Board of Governors

Paul M. Sallarulo

Chairman of the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Board of Governors

Paul Sallarulo is President and CEO of Nexera Medical Inc., a developer and distributor of antimicrobial textile products worldwide. As the company’s principal government contact, Paul was responsible for Nexera receiving the first certification in Europe for an antimicrobial mask, in addition to the first certification of a predicate device antibacterial respirator mask issued by the FDA.

Paul has an extensive financial career in capital markets and investment banking, holding senior positions from January 1990 to April 2006 with Raymond James, Wachovia Securities, Prudential, Meridian Capital Markets, and CoreStates Capital Markets.

He was appointed Commissioner of the North Broward Hospital District by Florida Governor Jeb Bush for two four-year terms and served as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners and Chairman of the Executive Committee. He oversaw four major hospitals, 38 clinics, 6,000 professionals, and a budget in excess of $2 billion. He served as Chairman of the Audit Committee, Legal Review Committee, Joint Conference Committee, Broward Health Foundation, Community Relations Committee for Broward General Hospital, Community Relations Committee for Imperial Point Medical Center, and he currently serves on the Liberty Health Foundation Board in Jersey City, New Jersey.

In January 2006, The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) appointed Paul to serve on the Medicaid Reform Technical Advisory Panel. The panel was created by the Florida Legislature in House Bill 3B and will advise AHCA on various implementation issues with Medicaid reform. The panel is intended to be a source of advice for AHCA as the state moves forward to implement Florida’s groundbreaking reform plan in Broward and Duval counties. In 2007, Governor Charlie Crist selected Paul to join his transition team to serve on the Citizens Review group for the Office of Financial Regulation.

Paul served on the Board of Directors of Basinate Industries, Board of Directors of Ubii Corporation, Board of Southwest Charter Foundation, Inc., and Board of Renaissance Charter School, Inc. At NSU he has served on the Board of Trustees, International Alumni Association (President), and the Dental Medicine Advisory Board. He was inducted as the first Honorary member into Sigma Beta Delta Society – International Honor Society in Business, Management and Administration, and he was on the Board of Directors of the Symphony of the Americas and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Tower Club. Paul has served on the following Boards: Board of Directors of Foss manufacturing, Board of Directors and Executive Board of Winterfest, American Diabetes Leadership Council Board, National Advocacy Leadership Board – American Diabetes Association, Board of Directors of the Heart Center of Excellence Foundation, Leadership Circle of United Way, Chairman of the American Red Cross of Broward County, Board of Directors of the Museum of Discovery and Science, Board of Directors of Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Board of Directors of the Tower Forum, Member of the Planning and Zoning Board of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County Personal Advisory Board Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Marine Advisory Board, Kids Voting USA – Florida State Board of Directors, and the Economic Development Advisory Board. He was Co-Chair of 100 Men Who Care, which raises money for many charitable organizations. Paul was also knighted in 2015 by St. John’s of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus Fourth degree, and a member of the Order of Alhambra.

Paul was Co-Founder of Broward Bank of Commerce and served on the Board of Directors. He was Chairman of the Budget Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Nominating Committee. He also served on the Marketing Committee, Loan Committee, ALCO Committee, and Compensation Committee. Paul assisted in the sale of Broward Financial Holdings, the parent company of Broward Bank of Commerce for $33.96 million to Home BancShares, parent company of Centennial Bank in 2014. He currently serves on the Regional Board of Directors of Centennial Bank and serves on the Loan Committee and Strategic Planning Committee.

