President’s Gala Raises $2.5M to Benefit Student-Success Initiatives

By kristine gobbo | 3/31/2026

Celebrating Florida Atlantic University’s 65th year, more than 1,000 friends of the university joined President Adam Hasner and First Lady Jillian Hasner for Soirée 65 in support of student-success initiatives. The President’s Gala raised more than $2.5 million for community and nonprofit internships that are currently unpaid, as well as for housing scholarships to help students navigate the high cost of living off campus. Soirée 65 was presented by Cathy and Abdol Moabery, and the gala co-chairs were Stacey Packer and Carrie Rubin.

“I am overwhelmed by the support of Soirée 65, not only because of the record number of attendees and the amount of funds raised, but because of the profound impact this support will have in changing lives and creating opportunities for students at Florida Atlantic,” said FAU President Adam Hasner. “We know the numbers: students who complete internships are far more likely to find employment quickly after graduation and command higher starting salaries. But behind every data point is a student navigating the second most expensive college town in America, balancing rent, tuition, and the hope of a future career. Our gala sponsors make it possible for those students to focus on what matters most: finishing their degrees and stepping into successful careers that strengthen our community.”

In concert with Soirée 65, Florida Atlantic is hosting an online auction featuring exclusive opportunities, such as a round of golf with Hasner, tea or lunch with the first lady, experiences with FAU’s athletic teams and coaches, concert tickets, resort stays and more. The auction, now in its final days, provides an opportunity for the community to invest in Florida Atlantic’s student-success initiatives.

President’s Circle Sponsors ($100,000) were D-Wave Quantum; The GEO Group Foundation; Christina and Benjamin Macfarland and Storage Rentals of America; Wayne and Lucretia Weiner; and the Vidal-Duart Family Foundation.

Diamond Sponsors ($65,000) were Amy and Mike Kazma; and Banyan Development and PEBB Enterprises.

Platinum Sponsors ($25,000) were Kathy and Paul Adkins; Dr. Alan Baratz and Mrs. Raquel Baratz; Danburg Properties of Boca Raton; Christine E. Lynn, E.M. Lynn Foundation; JM Family Enterprises, Inc.; Kaufman Lynn Construction, Inc.; ModMed; Moss; Evan and Stacey Packer; Related Ross; SBA Communications; Temple Development/Boca Research Park, Ltd.; John and Judith Temple; and The Kurt & Marilyn Wallach Family Foundation, Inc.

Gold Sponsors ($10,000) were Chartwells Catering and Dining at FAU; CITY Furniture; Deloitte; DPR Construction; George Elmore & Marti LaTour; Flagler Credit Union; Florida Blue; Arthur Gutterman; David and Leslie Kantor; Mainstreet Capital Partners; Alan B. Miller Medical Center; Palm Beach State College; RAS Legal Group; Schmidt Family Foundation; Corey & Shari Schneider and Sentinel Solutions; Siemens; Mason and Daniele Slaine; Stiles; The Stilley Family/HeartCare Imaging; Tecore Networks; Verdex Construction; The Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Museum of South Florida at FAU; and Craig Zinn Automotive Group.

Silver Sponsors ($5,000) were Amscot; The Honorable Jeff Atwater; Becker; Renée and Kenny Blatt; Boca Raton Airport Authority; Adam and Caitlin Clampitt; Comcast; Dale Carnegie Training; Diligent Waste & Recycling; Gabor Financial Solutions; Grimes Galvano, PL; Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC; Gulf Building; Van and Jane Hipp; Patti and Michael Hoffman Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation; Carol and Spencer Houldin; Kaplan; Mentor Collective; Marcia and Doug Mithun; Moses Engineering; Dr. Mark and Sherry Murphy; Maurice and Marjorie Plough; PNC Bank; PBK Architects; The Research Park at Florida Atlantic; Mr. Robert and Dr. Ingrid Rigal; Servpro of South Palm Beach; Dr. Russell and Linda Stoch; Terra/Frisbie Group; Toothaker.org; Joseph Trubinsky and Holli Rockwell Trubinsky; Urban Design Studio; Edward and Bernice Wenger; Brian and Paige White; and XBP Americas.

Partner Sponsors were Marta and Jim Batmasian (Dance Floor Sponsor); Sherri and Brian Blechman (VIP Savor the Moment Reception Sponsor); Bliss Design, Inc.(Commemorative Gift Sponsor); Bloomingdale’s (Exclusive Fashion Sponsor); Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (Savor the Moment Commemorative Photo Sponsor); Florida Power & Light Company (Bourbon Bar Sponsor); GL Homes (Cocktail Lounge Sponsor); Palm Beach Illustrated (Exclusive Magazine Sponsor); Berch Family Foundation (Performing Arts Sponsor); Carrie Rubin (Late Night Departure Nibbles Sponsor); Corporate Rescue Advisors (Egress Refresher Sponsor); Follett Bookstores (Performing Arts Sponsor); Live Nation, represented by Brittany Flores (Performing Arts Sponsor); ShowPro (Exclusive AV Sponsor); JP Morgan Chase & Co. (Valet Sponsor); Steve and Debbie Schmidt (Registration Sponsor); Shiner Law Group (Movie Booth Sponsor); Dr. Richard and Mrs. Kelli Staller (Photo Booth Sponsor); and Bonnie Halperin and Family (Dessert Sponsor).

Thank you to The Boca Raton; and more than 100 students from Florida Atlantic, including the Army ROTC Color Guard, Jazz Quintet, Marching Band, Musical Theatre Vocal Ensemble, Owlsley, President’s Internship Program for Community Impact, Saxophone Quartet, stage performers from the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, guest welcoming committee of 18 students representing academic programs and student activities across the university, Student Alumni Ambassadors, Red Blazer Society, Wind Ensemble and Woodwind Quintet.

-FAU-