Eugene K. Pettis

Co-Founder & Senior partner, Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm, Fort Lauderdale

The first African-American president of the Florida Bar, Pettis earned his undergrad and grad degrees from the University of Florida. His firm focuses on med mal, personal injury, wrongful death and catastrophic injuries. As Bar president, his initiatives included the William Reece Smith Leadership Academy that helps lawyers become better leaders. He hosts the Can We Talk? 360° podcast. He founded a group of 100 Black graduates calling itself the Coalition of Concerned Black University of Florida Alumni that wants the university to invest $45 million from its endowment to re-start diversity, equity and inclusion programs, put a Black UF grad on the university board, enroll more Black students and hire more Black faculty. UF, in compliance with state law forbidding tax dollars to be used to fund DEI advocacy programs, eliminated its DEI staff slots.