Paul is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award – Nova Southeastern University 1996. In 2018 the Broward Special Olympics created the Annual “Paul Sallarulo Honorary Board Member of the Year Award” to be awarded to an Honorary Board member for exemplary performance. In 2019 he received the Florida State Volunteer Recognition Award by the Florida Knights of Columbus. Sallarulo was Chairman of The Special Olympics of Broward County, and he has been an advocate for people with physical and mental challenges for more than 48 years. He has assisted in raising over $20 million for Special Olympics and other charities. He and his children, Patrick and Samantha, are the founders of the “Sallarulo Race for Champions,” which raised over $10 million in the last ten years for Special Olympics. He served on The Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of Broward County. He was presented with the “Volunteer of The Year” award by The Broward County Advisory Board for Persons with Disabilities and The Broward County Disability Affairs Section, and the “2006 Volunteer of The Year” award by The Broward Special Olympics. He was recognized for outstanding advocacy, contributions, and achievements that bring increased awareness of disability-related issues. In 2011, The Broward County Board of County Commissioners appointed Paul to The Advisory Board for Individuals with Disabilities. He served as Chairman of the Children’s Fund at the North Broward Hospital District. He also served on the Advisory Board of Best Buddies. Paul and his family received the “2016 Family of the Year Award” for their contribution to the Special Olympics. He also received the “2016 Jack Crutchfield Award” for Outstanding and Distinguished Service to Special Olympics by the Florida State Special Olympics.

In 2008, Governor Charlie Crist recognized Paul with the Point of Light Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. “By choosing to devote his energy to the Special Olympics, Paul has helped brighten the lives of many persons with disabilities in Broward County,” said Governor Crist. “I applaud his leadership and dedication to helping athletes and volunteers do their best and understand the importance of teamwork.”

Paul graduated with an A.A.S. degree from SUNY Adirondack, a B.B.A. degree in Business Administration from Baruch College, Dean’s List, in New York City, and an M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University with honors (4.0 GPA).

Sallarulo has co-authored and published the following articles:

“Spread Creates Opportunity That’s Not Readily Apparent,” in Credit Union Times, February 11, 1991.
“How Your Investments Measure Up – Interest Rate Risk and ALM Strategies,” in Executive Journal, New York, October 1991.
“Opportunities in FNMA ‘FLEX’ ARMs and FHLMC ‘WAC’ ARMs,” in Credit Union Times, New York, April 4, 1991.
“Riding The Yield Curve,” in Credit Union Times, July 5, 1995.
“A Portfolio Strategy and Laddered Portfolios as A Passive Investment Strategy,” in Credit Union Times, May 10, 1995.
Contributing Author “Residential Mortgage Lending,” 1995, Marshall Dennis.
Acknowledgment By Roberta Guigerio for her book “The Do’s and Don’ts of Hypoglycemia,” 2011.

Anurag Gupta

Board Member, Executive Advisor and Investor

Mr. Anurag Gupta is a C-Suite executive with nearly 30 years of experience in US based global corporations. He has extensive expertise in leading businesses internationally in both start-up and established business environments.

Mr. Gupta currently serves on the Board of Directors of Roseburg Forest Products, Inc., a multi-billion dollar leading manufacturer and marketer of wood products in USA, Canada and Asia with an approximate market value of $4 billion. He is the Chairman of the Board Strategy & Risk Committee.

Mr. Gupta is also a Board Member Elect on the Board of Kraig Bio Labs, an innovative and aggressive biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk.

Mr. Gupta is an investor and Advisor on the Board of Drive My Way, Inc., a post-revenue start-up company in digital recruiting marketplace with Series A Financing completed in 2022.

Mr. Gupta is an investor and on the Board of Directors of Targatek, a pre-revenue start-up company revolutionizing the way team leaders lead through its Performance Automation Platform.

Additionally, Mr. Gupta has served as Executive Advisor and Director on the Board of Directors of SGS & Co., a brand impact company in the CPG space that was part of Onex (PE firm) portfolio companies.

Mr. Gupta’s previous corporate roles include serving as CEO of Global Data Services at TBG, AG, a Private Equity firm with $5 billion AUM (Assets Under Management) where he helped Acquire DTN business from Schneider Electric.

As Executive Vice President of CMS Division at IHS Markit (NASDAQ listed: INFO), and now acquired by S&P Global, Mr. Gupta led multiple global business lines along with corporate strategy and technology development for the company. During his tenure, the company acquired over 25 businesses across multiple industry verticals.

As President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region at BrightPoint, Inc (NASDAQ listed: CELL) and later at Ingram Micro (NYSE listed: IM), Mr. Gupta was responsible for running a business of $2.7 billion in revenue across 30 countries in EMEA. He was also the head of Investor Relations at BrightPoint, Inc. and was recipient of the Stevie Business Award for the Best Investor Relations Program.

