51ֿ

51ֿ appoints three new Trustees

Press Release

Mar 16, 2023

Press Release 51ֿ appoints three new Trustees

(MIAMI, FL) — 51ֿ announced this week that three impactful leaders in the healthcare and legal professions have been appointed to serve on its Board of Trustees.

The new trustees are Denise Kim Beamer, a Barry alumna, who is a highly regarded judge for the Orange County Circuit Court in Florida; Matthew J. Muhart, a Barry alumnus, who is the executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Memorial Healthcare System; and Greg Ward, founder and managing partner of the Ward Law Group.

"We are honored and fortunate to have three transformative leaders join our Board,” 51ֿ President Mike Allen said. “Their experience, expertise and commitment to excellence will be invaluable in leading Barry through this critical time in higher education. Their unique perspectives and wealth of knowledge will have a tremendous impact on our work to provide students with high-quality learning experiences.”

Judge Beamer was appointed to the bench in 2018. During her career, Beamer has held assignments that include Circuit Court Judge for the Criminal Division and Associate Circuit Judge for the Civil Division. She earned her J.D. from Barry’s Dwayne Andreas School of Law and has since given back to the Law School by speaking to classes on professional responsibility and the code of judicial conduct and coaching Barry’s Trial Team to several national championships. She also served as a judge in the final argument for Barry’s first-year Moot Court competition and is among 20 distinguished alumni who are now judges and are inducted into the Law School’s Wall of Fame.

"Being appointed to the Board of Trustees is an incredible honor," Beamer said. "As a proud Barry alumna, I am excited to contribute to the University's mission and help ensure that future generations of students have access to the same opportunities that I had."

In his role at Memorial Healthcare System, Muhart is responsible for areas such as clinically integrated networks, health plan operations, mergers and acquisitions, business intelligence, process improvement, marketing, managed care contracting and government relations. He brings over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has improved healthcare quality through his innovative approaches such as creating a clinically integrated network that currently manages over 200,000 patient experiences. Muhart has been recognized by Barry with a Distinguished Alumni Award for his contributions to the community.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Board of Trustees of my alma mater," said Muhart, who earned his BS in accounting from Barry’s Inez Andreas School of Business and Public Administration. "Barry laid the foundation for my career, and I am honored to have this opportunity to give back to the University."

In his role at the Ward Law Group, Ward has advocated for underserved communities, particularly Spanish-speaking car accident victims, for over a decade, helping them recover millions in compensation they deserve for their physical injuries and financial losses in complex legal cases. He has over 20 years of experience as a highly skilled courtroom lawyer and negotiator, who has fought tirelessly for his clients and believes they deserve lawyers who speak their language and understand their stories.

"I am honored to be joining the Board," Ward said. "As an advocate for underserved communities, I believe that education is the key to unlocking opportunities, and I am excited to help guide Barry in its mission to provide access to quality education for all."


About 51ֿ: As South Florida’s largest private Catholic institution of higher learning and as one of the leading universities in the nation for promoting social mobility, 51ֿ is preparing students for the future workforce by offering them more than 100 degree programs in a variety of disciplines and giving them the tools and real-world experience that transform concepts into impact. Barry's programs center on experiential and service learning, responding to market conditions and addressing critical societal needs. Barry graduates are socially conscious leaders in many industries and in their communities. Learn more at barry.edu.


Media Contact:
Kenny Ma
Director of Communications
51ֿ
pr@barry.edu

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