Distinguished Alumni of Broward County Public Schools to be honored
Submitted by Diana Handford
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL-– Distinguished leaders in business, education, and the community who are alumni of Broward County Public Schools will be honored at the Publix Super Markets Charities 2022 BIG 10 Hall of Fame Awards presented by Memorial Healthcare System on Friday, December 2 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Margate Sports Complex Pavilion, 1695 Banks Road in Margate.
Now in its 10th year, the Hall of Fame Awards are bestowed upon distinguished alumni of Broward County Public Schools who have made significant impacts in their careers and in the community. The festive celebration pays homage to these illustrious leaders with a fun-filled evening of awards, music, dancing, a barbeque dinner from the acclaimed SMOKE BBQ, beer, wine, and much more. Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite team apparel.
“Our honorees are some of the most impressive grads from Broward County Public Schools and so deserving of the title ‘Distinguished Alumni’,” said Broward Education Foundation Board Chair Jean McIntyre. “We are honored to continue to recognize such dedicated leaders, mentors, and role models who have made their mark in business, education, and our community.”
The 2022 Broward Education Foundation Hall of Fame honorees are:
Receiving the JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Bravo! Award is Eric Jones, Jr., an armed services veteran who is the senior pastor and founder of the Koinonia Worship Center & Village. He served as mayor of the City of West Park for 15 years and is a 1965 graduate of Attucks High School. As a pastor, he oversees the church that has more than 24 ministries providing services to the South Broward community including feeding the hungry, youth mentoring, after-school programs, free Saturday tutorial programs, drug rehabilitation, and counseling and economic empowerment education.
Community leaders receiving the Office Depot Community Achievement Award for significant accomplishments in any field are:
Brett Atkinson, South Florida President of Moss Construction and Nova High School graduate, class of 1989
Florida State Representative Chip LaMarca, President and founder of The LaMarca Group and Northeast High School graduate, class of 1986
Stacey Ritter, CDME, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale and Piper High School graduate, class of 1978
Recipients of the Broward Teachers Union Education Achievement Award for their dedication to a career in public education are:
Eric Chisem, Talent Acquisition and Operations Director for Broward County Public Schools and Dillard High School graduate, class of 1993
Wanda E Haynes, Village Elementary School Principal and Nova High School graduate, class of 1985
Lisa Milenkovic, STEM+Computer Science Curriculum Supervisor for Broward County Public Schools and Coral Springs High School graduate, class of 1981
“Everyone had such a great time the past two years celebrating outside, we decided to keep the event an evening outdoor event,” said Shea Ciriago, CEO of Broward Education Foundation. “Our Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame now numbers more than 70 tremendous individuals. To commemorate the ‘Big 10’ milestone year, we hope all prior honorees join with this year’s to celebrate their accomplishments with them.”
The 2022 honorees will also be honored with a large, engraved granite star on the BrightStar Credit Union “Walk of Fame” permanently located at the Broward County Public Schools district office, 600 S.E. Third Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.
In addition to Publix Super Markets Charities, Memorial Healthcare System, and BrightStar Credit Union, additional partners include LEGO Construction, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Office Depot, Broward Teachers Union, Bank of America, and Charter Schools of Excellence.
Partnerships and ads are still available, and tickets are $100 per person. For more information, visit browardedfoundation.org/halloffame, call (754) 321-2032, or e-mail BEFInfo@browardschools.com.
About Broward Education Foundation
The nonprofit Broward Education Foundation aligns with Broward County Public Schools by providing grants for teachers who develop innovative curriculum that increases student outcomes; vitally needed school supplies for students and teachers in Title I schools; scholarships for qualified high school seniors; and support for programs and initiatives like Debate, TurnAround Arts, STEM and more. Each year, Broward Education Foundation contributes nearly $4 million to Broward County schools, serving as the catalyst for educational excellence.
In 2018, and responding to the Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, Broward Education Foundation initiated a GoFundMe, established the official Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund and raised $10.5M for victims’ families, survivors and those impacted. Broward Education Foundation is proven agile, adept and responsive to shifting needs in education and our community. For more information visit Broward Education Foundation, email BEFInfo@browardschools.com, like or follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
