MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A Miami-Dade County native, business leader and civic figure, Stanley G. Tate, will be the keynote speaker at St. Thomas University’s main university commencement ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2015. The Commencement Ceremony will take place at the Fernandez Family Center for Leadership and Wellness, located at the St. Thomas University campus, 16401 N.W. 37^th Avenue, Miami Gardens, Florida. Tate, a long-time member of the St. Thomas University Board of Trustees until late last year, will also receive an Honoris Causa doctoral degree.

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A former mayor and member of the Bay Harbor Islands City Council, Tate was chairman of the Metro Dade County Housing Oversight Committee and was chairman of the Regional (25 states) Advisory Board of the Resolution Trust Corporation. He was appointed by President Bush to be the Chairman of the National Advisory Board of the Resolution Trust Corporation, and was subsequently nominated by President Clinton to be the President of the RTC.

Tate’s most lauded civic involvement has been his passionate leadership in developing the Florida Prepaid College Program, the longest running – and considered the most successful – college prepaid program in the country. The program has sold more than 1.6 million plans since Mr. Tate championed its approval by the State Legislature in 1987. Tate subsequently served as Chairman of the Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board for 18 years. On June 2006, the Florida State Legislature unanimously approved a bill changing the name of the college program to the Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program. A well-known businessperson, Mr. Tate heads Tate Enterprises, an “umbrella” for various corporations and partnerships with interests in real estate development, construction, investments, condominium development, shopping centers, office buildings and restaurants.

“Stanley is perhaps Florida’s longest and most ardent advocate of quality, affordable education for all neighborhoods,” said Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale, President of St. Thomas University. “When we refer to those who have championed St. Thomas University’s student leadership development, we speak of Stanley Tate. During the thirteen years he served on our Board of Trustees, he supported our University’s growth every step of the way, leaving an impact on academics, service, ecumenism, scholarships and financial aid. We are proud to honor him in our Class of 2015 ceremony.”

St. Thomas University’s School of Law will hold its commencement ceremonies at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 at the Fernandez Family Center for Leadership and Wellness. Former Florida Governor Bob Martinez will deliver St. Thomas Law’s Commencement Address.

About St. Thomas University:
The only Catholic Archdiocesan-sponsored University in Florida, St. Thomas University places an institutional emphasis on social justice and ethical behavior. The University offers more than forty-five undergraduate,  graduate, and post-graduate degrees at its 144 acre campus in Miami Gardens, Florida, and through distance learning, including one of the oldest (and highly ranked) undergraduate programs in Sports Administration in the Country. Approximately 90% of the faculty holds the highest degree in their fields and the university provides its diverse student body with low student/teacher ratios. The STU School of Law boasts one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the country, ranking at the top among all ABA-approved law schools in the proportion of Hispanic students, and sixth among African-American students. STU is one of the only law schools in the nation with a Human Rights Institute and offers a joint M.B.A.- J.D. in Accounting, International Business, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Sports Administration.