Education -- After more than nine years leading the University of Florida, John V. Lombardi resigned as president, effective Nov. 1. His administration was distinguished both by accomplishment and a stormy relationship with the Florida Board of Regents and its two most recent leaders, current Chancellor Adam Herbert and former Chancellor Charlie Reed. Lombardi, 57, is credited with improving the caliber of UF students, doubling the amount of sponsored research awards and launching a successful fundraising campaign. He will remain at UF as a history professor and director of the Center for Florida Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Professional Services -- Arthur Andersen named Bob Lowe, 41, as managing partner for the consulting firm's Florida and Caribbean basin practice, which includes offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lowe, an 18-year Arthur Andersen veteran, replaces Bill Pruitt, who retired after 33 years. Lowe will be based in Miami. Two other Arthur Andersen partners, Mike Blount and Dave Walker, were promoted. Blount, 43, takes over as managing partner for the central Florida practice. Walker, 46, becomes partner-in-charge of the assurance and business advisory practice for Florida and the Caribbean.
Real Estate -- Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate has named Wendy S. Purvey, 35, vice president of sales and marketing for the state of Florida. She joins Coldwell Banker from Arvida Realty Services in Clearwater. Purvey will be based in Sarasota.
Security -- Sensormatic Electronics Corp. named Per-Olof Loof, 48, as CEO and president of the Boca Raton-based maker of electronic security products. He takes over from Bob Vanourek, 57, who is retiring after almost four years of leading Sensormatic's turnaround. Loof, 48, was a senior vice president at Dayton, Ohio-based NCR Corp., an AT&T spin-off that designs, develops, markets and services information technology products and services.
Richard Wackenhut, 51, son of Wackenhut Corp. founder, chairman and CEO George R. Wackenhut, 79, moves up to the new post of vice chairman. The Wackenhut scion has worked at the Palm Beach Gardens-based security, correctional services and staffing company for 25 years and currently serves as president and chief operating officer.
Software -- Dennis Harward, 42, founder of Lake Mary software company HTE Inc., is out as chairman, CEO and president. Jack Harward, his father, also resigned as executive vice president. Three weeks after their August departures, the two Harwards sold 4.65 million shares of their stock (a 27% stake in the company) and signed a deal to sell almost 1 million additional shares to Tyler Technologies, a Dallas, Texas-based technology company. HTE, a maker of software designed for government agencies, utilities, transit authorities and other public-sector organizations, has struggled over the past year, most recently reporting a net loss of $1.6 million on revenues of $24.2 million for the quarter ended June 30. Three company officers, Gary Kaiser, Gil Santos and Brian Heafy, will oversee day-to-day operations as the company searches for a new CEO.
Transportation -- Miami's Ryder System tapped Carol A. Kiryluk, 53, to be executive vice president and chief human resource officer of the Fortune 500 logistics and truck leasing company. A veteran of the human resources field, Kiryluk joins Ryder after seven years at Tupperware Corp. and nearly 20 years in U.S. and international positions at Mobil Corp.
Obituary -- Thomas Maren, the University of Florida pharmacology professor who developed the glaucoma drug Trusopt ["Gatorade's Successors," FT, Sept. 1999], died on August 15. He was 81. Maren, who joined UF in 1955, invented and patented the glaucoma compound in the late 1970s. Working with Merck & Co., he brought the drug to market in 1995. Using some of the millions of dollars in royalties he earned, Maren endowed a UF professorship in pharmacology and this past summer donated $125,000 for a student reading room.