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NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2001 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame: Kevin and Keith Koenig
Nova Southeastern University
We all want to have confidence that we are succeeding for the customer, for ourselves, for our associates, for our suppliers, and for the community. A synthesis of all that, I think, is a good entrepreneurial organization. — Keith Koenig
Inductee Biography: Kevin Koenig
In the summer of 1971 founder, Kevin Koenig, set out to accomplish one mission: open his first waterbed store. With just $1,500 in his pocket, and an MBA from Florida Atlantic University, Kevin opened the first Waterbed City. Waterbed City started as a 900-square-foot showroom—selling waterbed structures Kevin sold by day and made by hand at night. His business insight, quality products, and superior service led to growth and a partnership with his brother Keith Koenig, current CEO, along with Garry Ikola, current CSO, and Steve Wilder, current CFO/CIO.
After 23 years of consistent growth, the waterbed industry had reached its plateau. Waterbed City evolved into CITY Furniture in 1994—offering not just bedroom furniture, but a full line of home furnishings to include living and dining room furniture, wall units, home theatre, and ready-to-assemble furniture.
Inductee Biography: Keith Koenig
Keith T. Koenig is CEO and owner of City Furniture which was co-founded by Keith and his late brother, Kevin Koenig. City Furniture is a $500 million enterprise with 19 City Furniture and 14 Ashley Furniture HomeStores in South and Central Florida, and a 900,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution facility in Tamarac. City Furniture is South Florida’s leading furniture retailer and employs more than 2,000 Associates plus 70 more in the manufacturing subsidiary, Kevin Charles Fine Upholstery, in New Albany, Mississippi.
Mr. Koenig is a member of the board of directors of the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is Chairman of the Broward Workshop. He is a Board Member of Holy Cross Hospital and serves on the Orange Bowl Committee and the Florida Council of 100. He received a BS degree in 1973 and an MBA degree in 1975 from the University of Florida. He received the 2001 Furniture Retailer of the Year award, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2003, and the University of Florida’s Distinguished Alumnus award in 2017, and was inducted into the Furniture Hall of Fame in 2018. Keith is married to Kelly and has 2 children and five grandchildren.
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NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2001 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame: Rick Case
Nova Southeastern University
An entrepreneur is somebody that makes it happen on their own, just has a burning desire to make sure that whatever they set out to do they are going to find a way to do it. — Rick Case
Inductee Biography: Rick Case
Case was a prominent figure in South Florida's business community, known for building his automotive empire into one of the nation's largest dealership groups with his wife, Rita Case. A lifelong salesman, Rick Case started working at the age of 9 on a paper delivery route. At 14 years old, he purchased a used car, fixed it up and hung a "For Sale" sign on it on his parents' driveway in Akron, Ohio. By 19, he operated his first used car lot as a solo entrepreneur.
By the time he was 29, Rick Case owned and operated a multimillion-dollar chain of motorcycle stores. Rick Case founded Rick Case Automotive Group in 1962 when he opened his first dealership in Ohio. He expanded the enterprise to South Florida in 1986. The company was the first to introduce multiple new brands to the U.S. market, including Toyota, Fiat, Honda, Acura, Hyundai and Kia Over the decades, the company held the title of the largest volume dealer in the nation for many years.
Today, the Sunrise-based company is celebrating its 59th year in business with 16 dealerships across three states, mostly in South Florida. They include Rick Case Honda, one of South Florida's largest dealerships, with over 6,000 cars titled in 2019. Rick Case Automotive Group has over 1,300 employees and more than $1 billion in revenue. "Entrepreneurs are the artists of the business world, or the blank space," AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said. "There's nothing happening and an entrepreneur comes along and says, 'Aha! I see how to make this magic happen.' And they bring it about. So, it’s about creativity in business; it's an artistic ability. And Rick Case had that. He had it in spades." The enterprise has won many accolades along the way.
