The Miami Palmetto High Alumni Association will induct former United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, beloved late band director Alan Fetterman, and other superstar alumni and faculty into the school’s Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will take place on Oct. 14, 5 p.m., at Pinecrest Gardens. Ron Magill, noted zoologist and previous Hall of Fame inductee, will host. Golden Rule Seafood, owned by Palmetto alums, is a sponsor of the event.
The Alumni Association, which holds events and raises funds to benefit the school, spotlights well-known alumni and faculty members with the Hall of Fame.
In 2009, Palmetto’s college counselor Harry Nerenberg, former activities director Angie Lima and her assistant Dee Jordan, started the Hall of Fame to honor the school’s 50th anniversary. They inducted six former faculty and 12 alumni, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and astronaut Dominic Gorie. Their pictures hang in the school auditorium.
The Alumni Association received a multitude of nominations for this year’s inductions. Former students who had graduated at least 10 years earlier or former faculty were eligible to be nominated.
Fetterman, the school’s band director in the 1970s and ’80s, received nominations from five of his former students.
Melanie Hakimipour, a band alumna, stated, “Mr. Fetterman was the most influential male role model in my life.”
So great was the outpouring that the Alumni Association hopes to start a music scholarship in Fetterman’s name.
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, a 1994 graduate who served as United States Surgeon General under President Barack Obama, also will be inducted this year. Murthy, who plans on attending the ceremony, said that he would always be grateful to the teachers at Palmetto who gave him a foundation on which he has built the rest of his life.
Other inductees are recognized for their athletic achievements.
Eric Compton, a 1998 graduate, has played on the PGA tour after surviving two heart transplants.
Chris Myers graduated in 2000 before going on to play for the Miami Hurricanes and Denver Broncos. Like many Hall of Famers, Myers has been very active in philanthropy.
Other alumni inductees are newscaster Cynthia Demos (1989), nurse and philanthropist Pamela Garrison, politicians Dexter Lehtinen (1964) and Cindy Lerner (1970), Broadway producer and agent Jennifer Namoff (2002), restaurateur Abe Ng (1991) and Hamilton cast member Syndee Winters (2004).
Along with Fettermen, other staff inductees are retired athletic director Yvette McKinney; guidance counselor Carolee Mallard, and Cullen Bullock, a science teacher and coach at Palmetto for over 50 years.
“We wanted to showcase the accomplishments of Palmetto graduates and the impact of our faculty,” Nerenberg said.
Individuals interested in sponsoring the awards ceremony, donating to the scholarship in Alan Fetterman’s name or becoming involved in the Alumni Association should contact Cindy Lerner at mayorlerner@gmail.com or visit the website at www.palmettohighalumni.org.
