Board of Directors
Thomas H. Ruggie, ChFC, CFP
“Hope thrives in a culture where courage, knowledge and commitment cross paths on a daily basis.”
In creating his firm and Family Foundation, Tom Ruggie, Founder of Ruggie Wealth Management, has created such a culture for himself and his team. One where giving back means ensuring hospice care is available to everyone nearing end of life. Where young families can plan thoughtfully for their children’s college education. And where neighbors and friends suffering from cancer, heart disease, and other debilitating conditions such as Crohn’s Disease find ever-higher levels of hope, simply because their lives intersected with his.
Tom also served on the Leesburg Regional Medical Center Foundation, is an emeritus member of the Cornerstone Hospice Foundation Board (and former chairman), and works closely with Combat Veterans to Careers, all 501 (c) (3) organizations.
He also helped found the Nathan Hayes Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor a classmate of his son who was killed at the age of 10 in a tragic accident. The Foundation that bears his family’s name is his passion project.
Kim Ruggie
Kim Ruggie’s perseverance through adversity has inspired her to lighten the way for others.
After leaving Vietnam for America at the age of 10, Kim and her family were surrounded by an alien culture and unfamiliar language. On the path to becoming a thread in the tapestry of America, the company that sponsored them provided them with basic necessities such as food, water and shelter. Their sponsor also viewed jobs and education as being part of “the basics”, and hard work and a desire to succeed eventually helped Kim and her family pull themselves out of poverty.
Kim loves her marriage to Tom Ruggie (and the man himself), their two wonderful children, and staying active through tennis and the high-impact CrossFit® program. She applies the same integrity and passion she brings to her health and relationships to her philanthropic endeavors.
One particular passion is the scholarship fund she and Tom helped create following the loss of their son’s 10-year-old friend, Nathan Hayes. The Foundation has been raising funds for annual scholarships in Nathan’s name, with a goal toward providing every student in Nathan and Christopher’s graduating class with a scholarship to help his classmates carry Nathan’s memory forward into their future lives.
Wade Boyette, J.D., LLM
It was once written, “… the most important time is now, the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important action is to do that person good.” Boyette, Cummins and Nailos Attorneys at Law Founding Partner Wade Boyette seems to have made that philosophy part of his own…and part of his firm’s.
Born in Estill, South Carolina, Wade came to Lake County in 1994 during a time of burgeoning growth. After graduating from Georgia Southern University with a B.S. in Accounting, Mercer University with a J.D. Degree, and the University of Florida with a Master’s Degree in Taxation, he made his mark with a strong transactional law practice.
As the community around him grew, Wade helped organize many of the region’s businesses, building lifelong relationships as well as a sense of community. Along the way, BCN has grown as well – a fact Wade’s quick to acknowledge had a lot to do with the hard work of his partners and “family” of team members.
Although the firm’s practice areas are broad in scope (they handle a wide range of cases including real estate, foreclosure, bankruptcy, personal injury, family law, environmental law and disability), he and his team welcome clients into this extended family, encouraging clients to “know your attorney, know your options.”
Dr. Matt Leavitt
Dr. Matt Leavitt is both physician and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery®, which, with more than 70 offices, is the largest dermatology practice in the country. A true renaissance man, Dr. Leavitt is a Board-certified dermatologist, author, researcher, surgeon, lecturer, and philanthropist.
He is also the founder and chairman of Ameriderm®, a billing and collections solutions provider for dermatology practices, and executive medical advisor of Bosley®, the largest hair restoration group around the globe.
Tapped as an expert in his field by medical and pharmaceutical companies specializing in dermatology products, Dr. Leavitt is also involved with universities, industry organizations and medical journals. We are proud to have him as a friend and on our board.
David Maus
Florida is the adopted home of acclaimed businessman David Maus, and Central Florida has particularly benefited from having him as a part of our community. Originally hailing from Ohio, David was tapped to become the store manager of a Kissimmee Toyota dealership in 1993, which began his illustrious career in the automotive industry.
An avid (fan)atic of the Miami Dolphins, David QB’d his store to success and by 2003, the “David Maus” name graced its first dealership in Longwood – David Maus Toyota. David’s skyrocketing success has led to several other top-ranking car dealerships in the Central Florida area, including David Maus Chevrolet and Volkswagen.
In addition to being a part of our board, David also spearheads a variety of philanthropic works through the David Maus Foundation.