In 2001, Rick Case was inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at Nova Southeastern University's H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship. In 2011, Rick and Rita Case were honored as Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young. “Rick had the most amazing mind for problem solving. He set his goals so high, most could not dream that big," Rita Case said. "His work ethic and passion to succeed was very intense and always had me chasing to keep up. He always treated me as his equal and allowed me to share in his spotlight of success. Let there be no doubt: Rick created, built and operated his company with a single passion to be the biggest and best."
The Case family has long supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Feeding South Florida, Bikes for Kids, Habitat for Humanity and dozens of other local philanthropic organizations.
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NSU The Family Center: A Remarkable Place (Jim and Jan Moran $6 million challenge gift) - 2001
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2000 Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Awards – Steven J. Halmos
Nova Southeastern University
I personally believe there's just no substitute for hard work. — Steven J. Halmos
If there is one principle that Steve Halmos has lived by, it is this. And this simple philosophy is largely the reason he is one of Fort Lauderdale's most respected figures. This is also why Steve is able to do pretty much as he pleases these days. But it wasn't always this way.
For many years, Steve worked tirelessly to become the success story he is today.
Following an example set forth from childhood by his immigrant parents.
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NSU H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2000 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Awards Introduction
Nova Southeastern University
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NSU Oral History: Abraham "Abe" Fischler, Al P. Mizell, Philip "Phil" DeTurk - 1999
Nova Southeastern University
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NSU Celebration of Excellence – Celebration of Dreams: Library, Research and Information Technology Center (LRITC)
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern 1999 Hall of Fame Awards Dr. Morton Terry
Nova University
This video on Dr. Terry's life and career was part of the 1999 Nova Southeastern University Hall of Fame awards.
Inductee Biography
Dr. Terry was the first osteopathic specialist to graduate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and also the first one to start an Internal Medicine practice in South Florida, a place he loved and transformed. Dr. Terry's keen vision, boundless energy and love of Medicine led to the development of several osteopathic hospitals and his Opus Magnus, Southeastern University, which under his leadership merged with Nova University. His accomplishments as a physician, educator and his service to humanity and the community, stand as a testament to his greatness. A giant in the health care field,
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NSU Oral History: Dr. Abraham S. Fischler, Dr. Richard Goldman and Dr. Marilyn Segal - February 27, 1998
Nova Southeastern University
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1998 Celebration of Excellence The President's Community Award Leo Goodwin, Sr.
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern School of Business 1998 Hall of Fame Awards Carl DeSantis
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern School of Business 1998 Hall of Fame Awards Terry Stiles
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern School of Business 1998 Hall of Fame Awards William Armstron
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern School of Business 1998 Hall of Fame Awards William Horvitz
Nova Southeastern University
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NSU Oral History: Dr. Abraham S. Fischler, Hamilton Forman, A.D. Griffin – November 8, 1997
Nova Southeastern University
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NSU Oral History: Dr. Abraham S. Fischler, James Hartley (Architect) and William Tinsley, Esq. – October 29, 1997
Nova Southeastern University
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NSU Oral History: President Abe Fischler interviews Helen Graham – June 14, 1997
Nova Southeastern University
Reproduced from The Nova Knight, January 24, 1992
Helen F. Graham: First and Only VP Set to Retire
Helen F. Graham, director of Nova University's Human Resource Department, will be retiring on 31 March 1992. Ms. Graham has served Nova in many capacities, from a secretary to her present position as a member of the University Cabinet.
Ms. Graham, a Nova graduate, came to Nova University in April of 1965. She was one of five who made up the dedicated staff who worked tirelessly in building the University. Ms. Graham did everything from making the blinds in her office to sending out brochures to prospective students.
In a recent interview, she commented on the difficulty of trying to sell a university that really didn't exist.
"When the first class of seventeen graduate students enrolled in Nova University of Advanced Technology, only the Rosenthal building had been completed. The Parker Building was under construction and the rest of the campus was barren," she stated.
In August of 1967, Ms. Graham's office was moved on campus into the Rosenthal Building. She had been working out of a small office on Las Olas Boulevard. She recalled how the office was furnished.
"The furniture was donated and we cut the blinds to fit the windows."
