WesternU celebrated the generous contributions of the Naimoli family with the dedication of the Banfield Veterinary Clinical Center Student Commons in their honor.
Vince and Lenda Naimoli were joined by WesternU President Philip Pumerantz, PhD, Provost and COO Benjamin Cohen, DO, Senior Vice President for Advancement Thomas Fox, PhD, College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Dean Phillip Nelson, DVM, PhD, and many CVM students and faculty at a special ceremony to dedicate the Naimoli Student Commons on Aug. 27, 2009.
The College of Veterinary Medicine has grown from 78 students per class to 105 students per class, and from five faculty to more than 50 faculty, Nelson said.
"That growth could not have occurred without special friends who have contributed generously to the growth of the university and this college," he said.
The Naimolis have shown faith in WesternU's mission, Pumerantz said.
"We're so thrilled and honored that you're friends of ours," he said to the Naimolis.
Vince Naimoli, founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, recently joined the WesternU Board of Trustees. He said he is amazed by the vision of Dr. Pumerantz, which has led to WesternU's tremendous growth.
Naimoli said he is guided by the Bible passage, "To whom much is given, much is expected." He supports higher education and knows that a lot of young people can't afford to go to college.
"It's important to support young people," he said. "Young people are our future."
Vince and Lenda's daughter, Lindsey, is a third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
"Being a mother, you want your children to follow their dreams," Lenda said. "I'm happy Lindsey is in her third year. There's light at the end of the tunnel. This school gave her that opportunity to follow her dreams."
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