17
A LUMNI S U C C E S S
MICHAEL GELDART J.D. ’88:
ADVOCACY TRAINING
IN LAW SCHOOL DRIVES
SUCCESSFUL CAREER
B Y E . A L A N B ROCK J . D . ’ 1 7 / L L . M . ’ 1 8
“Law school will give you the tools to achieve any number
of successes,” said Michael Geldart J.D. ’88. “Whether it
is as a lawyer, running a company, or as an investor: law
school opens those doors.”
Geldart credits Stetson’s advocacy training with providing him
with the foundation that allowed him to succeed throughout his
life, as a lawyer, business leader, and highly-sought consultant.
“Law schools above all else, and especially Stetson, teach you
how to think differently,” said Geldart. “Our advocacy school
trains you on how to analyze problems, find solutions, and
communicate those ideas with stakeholders.”
In addition to the training that Stetson provided, Geldart gives
credit to his wife, Kimberly, for her support in helping meet the
challenges that he continues to set personally and professionally.
Geldart’s life has been driven by pursuing and overcoming new
challenges. He considered law school an interesting challenge
and looked for ways to succeed while at Stetson. Geldart excelled
at school and was active with the Elder Law Clinic. Volunteering
with the Elder Law Clinic allowed him to build his skills and
learn more about how healthcare policies impact the daily lives of
senior citizens.
After graduating from Stetson, Geldart joined the prestigious law
firm of Holland and Knight, where he focused on meeting the
needs of his clients and zealously representing them. His Stetson
Law training had prepared him to succeed and allowed him to
rise to partner while representing health care organizations
including hospitals, long-term care facilities, research organizations,
physician groups and home health agencies.
It was one of these health care organizations,
after being acquired by a
private equity firm, that recognized his
talents and presented him with a new
challenge: working inside the company
as general counsel. There, he developed
an interest in health care policy and
moved from his direct legal services
role to becoming the chief operating
officer and then executive vice
president.
He used the analytical thinking he
honed in law school to find company
challenges, identify additional resources needed to excel, and
help that company reach its full potential. Geldart has since
become a highly sought consultant. In particular, he is very
proud of his work with BioTELEMETRY, Inc. He began his
time with this publicly traded company as the senior vice president
of corporate strategy and business development and would
become its chief operating officer.
Geldart is a partner with Excellere Partners Capital Management,
currently serving as its chief compliance officer. Excellere is a
middle-market private equity investment firm based in Denver,
Colorado. He views Excellere as more than just a source of
capital for its investments, but rather as a firm with a buy-andbuild
growth strategy that empowers its investments through a
supportive culture proven to increase value.
Geldart has been invited to share a lifetime of knowledge in a
new role, teaching a course for the new Master of Jurisprudence
in Healthcare Compliance program starting at Stetson in the
fall.
Our advocacy school trains you on how to
analyze problems, find solutions, and
communicate those ideas with stakeholders.
— Michael Geldart J.D. ‘88
Michael Geldart