In the Rosenthal Building, Ms. Graham worked as Dr. Fischler's assistant. In 1975, the university established a Personnel Department directed by Ms Graham, with the help of a secretary. As the responsibilities grew in the areas of employee relations and training, the name of the department was changed to Human Resources. which appropriately reflected the department's functions.
After twenty seven years, Ms. Graham has had the opportunity to see Nova become a major educational force in Florida and beyond. All her planning, talking, hoping, fundraising, promoting, and recruiting has helped shape our university, from its inception to its present success.
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In Her Own Words Dr. Marilyn Segal - May 1997
Nova Southeastern University
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Child's Play
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Debbie
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Bucking the system
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Spaghetti & Chicken Soup
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Rolling with the Punches
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on Touching
- Dr. Marilyn Segal on A Happy Life
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Nova Southeastern University 1997 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Bernard Marcus
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1997 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame James R. McKinley
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1997 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Robert A. Steele
Nova Southeastern University
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1996 Nova Southeastern University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Frederick G. Ruffner, Jr.
Nova Southeastern University
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1996 Nova Southeastern University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Hans J. Hvide
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1995 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Armando Codina
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1995 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Jack A. Smith
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1994 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Amaturo, Egan, Frost
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1994 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Dr. Phillip Frost
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1994 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Joseph C. Amaturo
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1993 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Robert L. Elmore
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova University School of Business and Entrepreneurship Entrepreneur Hall of Fame 1993 Honorees (with a 1990-1992 overview by Dean Newman F. Pollack)
Nova University
Since 1990, NSU, which was then Nova University, has been honoring entrepreneurs who not only exemplified the spirit of entrepreneurship, but who have made helping others a priority. Honorees are chosen by a committee made up of past recipients and community representatives. The winners must have exceptional qualities of entrepreneurship and philanthropy; in other words, they must be extraordinary individuals in every sense of the word.
The event is the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. It was the brainchild of Dr. Newman F. Pollack, dean of the Nova University School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
He explained that “We wanted to recognize the contributions of meeting individuals in the field of business and entrepreneurship, primarily from South Florida, who made a significant impact in the world of business. We wanted our program to be different from the typical man or woman of the Year awards that are prevalent around the country in many business schools. So, we looked at the world of entertainment and sports and decided to create a Hall of Fame recognizing individuals for life achievement as opposed to individual stellar performance in any given year. An entrepreneur is an individual who looks at his or her surroundings and thinks in terms of ‘How can I improve the lot of myself, the lot of my fellow man? How can we expand?’ and they take risks. They go outside of their local confines and they create business opportunities. They explore possibilities. They build upon the work of others in new and interesting ways, always thinking in terms of ‘How can we make it better? How can we contribute more to the well-being of mankind?’”
1993 Hall of Fame Inductees
- Ronald G. Assaf: Founder of Sensormatic Electronics Corporation
- Robert L. Elmore: South Florida business leader and dedicated university philanthropist
- Garth C. Reeves: Longtime publisher of the Miami Times and prominent civic pioneer.
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Nova Southeastern University 1992 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Shepard Broad
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University 1992 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Shepard Broad H. Wayne Huizenga
Nova Southeastern University
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Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2000 Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Awards 2000 – Edward E. Iacobucci
Nova Southeastern University
The advice that I always give to someone that wants to be an entrepreneur is truly a division. I recognize that it takes a lot of people around you to make something happen and learn from your mistakes and adapt as you go along. So, if you can keep those three things in and in perspective, you're almost guaranteed to succeed no matter what you do. — Edward E. Iacobucci (1953–2013)
To succeed is one thing. To succeed on the level of Ed Iacobucci, founder of software giant Citrix is quite another story. But it seems this Argentinian born technology visionary may have been programed for his future path as successful entrepreneur.
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Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2000 Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Awards – Ronald "Ronnie" W. Bergeron, Sr.
Nova Southeastern University
No matter what I do, I put 110% into it. You know, if I go to work, every cell in my body generates. If I go to a rodeo, every cell in my body generates. — Ronald "Ronnie" W. Bergeron, Sr. For anyone who's had the pleasure of meeting Ron Bergeron quickly realizes that he is a South Florida version of the American cowboy. And we're not just talking about the way he dresses. Ron Bergeron embodies the classic ideologies of the American cowboy: honesty, independence self-sufficiency, hard work, and a pioneering spirit...
