Photo 1: From left to right, Dr. Jodi-Ann Edwards; Cheryl Shields Proctor, Ph.D.; Taren J. O’Brien, R.N.; Charles L. Bender III; FAU President John Kelly; Seth L. Siegel; Belcida Encinosa; Rik J. Deitsch; and Cara Capp.

The Florida Atlantic University Alumni Association (FAUAA) hosted its annual Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni ceremony and reception recently. The event brought together alumni to celebrate the accomplishments of their most outstanding peers. Alumni from eight of FAU’s colleges were honored for their career accomplishments, and Seth L. Siegel, B.S. ’96, a graduate of the College of Business was introduced as the 2022 Hall of Fame inductee.

Siegel is the chief executive officer-elect of Grant Thornton LLP and will assume the role on Aug. 1. He previously served as Grant Thornton’s office managing partner for South Florida, which includes offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. He also served on the Grant Thornton partnership board as one of 10 members elected by the firm’s partners and principals to govern the partnership and oversee the work of the firm’s chief executive officer.

Siegel joined Grant Thornton in 1996 and became a partner in 2006 after having briefly left the firm in the late 1990s to work as a controller and a registered representative in the financial services sector. He served as Grant Thornton’s Florida Audit practice leader from 2012 to 2019, with operational responsibility for the five offices in the state. In the role, he expanded the practice area and seeded exceptional growth in revenue and profitability, while maintaining excellent quality. Siegel previously led Grant Thornton’s Florida real estate, construction and hospitality industry group.

The presenting sponsor of the event was Grant Thornton, and the event sponsors included Geico and Cynthia C. Spray AIA in memory of Philip Koch.

Representing eight of FAU’s colleges are the following distinguished alumni:

• Charles L. Bender III, B.A. ’93, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
• Cheryl Shields Proctor, Ph.D. ’17, College of Education
• Danielle T. Dzung, B.S. ’87, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Cara Capp, MURP ’10, B.A. ’08, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
• Jodi-Ann S. Edwards, M.D. ’17, B.S. ’11, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
• Taren J. O’Brien, R.N. ’03, M.S.N. ’07, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
• Rik J. Deitsch, B.S. ’97, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
• Belcida N. Encinosa, M.S.W. ’08, B.S.W. ’05, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

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