October 17, 2023
Class Notes: Fall 2023
Five alumni received honorary degrees during commencement in May 2023. The keynote speaker was actor and activist Hill Harper, shown at far left, next to College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G. Honored were, from left, Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson ’97G, Charles M. Borkoski ’71, Donna J. Formichella, M.D. ’78, Robert J. Palmisano ’66, and Sheila M. Harrity, Ed.D. ’87, who was the keynote speaker at the continuing education and graduate ceremony.
1970s
Geoffrey Gneuhs ’70 of New York, New York, exhibited his paintings at the Prince Street Gallery in New York City in July. A member of the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, founded by Mark Rothko and Mil- ton Avery in 1940, Gneuhs is a representa- tional and figurative artist. His portrait of Dorothy Day, Servant of God, is the official image for her canonization.
Peter J. Malia ’73 of Cheshire, Connecticut, owner of The Connecticut Press, published its 15th title in 2023, with two more on the way. “And to think that it all started thanks to Dr. Walter Mullen’s American his- tory class,” Malia said.
Reginald Nunnally ’74 of Stoughton, Massachusetts, who retired in 2015 after a 30-year career in commercial and business development, was elected to the Stoughton Redevelopment Authority. He will help to create a plan to redevelop downtown Stoughton.
Lisa Connolly Gilbride ’75 of Topsham, Maine, was inducted into the U.S. Tennis Association of New England Hall of Fame during a cere- mony in June 2023 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. As a PC student, she helped establish the women’s tennis program under Helen Bert, founder of the women’s athletics program, and was the first woman to win the college’s Athlete of the Year honor in 1975. She also coached the ten- nis team from 1975-1980, leading the Friars to compete in the national championship in California in her final season. She was assistant coach of women’s basketball from 1976-1980, when her husband, Tim Gilbride ’74, was head coach. She later coached the Brunswick High School girls team to two Maine state titles, earning coach of the year honors both times, and the Springfield College women to a New
England Division III championship, also as conference coach of the year. Until her retire- ment in 2022, she was director of racquet sports at the Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta, where she molded the lives of hundreds of young players over the course of 27 years, including more than 500 who were part of the organization’s free tennis program for school children.
Stephen P. Sugrue, Ph.D. ’75 of Guilford, Connecticut, retired after nearly three decades with the University of Florida. After graduat- ing from PC, he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, then completed postdoctoral studies at Har- vard Medical School, where he was appointed to the faculty in 1983. He joined the Univer- sity of Florida College of Medicine in 1995, serving as professor and chair of the Depart- ment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, associate director of the UF Cancer Center, senior associate dean of research, and most recent- ly as associate vice president for research at UF Health. Following his retirement, he and his wife, Michele, relocated to southern Con- necticut, where they are enjoying life back in New England.
Michael Mancusi, LICSW ’77 of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, was presented the Massachusetts Community Health Center Clinician Award by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He was honored for his work as chief behavioral officer for the East Boston Community Health Center, where he has worked for 38 years. He manages more than 50 team members and oversees departments, including Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Services, and community-based programs, such as the Community Resources and Wellness Center in East Boston and the Student Wellness Center at East Boston High School. He studied social work at PC and earned a master’s degree from Simmons University.
1980s
Michael Wzyga ’83G of Boston was named to the board of directors of Carina Biotech, a cell therapy immune-oncology company. He is the founder of MSW Consulting, Inc., a strategic consulting group focused on the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He previously was president, CEO, and board member of Radius Health, a specialty biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bone health and expanding access for patients. He holds an MBA from PC.
Randall W. Epright ’84 of Old Lyme, Connecticut, was appointed partner at Apollo Global Management, where he is executive vice president and chief information officer for Athene Holding Ltd., Apollo’s retirement services company.
Kevin Lewis ’85 of Swansea, Massachusetts, was named vice president, business and commercial lending at BankNewport. He is responsible for deepening relationships and generating new business in the commercial real estate and industrial space. Lewis brings more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry to his new position, most recently with Bank of America as vice president, business banking. He studied finance at PC.