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Nova University 1991 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Honoree - David H. Rush
Nova Southeastern University
A lot of people talk instead of going out and getting the job done. There are too many people that are followers, very few doers. What has to be done is that doers have to cut a furrow. When you roll up your sleeves, you cut a furrow and the followers then have direction, and that’s how you get the job done. – David H. Rush, 1922-2009
David Rush had cut deep furrows. A pioneer in the space program, a founder and supporter of many South Florida community-building institutions, an investor with 18 patents and 13 inventions in the Smithsonian Institution, David had cut a deep path for many to follow.
He had started successful businesses, hiring people to implement his ideas and develop their own. He continued as a creative and vital community leader, supporting causes and organizations that protect, enrich and help people.
His endeavors included being a founding member of Crime Stoppers of Broward County and supporting the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida, and the new Performing Arts Center (Broward County). He was the trustee of a hospital and three colleges.
Concerned about future jobs, education and industrial development, David participates in county, regional and state organizations including chairing the Florida High-speed Rail Commission.
David's attitude about getting things done was engendered in him when he was growing up…
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Nova University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame 1991 - Alexander "Alex" W. Dreyfoos, Jr.
Nova Southeastern University
As an inventor, innovator and businessman, Alexander "Alex" W. Dreyfoos, Jr. has been motivated by his innate curiosity and his desire to have fun while inventing and working.
He has created machines that have revolutionized the color photographic industry and has started and bought business that parallel his personal interests.
But his greatest accomplishment has been his mobilization of a community-wide effort to build the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.
Since 1980, Alex has used his personal influence and corporate resources, WPEC TV Channel 12, Photo Electronics Corporation, and Laser Color Laboratories to galvanize broad community government and corporate support for the creation and construction of the $51 million dollar, 2,200-seat performing arts center.
Dreyfoos: "I guess some people have said that I can be infectious in terms of talking about opportunities and get people to, kind of, come along and I think that's the reason that the performing arts center is coming into being and that's always been the neat satisfaction: it's getting other people to come along; it's making things happen. You now, it's one thing to hand someone a paycheck when it's an exchange of a check for forty hours, but when you get into the volunteer work, and people are putting in huge amounts of time on a performing arts center and they do it just because it seems like a neat thing to do. That's the kind of thing that really gives you satisfaction."
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Nova University 1991 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Honoree – Dr. Louis W. Parker
Nova University
I wanted to do something that, so far, hasn't been done by anybody else. – Louis W. Parker
Louis Parker (January 1, 1906 – June 21, 1993) invented the intercarrier sound system used inside television receivers to synchronize sound and pictures—patent number 2,448,908.
Among Parker's other inventions was the first color television system using vertical color lines. This made it possible to change from the original three-color dot system to the simpler vertical color-line system. Most of the color television receivers in the world now use this system.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Parker immigrated to the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1932. After learning English, he studied at the City College of New York.
Parker first gained publicity in 1929 with a hotel radio system that used low-frequency signals to broadcast over the electric wires within the building. This made it possible to achieve noiseless reception with one-tube receivers. Later he worked on radio direction finders for airplanes and cathode ray oscilloscopes, which led to work on television and closed-circuit television systems.
During World War II, Parker designed and manufactured portable radio transmitters for military use. Later he invented electrical instruments operating on somewhat different principles which were greatly superior in performance, and which served as the basis for the Parker Instrument Corporation. The company was chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to furnish select instruments for use in the manned Apollo flights to the moon.
Parker received more than 200 United States and foreign patents.
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Nova University Friedt School of Business and Entrepreneurship Inaugural Entrepreneur Hall of Fame 1990 Honorees
Nova University
The Board of Governors of the Friedt School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Nova University honors the following inductees into the 1990 Hall of Fame:
- Leonard L. Farber
- George W. "Bob" Gill
- August Urbanek
