MELBOURNE, FL. — Two Brevard County leaders, John Nicklow, PhD, President of Florida Tech, and Mike Seeley, President of the Health First Foundation, have been appointed to the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Board of Trustees. Both individuals have been intimately involved in establishing Burrell College’s new medical school location on Florida Tech’s campus.
“We are honored to have these two outstanding individuals join our board of trustees and continue to provide guidance and support for our mission, which they have done since our earliest stages of development. Both Florida Tech and Health First are pillars within Brevard County, and we are fortunate to have established strong partnerships with both institutions as we work collaboratively together to improve the healthcare needs of Brevard County and Florida region,” said John L. Hummer, President of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Denise Gonzales, MD, Chair of the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Board, affirms, “As we expand our mission to the state of Florida, we are privileged to have two outstanding individuals, Dr. Nicklow and Mr. Seeley who will not only guide our college but also play a pivotal role in our strategic growth, fostering an optimistic outlook for the future of our college and its commitment to excellence.”
John Nicklow, PhD, the sixth president of Florida Tech, brings with him a rich academic background and over 25 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining Florida Tech, Nicklow served as president and CEO of the University of New Orleans (UNO). Before UNO, he served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University. His teaching and research accomplishments have earned him recognition from the American Society of Civil Engineers and other the industry organizations. President Nicklow holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Arizona State University.
“I’m pleased to join the Board of Trustees and proud of the partnership that Burrell and Florida Tech share,” said Dr. Nicklow. “Preparing the next generation of physicians is a high calling and a critical mission—I look forward to the future,” he added.
Mike Seeley is the president of the Health First Foundation and a member of the senior executive council of Health First. In that role, Mr. Seeley is the chief development officer of Health First and is responsible for planning, implementing, and coordinating all fundraising activities. Additionally, Mr. Seeley is the service line executive for Oncology and the Designated Institutional Official for Graduate Medical Education Programs. Before joining Health First, he served as the vice president of development for Florida Tech and held previous leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (where he worked closely with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals), and Yale-New Haven Hospital. Mr. Seeley started his medical career over 25 years ago building and running a multi-subspecialty medical group, employing nearly 50 providers in 18 offices across California. The group was active in clinical trials and post-doctoral teaching. Mr. Seeley serves on the boards of the Brevard Homeless Coalition and Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy.
“I am honored to represent Health First and our 9,500 clinicians and associates as a member of the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Board,” said Mr. Seeley. “Through its mission to develop our future physician leaders, Burrell’s presence here on the Space Coast will strengthen and extend the delivery of health care in Brevard County – and across the entire country.”
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About the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Burrell College is a four-year, private osteopathic, student-centered medical school. The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) has granted the college its highest level of accreditation, which is Ten Years with Exceptional Outcomes. The college utilizes the latest medical education technologies and methods to ensure student success in all fields of medicine — from primary care to subspecialties like surgery, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine. Established in 2013, Burrell has two campuses, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Melbourne, Florida. Learn more at www.burrell.edu.
About Florida Institute of Technology
The premier private technological university in the Southeast, Florida Tech is a Tier 1 Best National University (U.S. News & World Report) and a Top Technical Institute (Fiske Guide to Colleges), as well as a Best Value University (Forbes) and a top 100 global university for graduate employability (GEURS). Florida Tech is known worldwide for its strengths in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, aviation, autism treatment, biomedical science, cybersecurity, machine-learning, and marine science. It offers more than 150 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computing, aeronautics, business, psychology, and the liberal arts. The university is located in the dynamic and innovative city of Melbourne in the heart of the “Space Coast,” where students have been watching rocket launches from campus since the dawn of the Space Race. Learn how Florida Tech is making history and shaping the future at floridatech.edu. Find stories about our relentless pursuit of greatness at floridatech.edu/news.
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is Brevard County’s not-for-profit community healthcare system. The fully integrated delivery network (IDN) includes health insurance plans, hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and outpatient and wellness services. Health First is committed to investing in our community as a locally-owned, not-for-profit organization. In 2022, Health First provided more than $220 million in community support. To learn more about Health First and how we give back to our community, please visit HFgivesback.org.