As CEO of Teamcall Ltd., a Motorola Joint Venture Company which Mr. Gupta formed in mid-1990s, he pioneered the launch of Mobile technology and business in India.

Mr. Gupta has had the privilege of participating in ringing the opening and closing bells at NASDAQ Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange 4 times in the past 12 years.

Mr. Gupta graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering in 1987 and his Masters in Electrical Engineering in 1990 from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA where his Master’s Thesis was funded by NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Masters of Business Administration in 1994 from the Stuart School of Business, at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA.

Michael HoShue

Director for Commercial and Hospitality, HotWire Communications Ltd.

Born in Miami, Florida, Michael HoShue has worked in the telecommunications industry for 27 years at various companies including TCI, Adelphia, Comcast, Cox Communications, and more recently at Hotwire Communications. At Hotwire, as their Director for Commercial and Hospitality, he leads a team of sales executives and account managers in bringing internet, phone, IPTV and colocation services to business customers over Hotwire’s world-class network. He is married and has two sons.

Michael graduated from Nova Southeastern University with his M.B.A. Prior to that he earned his B.S. at Palm Beach Atlantic University and an A.S. at City College for Broadcasting.

Michael received special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Ruben J. Kihuen, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Jacky Rosen, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto for Vice Chairing the College Readiness Bootcamp. He is currently on the Susie and Alan Levan NSU Ambassador Board and the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Board of Governors.

Prior to COVID-19, Michael volunteered in the community for the Boys and Girls Club, the American Cancer Society, and the Boca West Children’s Foundation along with his son, who is a student at American Heritage Boca/Delray.

Notable Achievements

Decreased employee churn from a 70% average to 18% in the first 18 months of employment with Cox
Helped Comcast meet year-end TV subscribers goal by leading a project in converting unauthorized users
Helped launch Comcast Business in 2009 in the Palm Beach area as the first Field Sales Manager with four sales reps, before leaving as the top Field Sales Manager each year out of four with over 40 sales reps.
Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Ruben J. Kihuen, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Jacky Rosen, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto for Vice Chairing the College Readiness Bootcamp.
Board member for Asian Community Development Council in Las Vegas
Board Member at NSU Susie and Alan B. Levan NSU Ambassadors Board
President of NAMIC S. Florida (National Association Multi-Ethnicity in Communications)
Sales Leadership Council Member
United Way Ambassador for Las Vegas
Mentored future leaders in Florida and Las Vegas
WICT (Women in Cable Telecommunications) Customer Service Award

Andrew Koenig

President, CITY Furniture

Andrew Koenig graduated with degrees in Finance and Accounting from Elon University in 2005 and received his M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship from Nova Southeastern University Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Andrew began his full-time career with CITY Furniture in January 2006 in the Receiving Department unloading furniture on containers, and has worked his way up through the company and in almost all divisions of the company. He spent a significant time streamlining the Operations Department in the first eight years of his career to become one of the industry’s best. Currently, Andrew is serving as President of CITY Furniture, overseeing all departments of the business.

Shortly before joining CITY Furniture, Andrew studied Lean Philosophy at Toyota’s headquarters in Toyota City, Japan. After learning from Toyota and other Lean companies in the United States and abroad, Andrew introduced Lean Thinking to City Furniture in 2007. Ever since, CITY Furniture has been on a Lean Journey to create a culture of mutual trust and respect, teamwork and a deep sense of urgency to continuously improve. Since the implementation of Lean, the company has seen many major breakthroughs in turnover reduction, operational process improvement, customer experience, safety, associate satisfaction, strategic planning, financial success and much more. The journey is never over, and Andrew and the senior team are working very hard to implement Lean Thinking which has been named "The CITY Furniture Operating System (CFOS), throughout the company.

Andrew is married to Deana whom he met at NSU while studying for his M.B.A., and has three children. Andrew is the son of Keith Koenig and nephew to Kevin Koenig, the founders of Waterbed City in 1971, which ultimately converted to CITY Furniture in 1994.

Cherilyn Murer

Founder, President and CEO of Murer Consultants, Inc.

