For the third straight year, Miami Dade College Foundation raised more than $1 million at its sold-out 2019 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, Apr. 9.
More than 1,000 guests attended the celebration at the Hilton Miami Downtown and nearly 90 corporations and individuals sponsored the event.
The event raised a total of $1,051,395, which will support scholarships for current and future MDC students. Top corporate sponsors included Follett, OHL-Bldg, BankMobile, City National Bank, Lennar Foundation, Leon Medical Centers, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. The full sponsor list and additional information can be found at www.mdc.edu/halloffame.
During the event, 13 MDC alumni were inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame for making a positive impact in their fields, the college and their community. The 2019 inductees are leading in a variety of industries, from business to education, journalism and public safety. In total, MDC has inducted 376 alumni to the Hall of Fame since the program was created in 2003.
MDC Foundation Board chair Julie Grimes and vice chair Al Salas also paid tribute to outgoing MDC’s president Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón for his vision and commitment to providing educational opportunity, presenting him with the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame Founder Award. Dr. Padrón, who also is an MDC alumnus, created the Hall of Fame event during his presidency. He is stepping down from his post in August after nearly 25 years as college president and 50 years of service at MDC.
2019 MDC Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees:
Business —Joseph “Pepe” Badia, president, Badía Spices Inc.;
Civic — Desmond Meade, executive director, Florida Rights Restoration; Coalition
Dentistry — Claudio L. Miro, DDS, dentist/president, Miro Dental Centers;
Education — David K. Moore, EdD, assistant superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools;
Engineering — Maximo “Max” Fajardo, vice president, Aviation, T.Y. Lin International Group;
Financial Services — Esteban E. Formoso, senior vice president, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley;
Funeral Science — Lori A. Hadley Davis, CEO/founder, Hadley Davis Funeral Home;
Journalism — Boris Sanchez, White House Correspondent, CNN;
Medicine, James Jackson Hutson Jr., MD, professor Orthopedic Trauma Surgery, University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine;
Nonprofit — Angie Mcallister, PhD, senior vice president, Research, ACT;
Nursing — Frances Civilette Downs, PhD, RN, chair Preventive Ethics, Miami VA Healthcare System;
Public Relations — JennyLee Molina, principal/founder, JLPR/305 Cafecito/305 Day, and
Public Safety — Alexander E. Rolle Jr., Chief Of Police, Homestead Police Department.
Founded in 1965, Miami Dade College Foundation raises essential private funds to support scholarships, academic programs and support services so MDC students have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. MDC Foundation also supports world-class arts and cultural programming at MDC that enriches the community. In 2017-18, MDC Foundation distributed nearly $9.5 million to benefit the students and programs of MDC.
Known as Democracy’s College, MDC changes lives through accessible, high-quality teaching and learning experiences that prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce. Miami Dade College is the largest degree-granting institution in the nation. The college’s eight campuses offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences, engineering, data analytics, information systems technology, education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film and others. For more information, visit MDCFoundation.com.
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