John Streker ’86 of Clearwater, Florida, retired from a career in the U.S. Customs Service. He joined Customs in 1987 after graduating from PC, first serving in the Port of Boston. He went on to teach at the Customs Academy and represented Customs numerous times over-seas. He spent time in the private sector as an import manager and a licensed customs broker before returning to Customs to retire from the Port of Savannah. He earned a master’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh along the way. He looks forward to a nice, long, warm retirement with his wife, Diana.
Mark Welch ’86 of North Providence, Rhode Island, was appointed to the position of magistrate within the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal by the Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice, with the advice and consent of the Rhode Island Senate.
Pamela Fath LaBreche ’87, ’00G of Cumberland, Rhode Island, was named vice president, business and commercial lending officer at BankNewport. She works with branch managers, residential lending officers, merchant services, and cash management partners to help business clients achieve financial goals. LaBreche is vice president of the Gateway Real Estate Board, a division of Lifespan, and in 2019 was named a Rhode Island Small Busi- ness Association Financial Services Champion. She also was recognized as a New England Financial Services “Woman of Fire” by American Business Media. She studied management at PC and holds an MBA from the college.
Ann Falsey Lawlor ’89 of North Haven, Connecticut, was nominated to serve as a judge
on the Connecticut Superior Court by Governor Ned Lamont. She previously was a supervisory assistant state’s attorney.She studied English at PC and earned a law degree from New England Law.
1990s
Debra Saunders ’93SCE of Barrington, Rhode Island, was named an associate judge on the Rhode Island District Court by Governor Dan McKee. She had been clerk of the Rhode Island Supreme Court since 2008 and previously was Supreme Court deputy general counsel, a special attorney general, and a law- yer in private practice. She was a longtime member of Supreme Court committees, including the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, and is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School.
Steven M. Christman ’94 of Centerport, New York, was named managing attorney of the New York City office of Marshall Dennehey, where he oversees 50 employees, including 24 attorneys. Christman joined the firm’s
Casualty Department in 2008 and supervised the NYC office Casualty Litigation Group before being named the managing attorney. He holds the highest level of peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting his legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law and a member of the New York State bar association.
Thomas Sheehan ’97, ’06G of Warwick, Rhode Island, joined UBS Wealth Management in Providence as a financial advisor. He manages more than $305 million in client assets and has more than 20 years of wealth management industry experience, most recently at Merrill Lynch, where he was senior financial advisor and senior vice president. He is a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor. Sheehan studied history at PC and earned an MBA from the college.
Marc Russo ’98 of North Haven, Connecticut, was named principal of Irving School, a public elementary school in Derby where he had been dean of students since 2019. He formerly was dean of students at Derby Middle School and worked in North Haven for 18 years, teaching language arts and mathematics while coaching baseball, softball, and football. He studied finance at PC, earned a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of New Haven, and holds a sixth-year certificate in educational leadership from Quinnipiac University.
Ellie Fantini Cullinan ’99 of Wellesley, Massachusetts, was named a 2023 Woman of Influence in commercial real estate by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum. She is executive vice president and principal at Freudenheim Partners in Boston. Honorees were recognized at the annual Women of Influence conference in Lake Tahoe, California, in July 2023.
Leah Goldman Sarantopoulos ’99 of Lexington, South Carolina, was appointed principal of Beechwood Middle School effective July 1, 2023. She previously was assistant principal of Carolina Springs Middle School. She began her teaching career at White Knoll Middle School in 2002 and was named its Teacher of the Year in 2011. She also was named the South Carolina Middle Level Assistant Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators in 2020. A marketing major at PC, she received a master’s degree in divergent learning from Columbia College and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of South Carolina. She also holds national board certification. She is married to Daniel Sarantopoulos ’98.
2000s
Nicholas Horne ’00, ’04G, ’15G of Harrisville, Rhode Island, was named Outstanding Mathematics Teacher of the Year for 2023 by the Rhode Island Mathematics Teachers Association. He also was named the Burrillville School Department’s Outstanding District Teacher of the Year. He has taught mathematics at Burrillville High School for 23 years and also is an adjunct professor at the Community College of Rhode Island and a rater for the Education Testing Service. Horne studied mathematics/secondary education at PC, then earned a master’s degree in mathematics education in 2004 and a master’s degree in history in 2015.
