Palm Beach Atlantic University Hosts Topping Off Ceremony for the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall

PBA leadership, supporters and the community celebrate construction milestone for new six-story, 125,000 square-foot business hall

(WEST PALM BEACH, FLA) - As West Palm Beach's skyline continues to evolve as the city experiences unprecedented growth, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) celebrated another step toward completion of one of those new buildings, in the heart of the downtown waterfront district. The Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall will open this winter.

Marked by a ceremonial placement of the building's last beam, close to 200 of PBA's leadership, supporters, select students and community members gathered to celebrate the topping off milestone. The first building completed as part of the private, Christ-first university's "God-Sized Dreams" campaign to enhance its campus, the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall is taking shape as a 125,000 square-foot, six-story, state-of-the-art business school serving undergraduate and graduate business students.

"With Fortune 500 companies just steps away and Forbes billionaires just across the bridge, students at our AACSB-accredited Rinker School of Business will walk to their internships and have opportunities at their doorstep upon graduation," said PBA President, Dr. Debra A. Schwinn. "As a Christ-first university, when our graduates go out into the world, they're different. Our goal is to provide students with state-of-the-art resources that develop well-rounded business leaders equipped to navigate the complexities of the ever-evolving business landscape, preparing them not only to be employees, but also employers."

In addition to hosting PBA's AACSB-accredited business school, the new building marks the institution's ongoing commitment to the Palm Beaches. A cornerstone of PBA's planned campus enhancement, this hall will include dedicated space for Centers of Excellence including the Titus Center for Franchising and the LeMieux Center for Public Policy, the American Free Enterprise Reading Room, the 300+ seat tiered Titus Lecture Hall, a stock trading room, multi-purpose classrooms and executive-style conference spaces.

During the topping off ceremony, Dr. Schwinn also announced that PBA received a $5 million gift from Buddy and Connie Raney to open The Raney Center for Free Enterprise within the new Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall. This Center will offer a comprehensive program of study on the moral foundations of free enterprise and provide resources and learning opportunities to students, faculty and the public regarding the human flourishing that results from the free enterprise system. To date, PBA's God-Sized Dreams campaign has raised over $70 million.

Notable guests in attendance included PBA supporters and donors, including Sheila Rinker, Buddy and Connie Raney, Frances Fisher, Gil Kemp, Leighan and David Rinker, Dave and Suzanne Frisbie, Penny Murphy, Patrick and Amy Moody, Sally Alice Smith, and Bill and Mary Frances Walde. Also in attendance were Clara Acero and Grace McCafferty of the Kingdom Charitable Trust, Barbara Bremer and local government leaders, including City Commissioner Gregg Weiss, Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch, and Palm Beach Gardens City Council member John Kemp.

Founded in 1968, PBA is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. The university has a 19-acre campus in West Palm Beach and an Orlando campus, and the 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system. The university is dedicated to the integration of biblical principles to prepare students for learning, leadership, and service.

For additional information or to discuss naming opportunities, please contact PBA's Development team at 561-803-2777 or development@pba.edu.

Dr. Debra Schwinn, Buddy Raneyand Connie Raney

Writing Bible verses on the walls of the building

Johnand JenniferKemp and John Kemp, Jr.