Cherilyn G. Murer, J.D., C.R.A., President and CEO of CGM Advisory Group LLC and the founder, President and CEO of Murer Consultants, Inc. (a firm she sold in January 2017), has been an active voice in the advancement of quality, cost-effective health care and higher education for more than three decades. Ms. Murer received a Juris Doctor degree with honors from Northern Illinois University College of Law and coupled it with her previous operational experience at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, to create the innovative business model and launch Murer Consultants.

The author of seven books published by McGraw Hill Education Publishing, Ms. Murer is a sought-after consultant, lecturer, educator and author. Her focus on helping clients navigate the complex regulatory, strategic and financial issues facing healthcare and higher education in these transformational times has influenced multi-hospital health care systems, academic medical centers and large physician group practices with a focus on strategic positioning, operational and governance restructuring, consolidations and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and financial management. Private and public board appointments include Sterling Partners’ private equity portfolio company Surgical Solutions LLC Board of Directors, the Advisory Council for the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, two gubernatorial appointments to the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees, and Vice Chair of the Lebanese American University Board of Trustees. In December 2020, Ms. Murer was unanimously elected to Board of Directors of the Sinai Health System, Chicago, a multi-hospital and clinics integrated service model. Additionally, in January 2021, Ms. Murer joined the Board of Advisors for Healthwell, a healthcare-focused special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) which completed its IPO on August 3, 2021 and is listed on Nasdaq as HWELU. Ms. Murer is currently the chair of the Real Estate Foundation, which serves as the real estate venture and acquisition entity for Northern Illinois University.

In addition to her leadership and expertise in healthcare and higher education, Ms. Murer is a passionate advocate for the arts, holding appointments on the Executive Editorial Board of Chicago Woman magazine, along with multiple terms on the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Union League Club of Chicago boards. Ms. Murer also serves as Board of Governors Vice Chair of the School of the Art Institute: Chicago, the Ryan Opera Center of the Chicago Lyric Opera Company, and the NSU Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale. She was also pleased to accept the invitation to serve on the Board of Governors of the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, Florida.

Ms. Murer, who is fluent in French, holds dual citizenship in the United States and Italy, and owns homes in Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale and Costa Brava, Spain.

Ryan Shea

President, Right Management’s Florida/Caribbean Region

Ryan Shea brings client-first focus to his multifaceted role in leading business performance, growth and strategic innovation throughout Right Management’s Florida/Caribbean operations. He began his career with Right Management in 2009 with the accounting team, and he oversaw the implementation of an updated accounting system. He quickly moved into sales and continually exceeded his goals, grew into sales management and inspired the team to surpass their sales quotas, and then he became an EVP of Right Management in 2015.

In October of 2019, Ryan was promoted to President of Right Management Florida/Caribbean. He is responsible for the growth and development of the Florida/Caribbean region. Under Ryan's leadership, there has been tremendous growth in their outplacement business, thus overseeing additional team members and creating new consulting solutions to capitalize on the demand. During this time, Ryan has been an inspirational leader, driving activity and successful outcomes for associates and clients. Right Management’s Vision is to “Guide and Inspire,” and Ryan leads from these beliefs.

Previously Ryan worked with Regions Bank, where he was a Corporate Credit Analyst and Portfolio Manager. While he was there, he analyzed public and private middle-market-size companies ($10-$300 million in annual revenues) to determine loan amounts and investments for working capital, acquisitions, recapitalization and real estate financing purposes, and managed those investments. Before that, Ryan worked with Woodbridge Holdings (formerly know as the Levitt Corporation) and Merrill Lynch.

Ryan received a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Real Estate with a minor in Economics from Florida State University in Tallahassee. In 2008, Ryan received his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Ryan is a 2011 graduate of Right Management’s global Emerging Talent Program.

A proven leader in his profession and community, Ryan is highly committed to our Florida community. In addition to serving on the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Board of Governors, his involvements are many:
• Past President of HRABC, Human Resource Association of Broward County
• Past chair of Young Leaders of United Way of Broward
• Past employment committee member of Mission United of United Way – Dade and Broward
• Past Board Member of Jack and Jill Children’s Center
• Supporter of Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Florida
• Tocqueville donor in United Way of Broward County
• Six Pillar Committee – Co-chair of Talent Hub for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
• IMPACT member and donor for the Memorial Healthcare Foundation
• City of Fort Lauderdale Tee Ball Coach
• Florida International University Master's of Science Human Resource Management (MSHRM)
• Executive with Heart chair of the South FL American Heart Association annual Broward Heart Walk

Bob Swindell

President and CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance

Bob Swindell was named President and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance in 2009. He joined the Alliance as the Senior Vice President of Business Development in 2003. The Alliance is Broward County's official public/private economic development partnership that brings together the County’s business community and 31 municipalities for the purposes of accelerating economic and job growth.

