Miami Courant

He is a Broward County native son, growing up in the Town of Davie back when it had around 500 residents. His ties to the South Florida community go back eight generations. Today, you can’t think of Broward County or the Town of Davie without thinking about Ron Bergeron. 

Over the years, “Alligator” Ron and Ali Bergeron have made an indelible imprint on South Florida – from both a business and philanthropic standpoint, and it’s because of this that Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is very proud to bestow upon them the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service.

“When looking for people who truly embody what the President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service is all about, I looked no further than the Bergerons,” said Dr. George Hanbury, President and CEO of NSU. “We all know and love Alligator Ron and his Ali; their legacy in South Florida and Broward County is truly remarkable.”

The Bergerons will be honored at NSU’s Annual Celebration of Excellence Gala. The invitation only event is scheduled for 6 p.m.  Saturday, February 11, on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, 3301 College Ave. in the Don Taft University Center’s Rick Case Arena. The reception begins at 6 p.m., with the dinner program immediately following.

The Bergerons join an impressive list of honorees across South Florida who have received NSU’s President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service that includes Bertha Henry, James and Kathy Donnelly, Wini and Joe Amaturo, Ron and Kathy Assaf, Mike Jackson, David Horvitz & Francie Bishop Good, Lorraine Thomas, and Rick and Rita Case, just to name a few.

NSU’s Celebration of Excellence also recognizes donors whose cumulative giving to the university reaches $1 million or more.  Each of these benefactors is welcomed into the NSU Fellows Society “Shark Circle” and receives a limited-edition maquette replica of the mako shark statue located in front of the Don Taft University Center. 

This year, the donors NSU welcomes into the Shark Circle are:

• Bien-Air Medical Technologies
• Health Foundation of South Florida
• Robert E. Dooley Trust and Mrs. Janice Sheppard

President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service Honorees

Ron Bergeron

When you talk about “Alligator” Ron Bergeron, sure, the first thing people know about is his business acumen. After all, his is one of those true “American Success Stories.”

The Businessman & Entrepreneur

Leaving home at 18 with just over $200 in his pocket, he set out to carve his own path through life. He began cutting that path in 1954, literally, with a machete, a rope and a 1954 Mercury truck as he worked to clear the land. In just a few years, he launched Bergeron Land Development, and after the land clearing work slowed down, he pivoted and bought his first bulldozer.

That was when he switched from building driveways to building one of the largest contracts in Florida at the time, the I95 – I595 and Sawgrass Expressway, I595 – I75 Interchanges. He is now one of the most successful and largest site development & roadway contractors in Florida, with Bergeron Land Development continuing to be among Florida’s Top 100 Contractors in Southeast Construction Magazine every year.

The Gladesman

One thing Bergeron never lost sight of is where he came from.

Sure, he created numerous successful businesses over the years, but ask him and he’ll tell you that he is a Gladesman. What, exactly, is a Gladesman? Well, it’s someone who is very passionate about and has fallen in love with the environment of the Everglades.

According to Bergeron, he raised his children the way he was raised, to respect the land and also be a part of the environment. He is truly a steward for the South Florida ecosystem, believing the area’s resources should be managed and respected. He is passionate about providing today’s and future generations access so they can fall in love with our natural environment and protect it forever.

“We don’t want people to be limited to seeing this great wonderland from behind a glass wall, as sort of a ‘see but don’t touch theme park’,” said Bergeron. “Folks need to be out in it and learn to respect and preserve it for their future generations.”

The Philanthropist

One needs to look no further than Bergeron’s childhood to see where his commitment to giving back to his community took root. When he was a child, his parents allowed the local church to meet in their small store. From an early age he realized the importance of not just living in a community but being part of that community.

That approach continues to this day. He and his wife Ali are involved in a host of causes and organizations that spans the gambit across South Florida. From NSU to the Boys and Girls Clubs to the Susan B. Anthony Center for Recovery to Junior Achievement, the Bergerons have left a legacy few others have.

As impressive as Alligator Ron is, his wife, Ali, has just as an incredible story, and she’s an NSU alumna, too!

Ali Bergeron

Ali Bergeron emigrated from Cuba in 1959 and grew up in Coral Gables. She has lived in Broward County since 1982, where she attended Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law. Ali has been practicing law in Fort Lauderdale since 1985, and her two children (Jackie and Steven) are both lawyers who practice law in her firm.

Over the years she has served on numerous boards – she served as chairperson of the Broward County Commission on the Status of Women and co-chaired the Broward County School Board Desegregation Task Force. She served on the board of the United Way, Hispanic Unity and Broward House.  In 1994, Ali was appointed by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles as the first woman to sit on the Florida Boxing Commission and was later reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush.

Ali considers one of her most significant accomplishments the comprehensive report generated for the Broward County School Board to bring educational equity to the school system.  The report made recommendations that removed educational barriers based on race, while promoting equitable policies that provided all children with equal educational opportunities regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. 

She served on the executive board of Broward Partnership for the Homeless and helped raise the money to build a homeless center in Fort Lauderdale that would assist residents to find housing and employment opportunities with a goal of becoming self-sufficient.

When you look at the history of service to the South Florida community, truly no one is more deserving of NSU’s President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service than Ron and Ali Bergeron.

Original source can be found here.