On April 8, Broward College Foundation hosted “Ethics and YOU”; a 3 hour training program in business ethics for Broward College students majoring in Automotive, Aviation, and Marine Engineering.
Industry leaders shared real-world experiences about ethical decision-making and emphasized the importance of doing the right thing, noting that the consequences of unethical behavior can be devastating. No one knows this better than the Grimmé family.
Michael Grimmé, a beloved benefactor of the Broward College Foundation, established and funded the Broward College Michael J. Grimmé II Ethical Decision-Making Training Program in loving memory of their son, Michael, who died tragically in a car accident at 17, as a result of poor ethical decisions made at a car dealership.
“As our family tried to cope with this devasting loss, we made several dedications and awarded scholarships through my Rotary Club in his name, but we felt it was still not enough; something was missing,” said Michael Grimmé, Sr. “We needed to find a way to really make a difference and hopefully prevent another family from going through what we went through, so we established the Broward College Ethics Program in Michael’s memory.”
With the goal of bringing business ethics to the forefront for students at Broward College, business leaders, including attorney David Hammer, partner at Kelley Uustal, shared powerful real-life examples and the devastating ramifications that resulted from unethical behavior during the Ethics and the Law session. Industry leaders, such as Ken Richards from Spirit Airlines; Phil Purcell from the Marine Industries Association of South Florida; Darren Stokes, Executive Vice President of Rick Case Automotive Group; and Guillermo Rodriguez, National Trainer for Rick Case Automotive Group, among others, served as presenters at breakout tables where they had in depth conversations about ethics. Broward College students were prompted to define what ethics means to them and discuss why ethical business practices are so important.
An associate professor from Broward College’s philosophy department led a captivating discussion about morality versus ethics, the definitions, and the differences. Topics included core ethical principles – honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability. Students recounted ethical dilemmas they experienced when the core principles conflicted.
“We thank the Grimmé family for their unwavering devotion and support for this incredibly important ethics program,” said Jim DeChant, Acting Vice President, Advancement & Executive Director, Broward College Foundation. “We also appreciate the many business and community leaders and our faculty who took the time to join us in mentoring our students.”
The Michael Grimmé story: In 2006, Michael J. Grimmé II, 17, bought his first car with his parents. The car was purchased at an auto dealership, and several items needed to be fixed on the car. The car was “fixed” earlier than planned, and due to his father being out of town, he picked up the car with his mother, and they were assured all was fixed with the car. Michael left the dealership with his mother following behind. Ten minutes later, on I-95, Michael was killed instantly when, due to mechanical issues caused by a lack of business ethics at the dealership, he had no control of his car and hit a disabled tractor-trailer. His mother watched it happen. The initial impact on the family was complete and overwhelming devastation for the family, followed by many years of incredible difficulty in coping with this unnecessary and, what could have been avoided, tragedy if someone, anyone, had just said ‘no’ to the actions taken while it was being serviced and prepared for sale. The Grimmé family continues to offer scholarships, but they decided more needed to be done to prevent another family from going through what they went through. So, the family created the Broward College Ethics Program in Michael’s memory to educate students and others how shortcuts, faulty parts, improper procedures, and false statements can have a devastating impact on companies, industries, and families.
Anyone interested in supporting ethical decision-making training for Broward College students may contact Ashley Shepple at ashepple@broward.edu or (305) 205-8289.
Special thanks to the following individuals who contributed to the success of the Broward College Ethics and You Workshop:
Facilitators:
- Reginald “Andre” Andre, CEO, Ark Solvers
- Sandra Juliachs, Sr. VP, Bank of America
- Amanda Kah, Sr. Director, Donor Services, Community Foundation of Broward
- Mike Grimme, Founder and Funder
- David Hammer, Partner, Kelley Uustal Attorneys-at-Law
- Debbie Savage, CEO, Responsive Home Healthcare
- Angelica Rosas, Director of Impact, Community Foundation of Broward
- Darren Stokes, EVP of HR, Rick Case Automotive Group
- Jorge Guerra, Broward College
- James Norton, Broward College
- Alvaro Lopez, Broward College
Presenters:
- Phil Purcell, MAISF
- Ken Richards, Spirit Airlines
- Mike Grimme, Funder and Founder
- Matt Korshoff, President & CEO SouthState Bank
- Guillermo Rodriguez, National Trainer, Rick Case Acura
From left to right: Ken Richards (Spirit Airlines) with BC Aviation students and David Hammer
From left to right: Darren Stokes, (Rick Case Automotive Group) Mike Grimme’, (founder of Ethics and You) Guerillmo Rodriguez (Rick Case Automotive Group)
Sandra Juliacs, Sr. VP, Bank of America
David Hammer, Partner, Kelley Uustal
Phil Purcell, President and CEO of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida