Countdown to the Apogee Awards: Wiggan, McCoy, Rutherford honored as top HR Executives

SFBW has been counting down the days to the Apogee Awards celebration on Oct. 21 at the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale, with biographies about the winners in each of the eight Apogee categories: chairman, CEO, president, COO, CFO, CMO, CIO and top HR executive.

 The event is being presented by the Octagon Family of Recruiting Companies (including its divisions of Octagon Technology Staffing and Octagon Professional Recruiting). Other sponsors include Quantified IT, Tripp Scott, BankUnited, Comcast Business and NSU Art Museum.

Here are the top HR executive biographies:

Broward: Tracy Wiggan, Federated National

For over 20 years, Tracy Wiggan has focused her career in the financial services industry. She joined Federated National (formerly 21st Century Holding Co.) in 2005 and was promoted to director of human resources in 2008, where she continues to oversee the growth and development of the company with responsibilities for compliance, training and development, payroll/compensation and benefits. She recently took over the operations of facilities management in addition to her HR responsibilities.

 

Federated National, which began in 1992, offers homeowners insurance, condo insurance, flood insurance, umbrella liability insurance and general liability insurance. It has a financial stability rating of “A” (exceptional) from Demotech.

 

Wiggan believes in education and volunteers her time at a local high school where she speaks to junior and senior classes about the expectations of entering the workforce.

 

Miami-Dade: Adriene McCoy, Baptist Health South Florida

 

Adriene McCoy has more than 20 years of experience in health care human resources management. She leads Baptist Health South Florida’s HR function, which includes talent management, talent acquisition, benefits, compensation, leadership development, employee learning, HR operations and employee communications.

 

McCoy’s background includes leadership roles in both for-profit and nonprofit health care environments, including large hospital systems and acute and long-term care facilities. Since joining Baptist Health eight years ago, her mission has been to transform the HR team to make it more responsive to the needs of employees and the business. During her tenure, Baptist Health has increased its employee population by almost 5,000.

 

McCoy is on the advisory board for FIU’s Center for Leadership and on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. She is the 2015 winner of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Executive Leadership Excellence Award. 

 

Palm Beach: Jo Carol Rutherford, SBA Communications

 

Jo Carol Rutherford has been the senior vice president and chief human resources officer of SBA Communications (NASDAQ: SBAC) since January 2014. Since joining the company in July 2001 as vice president of human resources, she has been instrumental in overseeing critical functions that drive culture, organizational growth and change management to support SBA’s corporate strategy on a global basis.

 

Prior to joining SBA, Rutherford spent nine years with Invacare Corporation, an ISO-certified manufacturer of home health care products. From 1998 until 2001, she was corporate director of human resources for Dixon Ticonderoga, where she managed all human resource functions, including collective bargaining, plant consolidations and organization restructuring.

 

Rutherford has a bachelor of arts in organizational psychology and an MBA and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

You May Also Like
MODS Names New Board Trustees

Museum of Discovery and Science
Taps Healthcare and Tech Leadership for Board Chair and Trustee Roles

Read More
A white modern building with palm trees in front, labeled "Museum of Discovery and Science," featuring a distinctive arched roof and banners, under a blue sky with scattered clouds. South Florida Business & Wealth
A Study in Statesmanship

PBA’s 2026 LeMieux Speaker Series Opens with Pompeo and Kerry

Read More
Two older men in suits and ties are shown in separate circular frames with gold borders. The man on the left has light hair and a serious expression; the man on the right has gray hair and a slight smile. South Florida Business & Wealth
Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Senior Living

Melissa Honig becomes the first woman CEO in John Knox Village’s history, signaling a thoughtful evolution in Florida senior living.

Read More
A woman with long, straight blonde hair smiles broadly at the camera. She is wearing a sleeveless pink and white top and is posed in front of a plain, light-colored background. South Florida Business & Wealth
Other Posts
Where the Money Still Says “Yes”

In Fort Lauderdale and beyond, lenders and buyers are voting for proven assets, strong locations, and real demand.

Read More
Aerial view of a waterfront cityscape with tall modern buildings, a large hotel or convention center, palm trees, and several yachts docked along a marina under a partly cloudy sky. South Florida Business & Wealth
Rewriting the Blueprint

From development and design to brokerage and urban planning, these women are changing not just skylines, but the culture behind them.

Read More
Blueprint-style illustration featuring silhouettes of five women holding blueprints, standing in front of a cityscape and architectural plans, with the text “The Women Rewriting The Blueprint” prominently displayed above. South Florida Business & Wealth
Radence Plants Its Flag in West Palm Beach

The precision health company selects South Florida for its flagship hub, underscoring the region’s rising influence in healthcare innovation.

Read More
Skyline of West Palm Beach at sunset with modern buildings reflected in the water. Text reads: "Radence Chooses West Palm Beach for Flagship Hub—Boosting South Florida’s Role in Healthcare and Technology Innovation. South Florida Business & Wealth
PEBB Enterprises Sells Cypress Creek Office Asset for $11.93 Million

Longtime owner exits the 6400 Building as it sharpens focus on new South Florida office opportunities

Read More