difference maker in today’s global economy. As one of the few U.S. schools with entrepreneurship in its name, it has been the choice for more than 43,000 business professionals who strive to fulfill their career ambitions. The college is housed in the five-story, state-of-the-art Carl DeSantis Building on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale-Davie campus and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in accounting, finance, human resource management, and more. The college prepares business and entrepreneurial leaders to embody values-based decision making to tackle today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s challenges. The college’s alumni innovate, influence, and transform organizations to become Best for Our World™. Please visit business.nova.edu for more information.
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