John H. Sykes, whose name graces the University’s college of business and its
multimillion-dollar high-tech building, presided in September over his first
meeting as chairman of the UT Board of Trustees.
Although it is the Sykes College of Business for which his name is most
recognizable on campus, the Vaughn Center also is a direct result of John and
Susan Sykes’s generosity. They have given a total of $38 million to the
University.
This is John Sykes’s first tenure as chair. He has been a member of the Board
since 1996.
Greco Named Trustee Emeritus
Dick Greco ’56, two-time former mayor of Tampa and a former vice president of
Edward J. DeBartolo Corp., has been named Trustee Emeritus.
Greco graduated from UT with a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies degree.
The former mayor has received numerous University honors over the years,
including the Award for Distinguished Public Service in 1972, the University of
Tampa Medal in 1978, and the University’s highest bestowed honor, an Honorary
Doctor of Public Service degree, in 2003.
Seven New Members
The Board also welcomes seven new members to three-year terms beginning this
year:
Gordon W. Campbell is vice chairman of Mercantile Bank, director of the South
Financial Group, chairman of Argyll Associates Inc., vice chairman of Templeton
Annuity Co., director of Fiduciary Trust of the South, and director of Opus
South Corp. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, and did post-graduate
work at Bradley University and the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers
University.
Thomas P. Cornett is senior vice president of Bank of America. He holds an
undergraduate degree in commercial banking and a master’s degree in business
administration from Duke University.
Lea Lavoie Davis is owner/operator of Pro Ad Public Relations and
Advertising, executive director of the Greater Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce,
and director of development for the Association for Retarded Citizens—Ridge
Area. She also is a political election campaign consultant. She is a graduate of
UT, and is pursuing a master’s degree in applied anthropology at the University
of South Florida.
Jeffrey T. Dunn serves SunTrust Bank as executive vice president and head of
private client services for the Tampa Region, which includes Hillsborough,
Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties. He is a graduate of La
Salle University, and earned an MBA in finance at Niagara University. He also is
a member of the United Way Leadership Circle.
John McKibbon is CEO of the McKibbon Hotel Group. He holds a degree in hotel
management and real estate development from Florida International University. In
addition to UT, his philanthropic affiliations include trusteeships with
Northeast Georgia Health Services, Tampa General Hospital Foundation, and the
Tampa Museum of Art.
Robert Rothman is CEO of the Black Diamond Companies and a former chairman of
the board and CEO of Consolidated International Group Inc., which he helped to
found. He is an MBA graduate of the University of Chicago, where he is a member
of the advisory council for the graduate school of business. His undergraduate
degree is a BA in economics from Queens College of the City University of New
York.
David C. Ruberg is a general partner of Baker Capital, a private equity fund
specializing in the communications and media sectors. He is a former president,
CEO and chairman of Intermedia Communications, as well as a former chairman of
DIGEX, a Web-hosting company. He earned a BA in mathematics at Middlebury
College, and an MS in computer and communications sciences the University of
Michigan.
Former Board Members Return
Three former board members whose previous terms expired in 2002 are returned
to their posts:
Stephen F. Dickey, MD, is president and CEO of the Doctor’s Walk-in Clinics.
He is a member of the UT Board of Fellows, and has been a long-time supporter of
the University.
Syd N. Heaton is retired chairman and chief executive officer of Advantis, a
worldwide networking technology company formed by IBM and Sears, Roebuck and
Co.
Eugene H. McNichols is president of the McNichols Company, a worldwide
distributor of building materials. Its products include perforated metals and
plastics, fiberglass flooring, handrail components, ladder rungs and traction
tread. The company was founded by his father, Robert McNichols, in 1952.
Iorio Among New Ex-Officio Members
Finally, four new ex-officio members were appointed to one-year terms:
C. Michael Halfast, CPA, is chair of the Board of Counselors. He is an
independent insurance agent and insurance consultant, and is president of Risk
Avoidance Managers Inc. He is a professional liability specialist, concentrating
on policies for attorneys, financial planners and accountants. He is a UT grad
with a double major in accounting and management information systems.
Pam Iorio is mayor of the city of Tampa. She attended Hillsborough County
public schools, and graduated from the American University in Washington, DC,
with a BS in political science. She later earned a master’s degree in history at
the University of South Florida. She has published several articles on Tampa’s
civil rights and political histories.
Anne Thompson is president of the Chiselers Inc., the nonprofit women’s
organization dedicated to the preservation of the University’s historic H.B.
Plant Hall. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College. Her other community
affiliations include the Junior League of Tampa, Friends of the Library, and the
Beach Park Women’s Club.
Renee A. Williams represents the University’s Board of Fellows. She is
president of the Williams Consulting Group Inc. She is a graduate of the
University of Oklahoma with a BA in Urban Studies and a master’s degree in
regional and city planning. She is on the Leadership Development and Cultural
Affairs committees of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
For more
information, contact the Office of Public Information at publicinfo@ut.edu.