Two long-time supporters of FIU appointed to Board of Trustees


MIAMI – The Florida Board of Governors today appointed Michael M. Adler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Adler Group, Inc., and Joseph L. Caruncho, Chief Executive Officer of Preferred Care Partners, to serve on Florida International University’s Board of Trustees.

Adler and Caruncho’s appointments take effect January 6, 2010. They will fill seats held by Betsy Atkins and David Parker, whose terms expire on the same day.

“Our newest members bring with them the spirit of entrepreneurship that we need at FIU to sustain our momentum,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Albert Dotson. “With their help, FIU will expand its reach into our community so that this university can meet its full potential.”

The Board of Trustees is responsible for cost-effective policy, implementing and maintaining high-quality education programs consistent with the university’s mission, performance evaluation, and developing a process meeting state policy, budgeting, and education standards. Both new trustees have a history of service at FIU.

madler_bioMichael M. Adler, a member of the Board of Directors of the FIU Foundation since 2004, leads an aggressive, multi-profile real estate firm with individual entities and affiliates offering services in such areas as development, general contracting, real estate management for institutional investors, real estate brokerage, and leasing and property management.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help this university continue to grow and prosper,” Adler said. “FIU is an essential element in our community and this board will work hard to keep this university strong and vibrant.”

A devoted member of Miami’s philanthropic community, he is Chairman of Mount Sinai Medical Center and Board Member of Mount Sinai Philanthropic Foundation, Member of the Florida International University Foundation Board of Directors and Chairs the FIU Foundation Development Committee, Board Member and past President of The Greater Miami Jewish Federation,  Member of the Executive Committee and past President of Temple Emanu-El, active member of the United Way of Dade County – Alexis de Tocqueville Society, past Chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council, and past Board of Directors member of the University of Florida Foundation, Inc. He is also a Founder of the FIU Wertheim College of Medicine.

Adler graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1973. He and his wife Judith S. Adler have three children: David, a student at FIU, Matthew and Rachel. They reside in Doral.

Joseph L. Caruncho, a 1981 College of Business graduate of FIU, has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida International University Foundation since 2006 and is currently its Chairman.

As Chairman, Caruncho oversees the Foundation, a non-profit corporation governed by the Board of Directors, whose members play a significant role in the development of the university as a major educational, cultural and economic resource.

joseph_caruncho “As an alumnus of FIU, I can think of no greater honor than to help lead my Alma matter into the next stage of its development,” Caruncho said. “The members of this board are talented and energetic and, along with President Mark Rosenberg, I know we can shepherd FIU to greater success.”

Caruncho is a Founder of Preferred Care Partners, a Medicare Advantage Health Plan that has been named by INC Magazine as One of the Fastest Growing Companies in America. A vibrant leader in the Healthcare Community, in 2006 Caruncho was recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. by Hispanic Business magazine and named “Ultimate CEO” by the South Florida Business Journal.   Other recognitions include, Florida Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the category of Healthcare in 2005; “CEO of the Year” for the 2005 “Excellence in Healthcare” Awards; and inductee into the FIU College of Business “Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame” in 2004.

Caruncho  also has a law degree from Nova Southeastern University. He has two children, Joseph and Natalie and lives in Miami.

For a complete list of appointments throughout the State University System, click here.

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About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit
http://www.fiu.edu.

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