The University of West Florida celebrated the lifetime giving of Warren Averett at a special ceremony in the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business. The regional accounting and advisory firm’s philanthropic relationship with UWF began when Mort O’Sullivan’s accounting firm made its first gift to the accounting and finance department in 1986, and since then, it has provided gifts totaling more than $250,000.
“Warren Averett’s lifetime giving is an investment in the lives and futures of our Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business students, faculty and the Pensacola community,” said Dr. Scott Keller, dean of the college. “There is no greater contribution than to help others succeed in life as Warren Averett has done and continues to do.”
Background: In my book, “Right Time, Right Idea,” I wrote about how Mort O’Sullivan became a UWF accounting student.
From the book:
“I went to Washington and Lee University, where I spent my time partying and focusing on fraternities and road trips. By the end of my first year, I had a 2.0 GPA and needed to maintain a 3.0 to keep my scholarship. They changed it to half a loan and half a scholarship. At the end of my second year, my cumulative GPA remained at 2.0, and they told me I would be on my own from then on,’ Mort said.”At that time, the University of West Florida was only three years old, and I realized I needed to go home and enroll at UWF.”
He took courses in mathematics, accounting, and anthropology. “I was just a lost kid. In the middle of the semester, I’m starting to do really well in accounting. The chairman, Tom Committe, took me aside and said, ‘I’ve looked at your transcript and test scores. They don’t match. You’ve obviously been a screw-up. I want you to know that everybody who graduated with a degree in accounting here has gotten a job.”
Mort had just married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, and soon had a child on the way. He buckled down and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating magna cum laude. He received six job offers, became a licensed certified public accountant, and began his career with Touche Ross and Company, an international accounting firm in Atlanta.
Most of the firm’s giving has been to the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business—specifically the Warren Averett, LLC College of Business Endowment, which has produced multiple student scholarships over the years. Along with scholarships, their support has provided funding for numerous programs in the college, such as the Executive Mentor Program and the Cox Communications Trading Lab. The gift has also provided opportunities for student professional development, facility improvement and faculty development support.
- “At Warren Averett, giving back to our community is a core value, and we are proud to share our success with the University of West Florida through this endowment,” said Cyndi Warren, Partner-in-Charge-Growth for Warren Averett’s Pensacola and Daphne offices. “With many current and former team members who first grew as students at UWF and have gone on to thrive in their careers – including here at Warren Averett – we see every day how these investments not only support future leaders in accounting, but strengthen our entire community.”
For more information about giving to UWF, visit uwf.edu/give. For more information about the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business, visit uwf.edu/lbjcob.
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