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Andrew Hertz receives the gavel from Ford Gibson.

Orange Bowl Committee members (and Coral Gables residents) Bethany Baldwin Tesche and Shelly Daniel Rutherford with Jeannett Slesnick.

Orange Bowl Committee members Wayne Schuchts and past president Phillis Oeters.

Andrew Hertz with Past Presidents Christopher Knight and Arthur Hertz.

Andrew Hertz with family: from left back row father Arthur, himself a past president and chair, mother Linda, wife Jana, brother Stephen and sons Alexander and Joshua in the front row.

Andrew Hertz, president and general manager of Miami Seaquarium, was installed as the Orange Bowl Committee’s new president and chair during a reception Tuesday evening, Jan. 29, at the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables.

An Orange Bowl Committee member since 2001, Hertz succeeds immediate past president and chair O. Ford Gibson as the 75^th president of the Orange Bowl Committee.

Hertz, son of  Arthur Hertz, chairman and CEO of Wometco Enterprises, will oversee the committee’s continued mission to promote and serve the South Florida community, while presiding over the 2013-14 Discover Orange Bowl Festival and Game, which will mark the 80^th anniversary of the Orange Bowl.

In addition to the annual football game, the 2013-14 Discover Orange Bowl Festival includes the 20^th Annual MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic and a collection of entertainment, family and youth sports events.

“Having years of experience serving on the committees of key tourism and commerce organizations locally and across the state, I look forward to driving the positive impact the Orange Bowl Committee has on our community, both on an economic and civic level,” said Hertz. “Showcasing all that South Florida has to offer visitors, the 80^th Discover Orange Bowl will build upon the momentum of the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game to illustrate our home as a premier destination for championship college football.”

In addition to his duties presiding over the game and festival, Hertz will oversee the Orange Bowl’s commitment to youth sports in South Florida. On an annual basis, the Orange Bowl donates almost $1 million to the South Florida community, funding a variety of initiatives that impact more than 16,000 kids including the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance presented by Sports Authority, various scholarship programs and many other youth athletic events.

Hertz will also oversee the development of the Orange Bowl Committee’s third legacy gift project, the restoration of a park in Ives Estates. This follows the committee’s recent unveiling of the renovated Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale this past January and Moore Park in Allapattah in 2011.

Luis E. Boué moves into Hertz’s previous role as president-elect and chair-elect and will serve as the 76^th president and chair during the 2014-15 year. Lee E. Stapleton will serve as first vice chair and will become president and chair of the 2015-16 Orange Bowl Festival. Eric L. Poms enters his eighth year as the chief executive officer and marks his 21^st year overall with the committee.

“As the Orange Bowl prepares for the next phase of the new college football playoff system, I am confident that Andrew Hertz will lead the charge in continuing to make the Orange Bowl one of college football’s premier bowl games,” Poms said. “I know his expert management and passion for local tourism will play into the committee’s vision of enhancing the South Florida community.”