Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 3-9-18

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018
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Taking Over His Family’s Dental Practice Has Been A Lifetime Of Training
DR. BRIAN LIGON ... Taking Over Family’s Dental Practice
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Some years ago when Dr. Mendee Ligon and her late husband, Dr. Reginald Ligon started plan- ning how to shift from owners of their thriving dental practice to retirement, they didn’t have to look far for a willing successor.
For years, their son – Dr. Brian Ligon – had been at their side learn- ing the business from the inside out. ‘To know that when it was time, he would be more than willing to step in and take over was a relief,’ Dr. Mendee said.
“Reggie and I were very happy be- cause we didn’t have to go through a broker to sell the practice and transfer it,” she said. “It was a huge blessing for him to be in place like that.” Being a blessing is a family trait for the Ligons. For more than 40 years, scores of patients have visited the practice on St. Petersburg’s Southside to get routine treatment as well as im-
plants and oral surgery.
But perhaps the Ligons greatest
legacy isn’t what happened inside those four walls, but in the commu- nity.
Evidence of this is the recent re- naming of the Lakewood Baseball Complex to the Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ligon Baseball Complex. It’s a fitting tribute for a man who devoted many years to Bay Point Little League, at one time serving as its president and over- saw the installation of new fields.
Dr. Reginald, who passed away last August, was heavily involved in the community and served in many ca- pacities in many organizations, includ- ing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., All Children’s Hospital, Leadership St. Pete, and the Suncoasters of St. Peters- burg.
Along the way, he mentored dozens of youth and was revered as a giant in the community.
But his influence was greatest in his own family, which includes daugh- ters, Shannon and Evan.
When Brian set off for college on a basketball scholarship at Butler Uni- versity in Indianapolis, he had an eye on a career in the music business.
Brian also had considered a pro- fessional basketball career. But he began rethinking his post-college
plans after suffering a few injuries. He settled on dentistry after realiz- ing a connection between the profes-
sion and the music industry.
Both allowed for creativity and in-
volved the use of technology – all pluses for Brian.
“It translated with me and I thought it was a pretty cool career with all the technology involved,” he said.
Brian would continue to nurture his love for music in other ways (last year, he released a jazz CD, Nowhere But Here) and began down the same career path as his parents. After grad- uating from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in 2011, Dr. Brian returned to St. Petersburg and joined his parents in the family practice.
The decision to become a dentist and work in the family practice was entirely his own, Dr. Mendee said.
“I didn’t want to push anybody into a decision,” she said. “We tried to ex- pose him to different professions.”
After some years, the Ligons de- cided Brian was ready to take on full responsibility of the practice.
Dr. Mendee now works for her son part-time.
“It’s time,” she said. “I’ve got 35 years in.”
For Brian, the transition from partner to owner has been smooth,
thanks to the years of apprenticeship in both dentistry and business that he received under his parents.
“They were great parents growing up, so it wasn’t hard for me to come back home and learn the business,” he said. “When it came time to decide, they started telling me about being in practice and being a business owner.”
Nowadays, Dr. Brian balances managing a thriving business and a burgeoning music career all while fol- lowing in his father’s footsteps in an- other role: community servant.
Like Dr. Reginald, Dr. Brian volunteers his time with young ath- letes, especially basketball players at his alma mater, Lakewood High School.
Dr. Brian Ligon at the helm of the family business has proven to be “a good fit,” his mother said.
“He’s doing a good job. I told him, ‘I’m going to look over your shoulder because that’s what mothers do’.”
Dr. Brian says, the journey ahead “isn’t easy but definitely doable,” thanks to the mentoring and encour- agement he’s received from his par- ents.
“I’m just trying to keep going what they have established. “They provided me with a great opportunity. I can’t thank them enough.”
USF System Names New Vice President For Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity
The University of South Florida recently selected Dr. Haywood L. Brown as its new Vice President For Di- versity, Inclusion, & Equal Opportunity and Title IX Ad- ministrator. Dr. Brown will begin serving in his new ca- pacity on July 1, 2018.
In addition to his new USF System role, Dr. Brown has also been named Associate Dean for Diversity at the Morsani College of Medicine and Chief Diversity Officer for USF Health.
Dr. Brown, who is an experienced physician, re- searcher, and leader in higher education, will work across the entire institution. He will be responsible for shaping and implementing policies that support the Uni-
versity’s strategic goals and mission.
He will be responsible for leading USF’s diversity and Title IX programs, and he will also work closely with senior leadership to develop diverse modeling across the institution. Dr. Brown will oversee the implementation of the USF System Diversity Strategic Plan.
Dr. Brown said, “I am so honored to have this op- portunity at USF. Through- out my career, I have recognized the importance of diversity in achieving excel- lence in education and com- munity engagement, particularly as it relates to population health and health outcomes.”
At USF Health, Dr.
DR. HAYWOOD L. BROWN
Brown will provide vision, leadership, coordination and strategic planning for the de- sign and implementation of a USF Health-wide platform to enhance diversity, equity and respect. He will work to align
USF Health’s diversity initia- tives with the university’s strategic plan and provide guidance on the recruitment and retention of a diverse community of students, fac- ulty and staff.
Dr. Brown comes to USF from Duke University Medical Center, where he has worked in several capacities since 2002. Most recently, Dr. Brown served as the F. Bayard Carter Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has held leadership roles in a number of university committees.
Prior to his time at Duke University, Dr. Brown spent more than a decade at Indiana University School of Medicine. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and his Medical Degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University.
“Diversity is also about recognizing the talent each individual brings to an insti- tution and to society in order to contribute to diverse de- mographics of our communi- ties. So much of my work in medicine has been at the community level and to help inspire young learners, espe- cially underrepresented mi- nors to strive for excellence.
“Getting this opportunity at USF to contribute at the undergraduate level at this time in my career is a dream come true,” Dr. Brown said.