Pace-Setting Architect and CEO To Deliver UB Commencement Address

26^th April, 2018

Towering well over six feet, Fred Perpall’s impact and influence on architectural design in The Bahamas and the United States has been equally as imposing. The 1994 graduate of the College of The Bahamas and current Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.-based design build firm, the Beck Group, will return to his alma mater and deliver the University of The Bahamas (UB) 2018 Commencement Address on Thursday, 24th May.

Perpall’s achievements in architecture and community engagement have distinguished him as a leader. So, many graduates are hoping to learn some of the secrets to his success when he addresses them at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium next month.

As CEO at Beck, the UB alumnus leads the domestic and international design, planning, real estate consultancy, and construction businesses. The award-winning firm was founded in 1912 and has developed into a full-service builder with international reach and a focus on cultivating long-term relationships. It has also been listed among Engineering News-Record’s top 400 U.S. contractors as well as top 100 design-build firms and was named Architecture Firm and Contractor of the Year (2003) by The American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter.

In addition to his professional achievements, Perpall is community-minded and engaged, serving as Chairman-Elect of the Dallas Citizens Council, on the board of directors of Dallas Medical Resource and as a Director for Triumph Bancorp (TBK).

He also serves on the Board of Councilors for The Carter Center and is part of the Atlanta Tipoff Club – the group responsible for awarding the Naismith Player of the Year trophy. His interests and affinity with sports began when he was a young tyke growing up in Nassau. By the time he was a student at COB, he had made a name for himself in track & field and basketball.

In 1996, Perpall began his career in design and construction. He has been a registered architect since 2003 and was elected to the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows in 2016. He is also a part of the AIA Large-Firm Roundtable, and previously served as ex-Chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Plan.

Acclaimed architectural design projects under his company’s management have included The University of Texas at Dallas Engineering Building; Dr. William B. Dean Learning Center at Dallas Baptist University; and Harim Group Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Additional projects have involved the Princess Margaret Hospital, the College of The Bahamas, the Bay Rec Condominiums, Nassau International Airport and Commonwealth Bank in The Bahamas.

Perpall earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is an alumnus of the 183rd class of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and is a former Americas Fellow at The Baker Institute at Rice University.

He and his wife, Abi, live in Dallas, Texas with their daughters, Ava and Ali.

This year’s commencement class will be the second for UB since its 10^th November 2016 charter.

The following is the official UB Spring 2018 Commencement schedule:

New Providence

Teachers Commissioning Ceremony

Tuesday, 22^nd May 2018, 10:00 a.m.

Kendal G. L. Isaacs National Gymnasium

Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, 22^nd May 2018, 3:00 p.m.

Kendal G. L. Isaacs National Gymnasium

Nurses Pinning Ceremony

Wednesday, 23^rd May 2018, 10:00 a.m.

Kendal G. L. Isaacs National Gymnasium

Baccalaureate

Wednesday, 23^rd May 2018, 7:00 p.m.

Mount Tabor Church

Commencement

Thursday, 24^th May 2018, 4:00 p.m.

Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium

Grand Bahama

Awards Dinner

Monday, 28^th May 2018, 6:30 p.m.

Teachers Union Hall

Teachers Commissioning Ceremony

Wednesday, 30^th May 2018, 10:00 a.m.

UB-North, Courtyard

Baccalaureate

Wednesday, 30^th May 2018, 6:30 p.m.

St. John’s Jubilee Cathedral

Commencement

Thursday, 31^st May 2018, 6:30 p.m.

Grand Lucayan Resort, Ballroom