Sean Patrick Lenahan ’00 of Wilton, Connecticut, was named managing director in his role as an endowment and foundation specialist in the Institutional Investments and Phil- anthropic Solutions Group at Bank of America. Lenahan joined Bank of America Private Bank seven years ago after a 10-year career at the Commonfund. He works with boards, committees, and senior staff members of nonprofits and private foundations across New England and New York to help them meet their missions that impact society. Lenahan serves on the board of directors for the Family & Children’s Agency and on the sustainability committee of the Center for Fam- ily Justice. He also leads community outreach at his place of worship, Northeast Community Church in Connecticut..
Erin Joy Schmidt ’00 of Greenville, Rhode Island, an assistant professor of theatre at PC, wrote and performed a play, My Name is Norma, at the 2023 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C., in July. The play was inspired by the life of Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Schmidt is a professional actor with more than 20 years of experience on stage, but this was her first time writing a play. She has an MFA in acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University.
Jennifer Gombotz DeLorenzo ’01 of Plainville, Connecticut, was named principal of Plainville High School, where she had been assistant principal since 2019. She began her career as a mathematics teacher at Plainville High in 2001 and also served as mathematics instructional leader. She has a master of education degree from Walden University and a sixth- year certification from Sacred Heart University. She is a member of the National Educators Association, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. She played basketball for the Friars, scoring 1,133 career points with 215 assists and 175 steals, and was named to the BIG EASTAll-Rookie team her first year.
Attorney Erika Olson O’Donnell ’01 of Dedham, Massachusetts, was appointed co-managing partner at Shepard Law, a leading asbestos personal injury law firm in Massachusetts for 25 years. She will run the firm alongside founder Michael Shepard ’91. In conjunction with the leadership change, the firm rebrand- ed to Shepard O’Donnell. O’Donnell joined Shepard Law as an associate in 2005. She has achieved multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts in cases involving mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases, smoking-related cancers, and pharmaceutical drugs and devices. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Worcester Bar Association, the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, and the American Association for Justice, and has been recognized by Massachusetts Super Lawyers since 2012.
Matthew Gallo ’02 of Wilton, Connecticut, was named executive vice president, managing director, corporate banking for BankUnited and will lead a new corporate banking team serving the New York metropolitan area. He has more than 20 years of experience in the market. He most recently was managing director, business banking for First Republic Bank and also was a senior vice president at BankUnited from 2013-2018. He graduated with honors with a master’s degree in criminal justice terrorism studies from John Jay College in Manhattan.
William Klements ’02 of Norton, Massachusetts, was named assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Providence. He previously was principal at East Bridgewater Junior Senior High School in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He holds a master of education degree from Boston College. Bill and his wife, Katie McBrine Klements ’04, have been married for 16 years and are the parents of five.
Christina Amanti Mathieu ’03, ’16G of Westerly, Rhode Island, was appointed director of pupil personnel services for Westerly Public Schools.
Lori Queen ’03 of Boston was promoted to paralegal in the home office legal department at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
Frank Caliva ’04 of Cumberland, Rhode Island, is the national spokeperson for the Retail Energy Supply Association, the trade association representing competitive retail energy suppliers. He is the media spokesperson, develops content on retail energy market developments, testifies before state legislatures and public utility commissions, and participates in planning and initiatives for the organization. In 2014, he founded P.R. Quinlan Associates, a business-to-business consulting firm focused on retail energy policy for electricity and national gas suppliers and brokers, and a consumer education coalition for competitive suppliers. He studied political science at PC and has a master’s degree in international business-government relations from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Alena Mazotas ’05 of Fairfield, Connecticut, joined the communications team at the Catholic Medical Mission Board. Inspired by the example of Jesus, the board uses global partnerships to deliver locally sustainable, quality health solutions to women, children, and their communities. Alena will work to ensure that the organization is strategically focused on the communications efforts most meaningful to the mission of healthier lives worldwide. She has a degree in computer science from PC and an MBA from American International College.
Zachary McBride ’05 of Sherborn, Massachusetts, was appointed general counsel at Solera Health, a technology platform that connects individuals with health solutions. He advises the company in its mission to drive value, enhance consumer experience, and improve outcomes for payers and employer health managers. McBride previously was associate general counsel at Galileo, a venture-backed national telehealth organization. A health policy and management major at PC and a graduate of New England Law, he is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Kimberly Ahern ’06 of Providence was ap- pointed to the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission by Governor Dan McKee and serves as its first chair. The commission over- sees the regulation, licensing, and enforcement of adult use and medical cannabis in the state. Ahern, a public and community service studies major at PC, most recently was the governor’s deputy chief of staff. She formerly was deputy legal counsel for Governor Gina Rai- mondo and served as a special attorney general under three attorneys general. She began her career as a judicial law clerk to Judge Maureen McKenna Goldberg ’73, ’09Hon. She is a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law.
