During commencement ceremonies held at the U.S. Century Bank Arena on April 27 and 28, Florida International University honored several community leaders. Some of them spoke with News@FIU and discussed their awards, FIU, President Modesto Maidique and President-Designate Mark Rosenberg.
Former ambassador Steven Green is a well-known businessman and philanthropist. After nearly three decades as a leader of the private sector, where the international industrialist revitalized E-II Holdings in the 1980s and successfully led Astrum International and its former major operating subsidiary, Samsonite Corporation, as chairman and CEO in the 1990s, Green was appointed by President Bill Clinton to his Export Council in 1995 and sworn in two years later as the 12th U.S. ambassador to Singapore, a position he held until 2001.
Green received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws.
A native Miamian, Dean Colson, Gov. Charlie Crist’s special advisor on higher education, is a partner with the Miami law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, where he has specialized in product liability, aviation and complex commercial litigation since 1981. For many years, Colson served in leadership positions at UM and also chaired the university’s billion-dollar capital campaign, which raised $1.4 billion. In 2000, then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the state’s Commission on Ethics and, two years later, to the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, which he chaired until 2005. In 2007, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist named Colson his special advisor in higher education.
Colson received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws.
An award-winning marketing executive, Raúl de Quesada currently leads marketing operations for Fox Sports en Español and Fox Soccer Channel, two of the country’s top sports networks. De Quesada first joined Fox Sports International in 1998 as director of marketing and communications. His dedication, professionalism and strategic successes ensured his rise to become one of the top Hispanic executives within Fox Cable Television Networks.
De Quesada received the FIU Medallion – Outstanding Alumnus.
As the co-owner of Urbieta Oil, Ignacio Urbieta Jr. carries on the legacy of his father, Ignacio Sr., who founded Urbieta Oil Company in 1973. Today, the petroleum distribution company is providing options to consumers searching for an alternative to gasoline and energy dependence. Together with his brother Guillermo, Urbieta, an electrical engineer, has turned Urbieta Oil into a $450 million company that is consistently ranked by Hispanic and Entrepreneur magazines as one of the fastest-growing.
Urbieta received theFIU Medallion – Outstanding Alumnus.
As office manager partner of Ernst & Young’s (EY) Miami office, Oscar Suarez brings almost three decades worth of accounting experience to his role overseeing all of the services provided by the company. He also serves as EY’s tax markets leader for South Florida, overseeing all tax services provided in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. A certified public accountant and member of the Florida and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Suarez’s area of expertise lies in the handling of large multinational and SEC-type engagements, from both a federal tax and service-line perspective. He joined EY four years after leaving KPMG, where he spent 15 years in leadership positions.
Suarez received the Cal Kovens Community Service Medallion on Tuesday, the same day his daughter, Nataly, received her master’s degree in accounting.
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