New Business Hall Opens Opportunities for Palm Beach Atlantic University Students

On March 19, 2026, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) celebrated a new addition to its main campus: the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall.

The building is a product of the first phase of PBA's God-Sized Dreams campaign, which recently surpassed $120 million comprehensively. Its facilities will enrich campus life and academic progress by housing the AACSB-accredited Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business and five Centers of Excellence.

Thanks to PBA's generous supporters and partners, the six-story, 125,000-square-foot academic facility includes:

• A 300-seat tiered Titus Lecture Hall
• A state-of-the-art stock trading room with professional terminals
• Multi-purpose classrooms and collaborative learning environments
• The Center for Financial Literacy
• The LeMieux Center for Public Policy
• The Raney Center for Free Enterprise
• The Titus Center for Franchising

The Big Day

Earlier in the morning, guests gathered around the steps of the hall to watch PBA executives and partners cut the ribbon before filtering inside the atrium. A two-story, LED screen complemented floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating wood paneling mixed with modern architectural design, the glass-walled stock trading room, and patriotic festoons that colored the occasion.

When every seat was filled, guests gathered on the second floor to watch the ceremony. Through stories, gratitude, and energy for the future, speakers, including donors, a current student, and the City of West Palm Beach Mayor, reflected on the momentous occasion.

"For 58 years, this University has helped shape the life of our city, not only through the education it provides, but through the students, faculty, and staff who serve, lead, and contribute to our community each and every day," said Mayor Keith A. James. "Today's ribbon cutting represents far more than the opening of a new building. It represents an investment in the future, both for Palm Beach Atlantic and for the city of West Palm Beach.

"As our city continues to grow and attract national attention as a center for finance, entrepreneurship, and innovation, the need for talented and prepared leaders has never been greater."

"It feels like it was just yesterday that we prayed over the blueprints, we cast the vision God laid on our hearts, and today, we celebrate the completion of the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall," said Board of Trustees Chair Tomas P. McCaffrey. "The business hall is more than just a building; it is a statement of our confidence in delivering this God-Sized Dream."

Transformational Generosity

Audience members grew teary-eyed when Sheila Rinker took the stage to honor the legacy of her late husband, John. Together, they gave the $26 million donation that laid the foundation for the business hall and launched the God-Sized Dreams campaign.

"Today is a bittersweet day for me," she said. "Sweet, because my husband John's dream has finally come true; the Rinker College of Business is here, it is real, and it is beautiful. And bitter because John Rinker should be the one standing at the podium giving this speech, not me."

Prior to her speech, Karl Watson, Jr., a board member and PBA business alumnus, bestowed her with the inaugural legacy medallion to recognize her family's transformational generosity. Before leaving the stage, she unveiled a portrait of her late father and mother-in-law, Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker, for whom the new hall is named.

"Memory matters," she said. "Institutions grow, new buildings go up, new names appear on the walls and that is a wonderful thing, but the people who laid the first stone, who wrote the first check, who covered payroll when nobody was watching, who believed in an idea before it looked like anything at all-those people deserve to be remembered. Not for their sake, but for ours, because when we forget where something came from, we lose sight of why it was built in the first place."

Provost Dr. Stephen P. Johnson, Sen. George S. LeMieux, and Dr. Brian K. Strow, dean of the Rinker College of Business, then expounded on the opportunities for connections facilitated by and features of the hall, which adds one-third to the former number of classroom spaces on campus.

Finally, marketing and entrepreneurship student Tristan Ireri shared his story of ignoring God's call to attend PBA and how fulfilling his experience has been since enrolling. Students like Tristan will see their futures shaped in real time within the walls of the new building.

Arrangements of America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and Great is Thy Faithfulness from PBA's choir built an atmosphere of anticipation. Professor Emeritus Dr. Joseph Eassa, Jr., who taught business at PBA for 40 years, offered a prayer of dedication. With his words still hanging in the air, attendees counted down from 10 and the speakers cut a second ribbon, announcing the official opening of the hall.

Exploring the Future

Confetti, which had culminated the celebrations, lined the pathway to the new spaces as students and staff made their way through various tours up all six floors, stopping frequently to explore classrooms with polished desks, natural lighting, and screens for advanced technological design. Many offered skyline views of the Intracoastal, the ocean, and downtown West Palm Beach.

As major financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies plant roots in "Wall Street South," PBA's business students are uniquely positioned for internships and job opportunities just minutes away from campus.

"We are building not just facilities, but leaders," PBA President Dr. Debra A. Schwinn said. "Equipping students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction, and serve God boldly."

Learn more about the Rinker College of Business at https://www.pba.edu/academics/schools/rinker-business/.