2019 Inductees
Rita Case, Rob Kornahrens and Arlene Pecora are the 2019 Inductees to the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame
H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship recognizes three accomplished business leaders with induction into the 2019 Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame, the college’s highest honor: Rita Case, Rob Kornahrens and Arlene Pecora.
The Inductees and Their Accomplishments
Rita Case
Chief Executive Officer and President
Rick Case Automotive Group
Rita Case is President and Chief Operating Officer of Rick Case Automotive Group, an organization of 16 dealerships in three states with more than $1 billion in sales. The company’s Florida Honda, Hyundai, VW and Kia dealerships are the largest in the United States. Rick Case Automotive Group has been recognized for its retailing success, earning multiple accolades throughout the years.
Rita has been individually recognized for her contribution to the auto industry, earning many major achievement awards including Leading Women in the North American Automotive Industry. She is dedicated to customer service and community support and has been honored by many local organizations for her philanthropic efforts.
Rita is passionate about all her philanthropic and community activities with NSU, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Habitat for Humanity and the American Heart Association to name a few.
Robert P. Kornahrens
Chief Executive Officer and President
Advanced Roofing
Robert P. Kornahrens serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Advanced Roofing, a commercial roofing contractor based in Fort Lauderdale. Rob is very active in a variety of professional associations and community organizations, including the National Roofing Contractors Association and Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Association.
He has also served as Board Chair of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Winterfest Boat Parade, President of the Executive Association of Fort Lauderdale, President of the Construction Executives Association and board member of the Center for Environmental Invention in Roofing.
Kornahrens has been awarded the Habitat for Humanity Spirit of Humanity Award, the Junior Achievement Laureate, Sun Sentinel Excalibur Award and the Fort Lauderdale Alliance Education Award.
At NSU, Rob is actively involved in many ways such as serving on the Dean’s Development Council in the NSU Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. He is a long-standing supporter and participant in the Halmos Scholarship Fishing Tournament and served as co-chair of the committee in 2017.
Arlene Pecora
President and Chief Operating Officer
Signature Grand
Arlene Pecora is President and Chief Operating Office of Signature Grand, a premier venue for weddings, special events, charity galas and business meetings in Broward County. Under her leadership, Signature Grand has set the standards for memorable events and over-the-top customer service.
In keeping with her strong values of community service, Arlene has served on many nonprofit boards and committees in Broward County, including Women in Distress, Community Foundation of Broward County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and others.
She has also received many accolades for her leadership including being inducted into the Junior Achievement Laureate and earning the Sun Sentinel’s Excalibur Award. Arlene is a two-time alumnus of NSU’s Huizenga College having earned her B.S. in Hospitality Management in 1999 and an MBA in 2001.
2019 Event Gallery
“I want to welcome these established and well-respected business leaders into the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. These members exemplify leadership and ingenuity in our community and will join a distinguished group of past honorees."
— Andrew Rosman, Dean, Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship