Six-story academic facility strengthens pipeline of business talent as West Palm Beach听is recognized听as 鈥淲all Street South."
West Palm Beach, Fla. 鈥撎�Community leaders, city officials, donors, University officials, alumni,听and students gathered today to celebrate the grand opening of the听Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall听at 麻豆传媒 (PBA), marking a major milestone for the institution and the continued growth of West Palm Beach鈥檚 financial and business sector.
The new听six-story, 125,000-square-foot academic facility听will serve as the home of the University鈥檚听AACSB-accredited Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business听and is designed to prepare the next generation of business leaders through hands-on learning, collaboration,听and access to听the latest听industry-level technology.听The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is a prestigious business听school听accreditation. Only about six percent of business schools around the world hold听the recognition.
PBA鈥檚 leadership, major donors,听and community partners听participated听in the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the听University鈥檚听downtown campus location at听1095 South Olive Ave.
鈥淚 am so incredibly grateful for the late John Rinker. John was a pioneer in so many ways and saw something five years ago that wasn鈥檛 evident to most people:听downtown West Palm Beach is rapidly becoming a national center for finance, innovation, and investment鈥擶all Street South as we now call it,鈥� said听Dr. Debra A. Schwinn,听President of PBA. 鈥淭his lead gift from the听Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation,听Inc.听and from John, with his wife Sheila鈥檚 support, has enabled us to prepare more students to walk across the street for internships and job opportunities as they meet the demands these companies have for articulate, kind, smart young leaders.鈥�
罢丑别听Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall听features modern learning environments designed to mirror real-world business settings, including听the听300-seat tiered Titus Lecture Hall, the stunning听Maschmeyer Inspiration听Room, collaborative classrooms,听and a听state-of-the-art stock trading room with professional terminals that will give students hands-on experience in听understanding global听markets.
The building will also house several of the听University鈥檚 signature听Centers听of Excellence, including the Center for Financial Literacy, the LeMieux Center for Public Policy, the Raney Center for Free Enterprise and the Titus Center for Franchising, further expanding opportunities for students to engage in financial education, public policy dialogue,听and entrepreneurship.
鈥淎s West Palm Beach continues to grow as a center for business and finance, the demand for talented leaders听is also听rising,鈥� said听Dr.听Brian Strow,听Dean of the Rinker听College听of Business. 鈥淭his facility will help prepare students with the skills and experience needed to support the region鈥檚 evolving economy.鈥�
Designed to support the evolving needs of modern business education, the building offers expanded classroom space, specialized technology,听and new dining options that create welcoming spaces for students, faculty,听and guests to gather for social and professional engagements.
鈥溌槎勾� continues to play a vital role in the growth and vitality of our city,鈥� said听Keith A. James,听Mayor of the City of West Palm Beach. 鈥淎s West Palm Beach emerges as a national hub for finance and innovation, this new facility will help prepare the talented workforce that will drive our economy forward and strengthen the future of our community.鈥�
The Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall was made possible through the generosity of transformational donors, led by John and Sheila Rinker, along with the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation听Inc.; Karl and Michele Watson,听Jr.; Buddy and Connie Raney; Troy and Deborah Maschmeyer; Ray and Andrea Titus; Tom and Kerry McCaffrey; Tim and Marybeth Sotos; Jim and Jill Jenkins; and Tom and Judith Iovino.
In addition to the donors who helped PBA reach its first milestone under the God-Sized Dreams听campaign, support was also received from Templeton Advisors; Wexford Real Estate Investors LLC;听DonorsTrust, Inc.; Kingdom Charitable Trust; the David D. Smith Family Foundation,听Inc.; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Florida Power & Light Company; Frisbie Group; Baker Group Enterprises, LLC; Maurer Family Foundation; George Philanthropy Group, LLC; Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Foundation, Inc.;听Johnson Scholarship Foundation; Family Church; TRIBOX Private Wealth, L.L.C.; and Moss Foundation.
Read more about the hall in .
麻豆传媒, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees,听and professional degrees. 罢丑别听University has two campuses in West Palm Beach, Florida鈥�19听acres downtown and the 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise听system. The University is dedicated to equipping students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction, and serve God boldly. For more information about future events, please visit.