Larkin Philbin Temme ’06G of Lake Forest Park, Washington, was appointed principal of Holy Rosary School in Edmonds. A native of Seattle, she earned a master’s degree in education while teaching high school Spanish through the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) program at PC. After moving back to Seattle, she was a Spanish teacher and activities coordinator at O’Dea High School and earned her principal certification at Seattle University. For the past seven years, she has been principal of Holy Family Bilingual Catholic High School in Seattle, where she was successful in securing grants for underserved students and for education programs to make Catholic education accessible to children from diverse circumstances.
Mallary Tenore Tarpley ’07 of Austin, Texas, accepted a position as an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she worked as an adjunct professor and was the associate director of UT’s Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. In her new role, she teaches journalism and writing courses at UT’s School of Journalism and Me- dia as well as the McCombs School of Business.
Maggie D’Amour ’08 of Northampton, Massachusetts, was appointed to the newly created position of senior manager of environmental, social and governance at Big Y Foods Inc. by the company’s board of directors. A third-generation member of the family that founded the company, D’Amour began her career at Big Y in 2000 as a part-time service clerk. She studied English at PC and has food retailer certification from the Food Marketing Institute.
Tom Fitzgerald ’08G of Coventry, Rhode Island, is senior vice president and director of the franchise banking division for Bank Rhode Island. He is responsible for the origination of new commercial relationships and arranging financing solutions for businesses throughout the bank’s market area. He has more than 20 years of banking experience and specializes in franchise financing. He has an MBA from PC, a graduate certificate from the New England College of Finance, and an undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College, where he serves on the College Foundation Board.
Alex Marriott ’08 of Washington, D.C., is of counsel in the Washington office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Alex counsels and represents airlines, airports, and related travel industry members on matters before the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and Department of State. He has extensive experience in the start-up of both domestic and foreign airlines from Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Alex guides the airlines through regulatory processes to obtain economic authority from the DOT, technical approvals from the FAA, and approvals from the DHS and its components, as well as addressing issues under international bilateral aviation agreements and aviation treaties. He received a law degree from George Washington University School of Law and studied English at PC.
Terry Sullivan ’08 of Dallas was promoted to general manager of the Texas Legends, an NBA G-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. Sullivan has been with the Mavericks for 13 years and just completed his first season as director of player personnel, a position he will continue to hold while assuming his new duties with the Legends. His basketball career began as a studio assistant for the Friars men’s basketball team.
Sean Olvany ’09 of Glenview, Illinois, was promoted to vice president, market officer, Chicago for Prologis, where he oversees all portfolio and market operations. Prologis is the largest industrial property owner globally with more than 82 million square feet in 349 buildings in the Chicago market. Olvany joined the company in 2016 and worked in leasing and capital deployment. He previously was a real estate broker at Colliers and an account services representative at ESPN. He also was past president of PC’s Chicago alumni club. He and his wife, Alexa, have a 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.
2010s
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Valerie K. Jackson ’10G as of counsel in its Boston office. Jackson, a Boston resident, came to Littler from the law firm Jackson Lewis PC. Prior to that, she was law fellow attorney for Northeastern University’s Office of General Counsel, where she provided counsel on issues relating to labor, employment, and higher education law. During law school at Northeastern, she was a judicial intern for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and a legal intern in the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. She has a master’s degree in history from PC.
After 10 years as a teacher and coach in the Hartford, Connecticut, school system, Joe Miller ’10 of Manchester graduated with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law and will clerk at the Connecticut Supreme Court for the next year. He married his wife, Santana, in 2022 with his PC roommate, Thomas P. Reilly ’10, as one of the groomsmen.
