Bob Clark’s gift honors Julie Serovich and empowers future leaders

Oct. 22, 2025
by Molly Urnek

Julie Serovich wasn’t expecting to make a life-changing friendship at a football game.

Having just moved to Tampa to serve as the dean of the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Serovich was cheering on the Bulls for the first time when Bob Clark, MBA ’80, a prominent business leader and executive director of the Miss Tampa pageant, approached her. 
“We just hit it off,” Serovich recalls.

After the Bulls defeated the Chattanooga Mocs that night, Clark invited Serovich to his Friday luncheon — a weekly gathering of Tampa’s notable community members and leaders, where Serovich has since become a regular. For 13 years, she’s brought deans and other university leaders to the lunch, forging friendships and embedding USF more deeply into the civic and cultural life of Tampa Bay one meal at a time.

“If anyone needs help, I point them in her direction, and she gets the job done,” Clark says.

Moved by her natural ability to uplift and connect people, Clark surprised Serovich with a $250,000 gift to create the Serovich Scholars Program — a scholarship for students in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences who demonstrate leadership and community involvement.
When she heard the news, Serovich had to hold back tears.

“I didn’t even hear the right number the first time, I was so in shock,” Serovich says. “When I learned the true amount, I was amazed and overwhelmed by his generosity.”

Bob Clark and his family built Florida’s oldest steel erecting and fabricating company, Tampa Steel Erecting. He’s constructed bridges across Florida and directed notable projects like the geodesic dome at Epcot’s Spaceship Earth.

Since meeting in 2012, Clark and Serovich have been working together to bridge USF with the broader community. At the weekly lunches, which began over 20 years ago, university community members have broken bread with representatives from all sectors, from city mayors and pageant winners to police chiefs and medical professionals.

“Competition doesn’t exist at the table,” Clark says. “We’re all here to support one another and strengthen our city.”

Clark has also championed Serovich’s entry into the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and its Leadership Tampa program, deepening her ties to the city and amplifying USF’s presence among community leaders. Serovich also served as chair of her cohort in the Leadership Tampa program. 
“At any event, Bob would always save me a seat next to him,” Serovich says. “He made me feel relaxed and like I belonged.”

That sense of belonging never ends when the event does. After every Friday lunch, Clark sends a photo — printed, not digital — often with a handwritten note to every attendee. Serovich keeps them all, displayed on her office desk. One note describes her as “the glue.” Another, “a real connector of people.” One reads: “You are a high-octane lady. The more I learn about your college, the more I marvel.”

“Julie fits in with everyone and knows everyone,” Clark says. “If you want to know the community, you just need to know her.”
Through his gift, generations of students will know Julie Serovich — not just as a dean, but as a connector, a mentor and the heart behind a scholarship that celebrates leadership and community.

The Serovich Scholars program supports students whose careers are built on compassion. The first cohort of recipients includes an impressive group of volunteers, researchers and leaders who are driven to uplift underserved communities.

“These students embody everything the Serovich Scholars program is meant to celebrate: leadership, compassion and a deep commitment to making a difference,” Serovich says. “Their drive to serve others is inspirational.”

What started as a Bulls win under the Saturday night lights at Raymond James Stadium has turned into victories for generations of changemakers — scholarships that relieve financial burdens and empower students who feel called to help those who need it most.