Bergeron, Halmos, Iacobucci to be Inducted Into NSU's Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Business Editors/Education Writers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

Local business leaders Ronald M. Bergeron, Steven J. Halmos and Edward E. Iacobucci will be honored this upcoming Tuesday, April 11, as the Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University inducts the three into its Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Recognized by NSU for their lifetime achievements in business, the three local entrepreneurs will gather at the Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort (3030 Holiday Drive, Fort Lauderdale) for a 6 p.m. cocktail reception, followed by the formal presentations at 7:30 p.m. They were chosen by a selection committee comprised of past honorees and the chairman of the Board of Governors, taking into consideration: success as an entrepreneur; general peer identification among other successful entrepreneurs; how their wealth was accrued; contribution to education, social, and other broad-based philanthropic organizations; and interest in supporting opportunities for people seeking entry into business.

Bergeron, the founder and president of Bergeron Land Development, began his operation with the purchase of a 20-year-old tractor in 1963. After years of growing his farm work business, he traded the tractors for bulldozers when the Broward land boom began. By the mid-1980s, he had 500 employees and was the head of one of the best-known construction business in South Florida. Named the Humanitarian of the Year by the Emergency Assistance Service Effort Foundation, Bergeron has also contributed time, funds, and materials to such charitable organizations as the Boys and Girls Club and the First Baptist Church of Davie. He has been a major contributor to Children's Harbor, which provides residential facilities and support for abused and neglected children. Raised in Davie, Fla., Bergeron lives in The Everglades with his wife, Cindy Lou, and two daughters, Diamond Rose and Sierra Star.

Halmos and his brother, Peter, founded SafeCard Services, Inc., a credit card security and service organization that has since grown to a current New York Stock Exchange market value of $1.2 billion.

Since resigning from SafeCard in 1992, Halmos has become a major player in the Fort Lauderdale real estate market as a partner in the Las Olas Centre and a significant co-investor in the Transmedia Group. Today, he is the CEO of Halmos Holdings in Fort Lauderdale. Halmos also has lent his professional acumen to a number of community projects and causes. He chaired a fund-raising campaign that raised $32 million for the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, and serves on the boards of Pine Crest School, the Boys and Girls Club, the FAU Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Broward. In 1999, he received the Byron F. Snyder Award, given to individuals and organizations that work toward the preservation of local and regional history. Also in 1999, he received the Sun-Sentinel's Excalibur Award, which recognizes business leadership and community contributions. Halmos resides in Fort Lauderdale with his wife, Madelaine, and their two children.

Iacobucci started Citrix Systems in 1989, a company formed to offer consumers easy access to cheap, user-friendly technology. Since its foundation, Citrix has weathered the stormy seas of a cut-throat computer/software industry, including a 62 percent one-day stock drop after Microsoft announced it was developing a product that would compete directly with Citrix. Fortunately, Iacobucci's belief in a corporate culture that fosters creative thinking and open collaboration has kept Citrix on top. Under his direction as chairman, chief technical officer, and vice president of strategy and technology, the company had $248 million in sales in 1998 and revenues have doubled every year since 1995. Ernst & Young named Iacobucci the 1998 National Entrepreneur of the Year. In 1999, Citrix Systems was ranked among the top five firms on Fortune Magazine's annual list of the "100 Fastest-Growing Companies." Iacobucci resides in Delray Beach.

Each year since 1990, the Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship at NSU has honored the lifetime achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs who have contributed to the growth of business and shown true entrepreneurial spirit. Their success has brought them to the top of their fields, and--in some cases--created new industries that previously did not exist. These entrepreneurs have invented space-age technology, created new retail industries, built communities, pioneered marketing ideas, and developed large franchise operations. In addition to achieving great success, these business leaders have given their time, effort and financial resources to programs and activities that enhance the community and quality of life. This tradition continues annually when honorees are formally inducted in the NSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

NOTE: Media wishing to attend Tuesday's event must contact NSU's public affairs office at 954/262-5354.