At their final meeting of the 21-22 year, the faculty senate supported the recommendation of an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration for Mr. Richard Gonzmart. Mr. Gonzmart was nominated by Dr. Moez Limayem, Dean of the Muma College of Business.
The criteria for an honorary degree include distinction in one’s field of endeavor, distinction in harmony with the purposes, values, and ideals of USF, and distinction through special humanitarian contribution of the society-at-large. The senate believes that Mr. Gonzmart meets these criteria.
Mr. Richard Gonzmart is president and CEO of Tampa’s Columbia Restaurant Group. He took over the family-run business, and he rebuilt it into a Top 50 American Icon by Nation’s Restaurant News. He has been elected to six different halls of fame and won numerous other awards, like the Outstanding Restauranter award from the James Beard Foundation in 2013, 2017, and 2018.
In addition to his great work with the restaurant group, Mr. Gonzmart has also been heavily involved in the community and philanthropic events. The Gonzmart Family Foundation has funded numerous children’s events that he created. Richard’s Team for Kids inspires children to learn about running and develop self-confidence and pursue a healthy lifestyle. This is now called the Let Me Play program. He has also given back to the community by creating the USF Latino Scholarship program, which contains three scholarships funded by Mr. Gonzmart and his family. He gives to organizations like Moffitt Cancer Center, the Children’s Dream Fund, and the Lion’s Eye Institute. He also gives back through programs such as an annual golf tournament and two annual runs.
For all these reasons, the faculty senate was in agreement with the nomination and voted to forward the nomination to President Law for her consideration.