Waronker's honored by Boston University for their $500K contribution
April 12, 2005 - SPHL (SPHL)
Florida Seals News Release
CELBRATION, FL - Ask Hank Hodges (CAS'76), Paul Joubert, and David Waronker (CGS'82, SHA'84) why they have supported the building of the new Harry Agganis Arena, and each will tell you about "giving back" to the University and the team. As alumni, former players, and BU parents, these members of the BU community were all influenced in some way by head coach Jack Parker and the players he's guided, on the ice and off, over the last three decades. All three are members of the Olympic Circle of donors who have pledged at least $25,000 to support construction of the new facilities at the John Hancock Student Village.
Hank Hodges
One of Charles "Hank" Hodges's first ventures after arriving at BU was to show up, uninvited, at the first meeting of the freshman hockey squad. Coach Parker, then a young member of the Terriers' coaching staff, made a memorable first impression.
"I think he knew everybody in the room except me," recalls Hodges. "I've always held a very soft spot in my heart for Jack because he said, âCome on and play. Suit up and let's get you out there and see if you're any good.'"
Parker must have been impressed, because Hodges played for a season as a walk-on goalie on the freshman team. "Jack must have liked my determination, which of course I had plenty of because I wasn't at the same talent level as the other goalies," Hodges says.
The Student Village's new arena offered him the opportunity to show his appreciation for that experience. "I'd long wanted to do something for the hockey program, and obviously this building is perfect," he says. Living and working as a stockbroker in Chicago, Hodges sees less of the Terriers than he'd like. But he'll be back next winter â to watch the Terriers' opening game in the new 6,000-seat Harry Agganis Arena.
The Joubert Family
In the winters of the 1992â93, 1993â94, and 1994â95 hockey seasons, Paul and Pat Joubert spent nearly every weekend in the Terriers' stands, cheering their son, star forward Jacques Joubert (CAS'95), and the BU squad on to the Final Four.
Their trips to Walter Brown Arena took a little longer than the average shuttle-bus ride from Comm. Ave. â the Jouberts live in Indiana. For those few years, Beantown became a second home. "A lot of people here [in Indiana] said, âI thought you guys had moved to Boston," Paul Joubert says.
Jacques Joubert made the trek worthwhile, winning major awards and serving as captain of the 1994â95 team that won BU's fourth NCAA title. His parents credit head coach Jack Parker for "taking Jacques under his wing" from the first. "The relationship transcends Jack as a coach; he is a very dear friend, in every aspect," Paul Joubert says.
The family's contribution to the new hockey arena is a way of recognizing all that the program has given to the BU community. "I feel very confident that we're investing in the future not only of BU hockey," he says, "but of the University and the city."
David Waronker
Business and the ice hockey arena may seem worlds apart, but businessman David Waronker learned a lesson about success from the Terriers' hockey squad. "I loved watching players who wanted to get to the next level, who would do anything to win," he says. "They haven't reached that pinnacle yet, and they realize the only way they're going to get there is through hard work. You take that into real-life experience, and that's the business world."
Since graduating from BU, Waronker has found success as president and CEO of the CBD Development Group, Inc., a real estate development, investment, and building company in Florida. Since 1997, his company has run a nonprofit called Hockey 4 Kids, introducing disadvantaged and disabled children to the sport. He also owns the Florida Seals, a professional hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. "It's a passion," he says.
Love of the game has also inspired him to continue to support the team â and the University â that first sparked his passion. "I was successful because of the school," he says. "I just want to give something back."
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