Winners of Economic Development Leadership Awards at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University (L-R): Bob Swindell, President & CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Larry Talley, Founder, Everyware, Andrew Duffell, President & CEO, Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, Michael Daszkal, Chairman, Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, M.J. “Mike” Arts

Boca Raton, FL – Four winners of the 2016 Research Park Awards were honored at a presentation held on February 16 at the Technology Business Incubator (TBI), located within the Research Park’s campus.

“The forward-thinking companies and individuals that received the 2016 Distinguished Award from the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University demonstrate leadership and innovation,” said Andrew Duffell, president and CEO of the Research Park. “They are focused and dedicated to making their ideas work and have each contributed positively to the South Florida economy.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance ......................... 2016 Distinguished Organization Award
The Distinguished Organization award is given to an organization that helps maximize the academic and entrepreneurial talent and regional resources in South Florida to accelerate economic development and prosperity. Between 2007 and 2016, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance created or retained more than 25,000 direct jobs resulting in the creation of $2.1 billion in annual personal income, $11 billion in annual economic impact, and total employment of 55,000 jobs throughout Broward County. The team’s excellence in delivering economic development services to its community through marketing, managing business expansion, market research and business intelligence is not only making an impact on its service community, but all of South Florida.

M.J. “Mike” Arts ................................................................ 2016 Distinguished Leader Award
The Distinguished Leader award is given to a leader who supports the Research Park’s mission with an investment of time and wisdom. Mike Arts was the longtime leader of one of Palm Beach County's most influential business groups, the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. Across Palm Beach County, business and elected leaders credit him with helping shape Boca Raton, recruiting major corporations, and advocating for education and improved transportation. He played a role in just about every major decision the city faced over 20 years, from building Mizner Park to helping cope with losing thousands of jobs at IBM, to pushing for affordable housing before others had the idea. He had a hand in recruiting hundreds of small and large businesses to Boca Raton, including Tyco International Ltd. and W.R. Grace & Co. He also helped establish The Golden Bell Education Foundation, which has distributed more than 1.5 million in grants to local schools. Following his tenure at the chamber, he was elected to the  City Council in 2006 and appointed to the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority in 1996 where he served with distinction, including a term as chairman, until his retirement in  2011.

Larry Talley ........................................................... 2016 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award
The Distinguished Entrepreneur award is given to an individual who is leading the innovation and invention pipeline and creating substantial economic impact. Larry Talley has more than 12 years of experience bringing concepts to reality. His passion for building partnerships, business development, and customer satisfaction led him to founding Everyware in 2014. Previously, he spent over 15 years architecting large scale web applications to support sales and marketing initiatives for Fortune 500 companies. Talley has served in the U.S. Navy Seals and when not evangelizing Everyware’s technology, can be found enjoying life with his wife and three sons.

Jason O. Hallstrom, Ph.D. ....................................... 2016 Distinguished Researcher Award
The Distinguished Researcher award is given to a researcher who is leading by inventing and innovating. Jason Hallstrom has had an enormous impact on his field, and has driven his team to remarkable breakthroughs in network design and research in the Internet of Things, helping to tackle some of the largest challenges in society from agricultural issues, to urban planning, to health and wellness. His work at FAU’s Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering is making it possible to stream information about the world in real time, allowing researchers in multiple disciplines and across multiple campuses to share their data and collaborate more effectively.

About the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University
Established in 1985, the 94-acre Research Park is home to 19 technology companies working in conjunction with the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science, the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and the FAU College of Business. The Research Park hosts the Technology Business Incubator® (TBI) with 18 startup technology companies, each of which receives business and consulting services with the goal of becoming established businesses and permanent residents in the Research Park. With locations in Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach, the Research Park is widely regarded as South Florida’s laboratory for new entrepreneurial ideas and technologies. (www.research-park.org)