Nova Southeastern University Celebrates Excellence at Annual Gala

NSU President Dr. George L. Hanbury II with Judy and Dr. Barry Silverman, 2015 NSU President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service honorees

Judy and Barry Silverman Honored for Excellence in Community Service

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla.- Approximately 450 community leaders, philanthropists, university executives, faculty and students recently gathered at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to celebrate the university’s success during the past year.

During the 17^th annual Celebration of Excellence event, NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. presented the distinguished President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service to local philanthropists Judy and Barry Silverman.

Established in 1997, the President’s Excellence in Community Service Award recognizes extraordinary professional engagement activities by members of the South Florida community. The award encourages the ongoing pursuit of service and exemplifies NSU’s “community” core value.

“Dr. and Mrs. Silverman exemplify what this honor represents both through their work on behalf of NSU and other causes both locally and globally,” President Hanbury said. “Their legacy of service and philanthropy will benefit NSU and our community for generations to come. I am proud to recognize them for their dedication to helping others.”

The Silvermans support various philanthropic organizations locally and nationally through the Barry & Judy Silverman Foundation. Their contributions fund local educational and social services with a special focus on championing people who are disabled or have special needs and safeguarding the improvement of Jewish lives in Broward County, in Israel and around the world.

Barry Silverman, M.D., is a retired physician, orthopedic surgeon and active investor in health care and real estate. His early service in the U.S. Army as an orthopedic surgeon in Vietnam inspired him to pursue a life of community service. During the past 40 years, he has helped create the scoliosis screening program for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, served as chair and medical adviser to the Easter Seals of South Florida and founded Camp Yofi, a camp for children with autism and their families. Silverman has been a member of Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Executive Board of Trustees and is a long-term member of NSU’s Board of Trustees, currently serving as vice chair. In addition, he serves on the Board of Governors for NSU’s Health Professions Division and NSU’s Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale.

Judy Silverman has enjoyed a lifetime influenced by the medical community as the daughter of a country doctor from Southern Illinois. As a trained volunteer for the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center of South Florida, Judy conducted many oral interviews, some of which are archived at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg Business School in Evanston, Ill.

The Silvermans are most proud of their family, including daughters Ronnie and Laurie, sons-in-law Paul and Carlos, and their three grandchildren, who attended NSU’s University School.

President Hanbury also presented limited edition maquettes of Kent Ullberg’s 30 foot mako shark statue which is located in front of NSU’s Don Taft University Center to three donors whose cumulative giving to NSU reached or exceeded $1 million in 2014. The recipients were Steve and Madelaine Halmos; Panza & Maurer, P.A.; and I. Lorraine Thomas.

Community sponsors of the event included Presenting Sponsor: Panza & Maurer, P.A.; Champion Sponsors: ACAI, ANF Group, Grycon, LLC. & The Kibler Family, JM Family Enterprises, I. Lorraine Thomas, and The Brandon Company; Leader Sponsors: Fahlgren Mortine, Gallo Herbert Architects & JWR Construction, Hill York, and TIAA-CREF, and Media Sponsor: Sun-Sentinel.

Previous Community Service Award Winners: