Mayo Clinic in Florida CEO Kent Thielen, M.D., will receive the 2026 “Rock of the Community Award” at the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach’s annual Mineral City Celebration, to be held April 18 at the Hilton Jacksonville at Mayo Clinic. Thielen will be honored for his contributions to the health and well-being of Northeast Florida residents.

“Each year, the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club honors a deserving individual to thank them for their civic contributions and to inspire others to embrace a spirit of service,” club President Chris Eckols said. “Through his leadership of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Florida, Dr. Thielen has improved countless lives. We are thrilled to honor him as the 2026 Rock of the Community.”

A member of the Mayo Clinic staff for more than 35 years, Thielen also serves as vice president of Mayo Clinic. He previously served as chair of the Mayo Clinic Department of Radiology in the Midwest and chair of the Division of Neuroradiology in the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Thielen received his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from South Dakota State University and his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his residency training in diagnostic radiology at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester and was chief resident from 1993 to 1994. He subsequently completed a three-year combined fellowship in diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, before joining the Mayo Clinic faculty in 1996.

Thielen also serves as a professor of radiology in the Department of Radiology. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology with additional Certificate of Added Qualifications in Neuroradiology.

The Mineral City Celebration is the signature annual fundraising event for the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach. Proceeds from the event have benefited dozens of local nonprofit organizations and charities, including the Beaches Dial-a-Ride program, Mission House, BEAM, HEAL, K9s for Warriors, United Way of St. Johns County, the Council on Aging, Volunteers in Medicine and more.

For tickets or more information, go to www.mineralcitycelebration.com.