The Alliance assists local, national, and international companies already doing business here, or those prospective companies considering a move to Greater Fort Lauderdale. Bob and his team market and promote Broward County as a highly desirable business location to attract high-skill/high-wage jobs in targeted industries, diversifying the local economy.

A lifelong Broward resident, Bob has served in several business and community leadership roles. Prior to his position with the Alliance, for 18 years Bob was President of Champion Manufacturing, a Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale-based industrial supply company serving the Southeastern United States.

In 1989 Florida Governor Bob Martinez appointed Bob as a Commissioner for the Florida Board of Harbor Pilot Commissioners. Bob was, and continues to be, the youngest member to ever serve as a Pilot Commissioner. Governors Chiles, and Bush reappointed Bob, and he served as the Board Chairman and Vice Chairman during his terms. In November 2012, Bob was appointed to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for a two-year term by Governor Rick Scott.

In 1992, during the impact of Hurricane Andrew, Bob chaired the local Board of the American Red Cross for two years. He serves on several professional and community Boards now, including CareerSource Broward, United Way of Broward County, Junior Achievement of South Florida, Winterfest, and he is a past-Chairman of the FEDC (Florida Economic Development Council). Since October 2005, Bob has served on the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Park Authority (FARDA) as an appointee of the Broward County Commission. In February 2019 Bob was elected Chairman of the FARDA Board. He also served on the Board of Directors for NAIOP and Enterprise Florida.

Bob has received numerous awards and accolades for his service to the community. In 2011, he was named a Business Leader of the Year by the Leadership Broward Foundation. In June of 2013, Governor Rick Scott presented Bob with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award at the Annual meeting of Leadership Florida. He was recognized by the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Community Service in February 2014.

The American Red Cross also honored Bob in 2015 with their Humanitarian Award. In 2016, Bob was named by the Florida Economic Development Council as Florida’s Economic Development Professional of the Year. He was recognized by the Seafarers’ House as the Business Leader of the Year in 2017. In 2018, Bob was inducted into the Broward Schools Alumni Hall of Fame. In October of that same year, Bob was inducted into the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber’s Business Hall of Fame and was recognized as an Ultimate CEO by the South Florida Business Journal.

David E. Wezdenko

Blue Leaf Ventures

David Wezdenko is the Co-Founder and CEO of Blue Leaf Ventures, a micro venture capital firm. Blue Leaf invests in and provides advisory services to early-stage companies that are working to solve big problems and improve people’s lives. Blue Leaf’s portfolio is predominately focused in the financial, education, and healthcare sectors. David is active in several nationally based entrepreneurial organizations including Techstars, Astia, Angel Capital Association, and Keiretsu.

Wezdenko is currently an independent trustee for the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company family of mutual funds and the National Philanthropic Trust, the largest public charity in the United States. He has previously served on the boards for JP Morgan Private Investments Inc., Urban Pathways New York – a homeless outreach and service organization, and the Junior Board for Biggs & Littles NYC – a not-for-profit that provides mentoring services for underserved youth.

With over 35 years of infrastructure, regulatory, and business transformation experience in the financial services industry, Wezdenko has held several C-suite and senior roles in asset management, wealth management, and investment banking practices at JP Morgan, Evercore, and Fidelity Investments. He also served as a senior auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers. David is a graduate of Boston College, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

David has a passion and steadfast commitment to education, especially for underserved communities. He is active in several not-for-profits, including the Woman’s Business Development Council which is dedicated to providing the training and education necessary for women to thrive in business, and Breakthrough Collaborative – an organization established to provide empowering educational experiences for traditionally underrepresented students on their path to college. Wezdenko also spearheaded the launch and offering of the Financial Literacy Program for Catholic Charities of Palm Beach, Florida.