Antonio L. Argiz, Chief Executive Officer and managing partner of Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra LLP, was installed as the 72nd President & Chairman of the Board of the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) on Thursday, January 28, during an evening gala reception held at the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables.
Entering his 10th year with the Committee, Mr. Argiz received the gavel from Phillis Oeters, who served as President & Chair during the OBC’s most-recent Festival in 2009-10.
Mr. Argiz will preside over the Orange Bowl Committee for the 2010-11 Festival, which includes the 77th Annual FedEx Orange Bowl, the 17th Annual MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic and the 12th season of the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance. The FedEx Orange Bowl will be played on January 3, 2011 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens.
“I look forward to engaging my fellow members on The Orange Bowl Committee, which has been a tremendous economic partner to South Florida, bringing in thousands of fans that spend millions on an annual basis,” said Argiz, who was first elected to the OBC in 2000. “Through the promotion of its annual events, the Orange Bowl Committee draws thousands of guests to hotels and restaurants in South Florida providing additional business opportunities during these tough economic times.”
Jeffrey T. Roberts (1996) moves into Mr. Argiz’s previous role as Chairman-Elect and will serve as the 73rd President & Chairman during the 2011-12 year. O. Ford Gibson (2000) serves as First Vice-Chair and will become President & Chairman of the 2012-13 Orange Bowl Festival, which includes the Committee’s hosting of its 19th National Championship game. Eric L. Poms enters his fifth year as the Chief Executive Officer in 2010-11 and marks his 18th year overall with the Committee. The remaining seats on the OBC Board of Directors will be filled during the first Committee meeting of the calendar year.
Since 1997, Mr. Argiz has led Florida’s largest independent CPA-based accounting firm to become one of the top 50 accounting firms in the nation and the fifth in the Southeast. The firm has been ranked as the “Best of the Best,” a list of the top 25 performing firms in the country, for 14 years. It was also recognized as the 2007 Business of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal. MBAF provides tax and accounting, audit, technology consulting and litigation support and business valuation services to entrepreneurs, wealthy individuals, private and public corporations and legal practitioners across a broad range of industries.
Mr. Argiz has been honored numerous times for his professional work including as the South Florida Business Journal’s 2009 Key Partner Award winner for Litigation Support, the recipient of the 2008 South Florida Good to Great Awards in from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, one of the “Top Five Most Admired Peers” by the Inside Public Accounting 100, and as a top CPA in Litigation Support by the South Florida Legal Guide in the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Annual Editions. He has also been the recipient of many community commendations, most recently the Hispanic Heritage award from the Boy Scouts Council of South Florida in 2009 for his commitment to the community. That same year, he completed his two year term as the chairman of the United Way of Miami-Dade.
Mr. Argiz is a certified public accountant in the State of Florida (1977), State of Colorado (1987), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1991), State of New York (1997) and the State of Texas (2000). He is also an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA), Accredited in Business Valuations (ABV), a Certified Valuation Analyst (NACVA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Mr. Argiz has been a resident of Florida for more than 48 years and currently resides in Miami. He is a graduate of Florida International University and the University of Virginia’s National AICPA Banking School.
The Orange Bowl Committee is a not-for-profit, 333-member, primarily-volunteer organization. It is a self-sustaining, independent organization that supports and produces activities and events that enhance the image, economy and culture of South Florida. The Orange Bowl Festival features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 3, 2011. Other OBC core events include the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance, Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships and Orange Bowl Sailing Regatta Series. For more information on the 2010-11 Orange Bowl Festival and its events, including promotional and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program, log on to www.orangebowl.org.
The Orange Bowl Committee