The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and Prospera announced Monday that Ronald F. Piccolo, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Management at the University of Central Florida’s College of Business, will be the recipient of the Hispanic Community Champion Award at the 20th Annual Don Quijote Awards Gala on Dec. 9.
The Don Quijote Awards Gala honors outstanding entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Community Champion Award is given to a non-Hispanic individual who has supported the progress of the Hispanic community in Central Florida.
Piccolo, who also is the Galloway Professor of Management at UCF, is being recognized for his strategic planning efforts with the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando (HHSFMO), and with Prospera, an economic development, nonprofit organization that specializes in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who want to establish or expand their business. Piccolo facilitated the development of a long-range strategic and operational plan for HHSFMO, and studied and authored the 25-Year Economic Impact Analysis that estimated Prospera’s economic and philanthropic impact in Florida.
Piccolo returned to UCF for his second stint last fall before being named chair of the management department in February. He had served as an assistant professor of management at UCF from 2005-09. Before rejoining UCF, he was the Cornell Professor of Management and Academic Director of the Center for Leadership Development & Executive Education in the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. He has a Ph.D. in management from the University of Florida, an M.B.A. from Rollins, and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Stetson University.
On Dec. 9, Piccolo will be recognized at a gala at Epcot’s World Showplace Pavilion.