Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches (JA) presented four honorees for the Seventh Annual Wachovia Business Hall of Fame held recently at the Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center.
The four Laureates for 2007 are Mr.
Roy Rood of Jupiter, founder of Rood Landscapes who was honored as the Contemporary/Retired Laureate. Mr.
Dean Lavallee, president and founder of the Park Avenue BBQ Grille was the Contemporary/Active Laureate Honoree. For the past several years Junior Achievement has looked to include honorees from the western communities and this year as the 2007 "Local Pioneer", Mrs.
Dolly Hand of Belle Glade was honored. Each year there is also an Historic Laureate, and for 2007 JA honored
George W. Lainhart, Co-Founder of Lainhart and Potter, who was represented by his granddaughter, Mrs. Martha Lainhart McKenna.
The intent of the Business Hall of Fame is to honor those prominent businesspersons in Palm Beach, Martin and Hendry Counties who have made an extraordinary contribution to their Florida community and who have earned the respect of that community. It also calls attention to the American free enterprise system and to entrepreneurship as a value of our country, recognizing the achievements of those who have shown, by their example, the importance of maintaining the free enterprise system as the American way of life.
The Emcee for the evening was Ms. Kate Wenzel, TV 25 News and Mr. Gary Klein, Palm Beach County Regional President of Wachovia Bank, welcomed the more than 300 guests. Both TV 25 and Wachovia have been involved with this event for many years.
Kathy Foster, president of JA said "The Laureates for 2007 and their outstanding examples of leadership; community involvement and entrepreneurial excellence will encourage and inspire young people to make a career in business and contribute to their communities just as those people entering the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame have done." Ms. Foster went on to thank Wachovia Bank for taking the lead in presenting this event and also thanked Sign-A-Rama, Palm Beach Toyota, Workforce Alliance, A. Duda & Sons, Bank of Belle Glade, Hand Properties, Farm Credit, Sugarcane Growers Co-Op of Florida, Wedgeworth Farms. Regions Bank, Susan Royal Wurth Fdn., Smith Barney, Gunster Yoakley, The Executive Committee - TEC, The Weitz Company, and the Five Star Magnet Program at Palm Beach Gardens High School for their support of this event.
Those in attendance included former Laureates Mr. Alex Dreyfoos, Jr., Mr. George Greenberg, and Mr. George Wedgworth for his mother Ruth. Also attending was the Honorable Lois Frankel, Mayor of West Palm Beach, and the Honorable Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff of Palm Beach County. Other former Laureates include Mr. Leo Vecellio, Jr., Mr. Thomas Pledger, Mr. George Elmore, Mr. Max Davis, Mr. Richard Johnson, Mr. Thomas E. Lynch, Mr. Alfonso Fanjul, Sr., Ms. Young Song, Mr. Jack Cassidy and Mr. Joe Shearouse, Dr. Arthur Turner, Mr. Chuck Schumacher, Mr. Roy Titus and Mr. Byron Russell.
For additional information please call Les Davies or E-mail
les@JuniorAchievement.com
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