As seen in the Fall 2025 DU Review magazine

 

The 26th annual Excellence in Business Gala, which was held in May, was attended by more than 400 guests and raised $285,000 to support scholarships for Davenport students.

The event recognized Dr. Anthony Chang, founder and CEO of BAMF Health, as this year’s Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award winner and featured special guest and tennis legend John McEnroe. The university also celebrated the 2025 Gerald R. Ford Memorial Scholarship recipient, Maya Deaton.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Davenport University Scholarship Fund, which provides critical financial support for deserving and talented students. Thanks to the generous support of donors and event sponsors, 90% of Davenport’s students receive financial assistance.

“Davenport graduates contribute tremendously to our region and have a positive impact on the well-being of our communities,” said Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D., president of Davenport University. “More than 90% of our graduates stay in Michigan and give back by working in our hospitals, schools, nonprofits and other industries. Supporting the Excellence in Business Gala makes an incredible difference for our promising students and helps them get where the world is going in business, technology, health and urban education.”

 

2025 Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award Winner

Dr. Anthony Chang

The prestigious Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award is presented annually to someone who exemplifies professional success and commitment to community service. This year, we recognized our 26th recipient, Anthony Chang, founder and CEO of BAMF (Bold Advanced Medical Future) Health.

“We are recognizing Dr. Chang for his incredible tenacity and leadership and for providing world-class cancer treatment and cutting-edge technology in Grand Rapids,” said Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D., president of Davenport University. “He is a visionary leader and possesses the attributes of the award’s namesake, Peter C. Cook. He also serves as a Davenport University trustee.”

Chang founded BAMF Health in 2018 to offer advanced care for cancer patients and those suffering from various neurodegenerative diseases. Chang’s team of highly skilled clinicians at BAMF uses cutting-edge medicine and is dedicated to delivering innovative and life-saving treatments.

“It is most humbling and surreal to receive this award, and I’m mindful of the legacy this award represents,” said Chang. “To be counted among the previous winners is a privilege, and I don’t take it lightly.”

Chang is the youngest recipient of the Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award. When he learned that he had been chosen for the award, he thought, why me? “I realized that by choosing me for this honor, Davenport is trying to make a statement that resilience, bold ideas, dreams and solving impossible problems make the world a better place,” he said. “It’s also a strong signal that a future we’re moving toward is where leadership, excellence and impact are recognized, not where you came from, but where we’re going to go together,” he said.

Chang went on to say that he represents other entrepreneurs who fight to succeed but still wake up every morning with an incurable passion to make things happen. “I believe this award recognizes in me and BAMF Health those who dare to solve problems that no one has solved before,” he said. “What defines a founder and a team isn’t how perfectly the path is laid out but how you keep moving forward when there is no path. The ability to tackle new and unexplored terrain, to dream boldly, to pick yourself and never give up – this is the heart of an entrepreneur.”

This award is not about me. It goes to my entire team because they define excellence, put patients first, and deliver exceptional care.”

 

Gerald R. Ford Memorial Scholarship recipient

Maya Deaton, Health and Human Service Case Management major

Maya Deaton was selected as this year’s Gerald R. Ford Memorial Scholarship recipient for demonstrating the characteristics of Michigan’s own President Gerald R. Ford, who coached and taught at Davenport before becoming president of the United States. Those traits include demonstrating leadership, civic responsibility, service ethics and courage of conviction.

Deaton graduated from Grand Haven High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and competed and led the Grand Haven girls’ swim and dive team. She will be joining Davenport’s swim and dive team and plans to earn a bachelor’s in Health and Human Service Case Management. Her plans include pursuing a master’s in occupational therapy while she works in the Grand Rapids area as an emergency medical technician while she is in school.

Deaton was pleased to receive the Gerald R. Ford Memorial Scholarship, which covers full tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, textbooks and an opportunity to study abroad. “I understand that this journey is not about achieving personal success or recognition but about fulfilling a greater purpose to serve others and contribute positively to society,” Deaton said.

 

2025 featured guest: John McEnroe

This year’s Excellence in Business Gala featured tennis legend, broadcaster, philanthropist and best-selling author, John McEnroe. He sat down with Davenport President Richard J. Pappas for an exclusive conversation about his personal life and exceptional career.

McEnroe began playing tennis when he was eight. He was the youngest #1 ranked male in the history of professional tennis, and won a slew of major titles, including Grand Slams, US Open Championships and three Wimbledon titles, and is a five-time Davis Cup Champion.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999 and is arguably considered one of the greatest players of all time, and he just might owe it all to his high school basketball coach. “I played basketball in high school, and when I was a junior, the coach couldn’t see what I could bring to the table,” he said. “I didn’t want to sit on the bench, so that was the end of my basketball career. I’m so thankful for that coach because it actually got me on the tennis court more, and then I went to #1 in the world.”

During the pair’s conversation, McEnroe stressed that to be one of the world’s greatest tennis players, he had to continuously push himself to be better, to do better, something he continues with the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and the Johnny Mac Tennis project, both of which provide opportunities for young players.

McEnroe spoke of the first time he played Jimmy Connors. It was 1977, and McEnroe was an 18-year-old amateur going up against one of the best players in the world on one of tennis’ biggest stages: Wimbledon. “I had never played on the center court at Wimbledon and was completely overwhelmed,” he said. “I lost to Connors and then went to college to give myself time to prepare for the pros.” That decision turned out to be just what McEnroe needed to advance to the next level. He went on to play Connors 33 times and beat him 20-13.

“Jimmy was one of my favorite players because no one ever tried harder than he did, so I respected him,” McEnroe said. “At night I’d go to my hotel room, look in the mirror and ask myself if I was playing as hard as Jimmy Connors, and most of the time, it felt like the answer was no. Thanks to him, I found another gear and we made each other better players.”

McEnroe told of another memorable match, and loss, to Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon in 1980. While McEnroe lost the match, he called it a good loss. “It was the greatest match I had ever been a part of because it changed the way people looked at me,” he said. “I had a bad reputation in England at the time, and even though I lost the match, I gained respect from the other players, the fans and the media, so even though I lost, it elevated me and made me hungry. And that made me realize I needed to find that other gear to get better.” McEnroe and Borg played each other 14 times and split 7-7.

McEnroe is known all over the world for his passion on the court and his fiery personality. For McEnroe, it wasn’t just a personality trait; it was a necessity. “I wanted to win and had to figure out a way to get an edge over my opponents, so I brought that intensity and energy,” he said.