Layi Oduyingbo ’10 of Cranston, Rhode Island, was appointed to the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission by Governor Dan McKee. The commission oversees the regulation, licensing, and control of adult use and medical cannabis in the state. Oduyingbo, who studied accountancy at PC, graduated from Roger Williams University School of Law and is the managing attorney, owner, and founder of ODU Law Firm, LLC, an employment rights firm handling cases in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Layi, also known as Attorney Odu, formerly worked as corporate counsel, managing compliance and governance matters, and as an appellate attorney, representing military veterans who were wrongfully denied disability benefits.
Dan Meuse ’13G of Cranston, Rhode Island, who has an MBA from PC, was a Jeopardy contestant in June 2023, answering 21 questions correctly and getting only one wrong in the first two rounds of the game. He wagered no money in Final Jeopardy and finished in second place with $2,000 in prize money. Meuse is a graduate of Brown University and is a lecturer in public affairs at Princeton University, commuting one day a week to teach. His wife, Kristen Martineau Meuse ’98, is active in PC’s National Alumni Association, and they have two children.
Taylor Rosenbauer ’14 of New Canaan, Connecticut, is the founder and CEO of Rocket- Air, a design and strategy firm that was ranked 1,733 on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest- growing private companies in America. Launched in 2018, RocketAir specializes in creating branded digital experiences led by strategy, built for scale, and centered around people. The company has reported 322% revenue growth over the past three years.
Stacy Thomas ’14 defended her Ph.D. in immunology in October 2022 at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program, an M.D./Ph.D. program that allows students to train as physician scientists. Thomas majored in both biochemistry and biology at PC, where she worked in the lab of Seann Mulcahy, Ph.D., professor of chemistry. She spent two years working with the National Institutes of Health before entering Penn. Her thesis research focused on cancer immunology research.
Katie D’Entremont ’15 of Annapolis, Maryland, joined Hillman Brown & Darrow as an associate attorney. Her focus is domestic law, peace and protective orders, criminal law, and land- lord tenant work. She studied English at PC and earned a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law. During law school, she interned for District of Columbia Superior Court Judge J. Michael Ryan. After graduation, she represented and advised victims of intimate partner violence for the House of Ruth Maryland, litigating and resolving domestic issues, including protective orders and peace orders.
Philip Primeau ’17SCE of Warwick, Rhode Island, joined the commercial lending and corporate law practice groups at Roberts, Carroll, Feldstein & Pierce in Providence. His focus is construction loans, commercial zoning and land use, and resolution of mechanics liens, and he is a certified information privacy professional. He studied theology at PC and earned a law degree from Roger Williams School of Law.
Carolina Lima ’18 of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, joined Thrive Real Estate Specialists as a team member. She was awarded a C2EX (Commitment to Excellence) designation by the National Association of Realtors, which recognizes industry professionals who demonstrate commitment to their clients, profession, and community. She also is At Home With Diversity Certified. She continues to work full time in corporate finance for HSBC Bank.
Michael Foss ’19 of Washington, D.C., graduated in May 2021 with a master of science degree in mathematics from Clemson University. He accepted a position with the U.S. Census Bureau and has resided in D.C. since the fall of 2021.
Roger A. Picard ’19G of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was elected deputy vice president pro tempore of the Rhode Island Senate for the 2023-2024 session. He represents District 20 in Woonsocket and Cumberland. Picard was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2008 and previously served in the House of Representatives since 1992. He is a social worker for the Woonsocket School Department. Picard earned a master of theological studies degree from PC and also has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a master of social work degree from Rhode Island College.
2020s
Vanessa Mckenzie’22 of Roxbury, Massachusetts, graduated with a master’s degree in social work from the Boston College School of Social Work and accepted a position at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital as clinical social worker in the inpatient psychiatric unit. At BC, her focus was clinical work with a concentration in mental health. She also earned a certificate in Black Leadership.
After accepting a job working for the Supreme Office of the Knights of Columbus as coordinator of College Councils, Matthew Salomons ’23 of Easton, Massachusetts, helped lead a delegation of college Knights from the United States to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, in August 2023. During the trip, the Knights grew in fellowship, visited Fatima, joined more than one million pilgrims and Pope Francis for a week of fellowship and prayer, and met with several U.S. bishops, including Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston, Bishop Gary Janek of San Antonio, and Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport. At the end of the trip, Matthew and his group had dinner with the Supreme Chaplain of the Knights, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, who praised the work and talent of several Dominican chaplains at PC.
