October 22, 2024
Class Notes: Fall 2024
1960s
Jack Kirk ’66 of Wilmot, New Hampshire, remained thankful for his years at PC as he celebrated his 80th birthday in March 2024. Until his retirement a year ago, he practiced internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice work and taught Dartmouth medical students and residents in his practice while serving on the faculty of Dartmouth Geisel Medical School. He graduated from Cornell Medical School in 1970, did his residency at Dartmouth, then spent two years in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Iceland, before settling in New London, New Hampshire. He has been married for 54 years to his wife, Jane, whom he met when she was a student at Salve Regina University in Newport, and they have three children and four grandchildren. He has taught classes and worked with older adults emphasizing how they might age with “grace and wisdom … The challenge for all of us remains to be thankful for all that we have had, and still have,” he said. “My years at Providence were a blessing in many dimensions of my life.”
1970s
Vasilios J. “Bill” Kalogredis ’71 of West Chester, Pennsylvania, chair of the Health Law Department at Lamb McErlane PC, was a panelist for the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section webinar, “Medical Terminology New Health Law Attorneys Need to Know.” Kalogredis has advised physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals about contractual, regulatory, and transactional matters for almost 50 years. He is a certified Healthcare Business Consultant and a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and Chester County Bar Association.
1980s
Marcia Cohen Proto, M.Ed. ’85 of Wallingford, Connecticut, received the 2024 Lifetime Contribution to the National FORUM of State Nursing Workforce Centers Award in June 2024 in recognition of her expertise, innovation, and significant contributions on the national and state levels to promote and build a robust and sustainable nursing workforce within Connecticut and across the nation. Marcia has enjoyed a successful career in state and national association leadership, nursing education and workforce development, healthcare fundraising, and statewide coalition building. An innovator in creating healthcare and nursing workforce development strategies, she stepped down from her role as executive director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce in July 2024, after 20 years, and now is principal of Marcia Proto Consulting, LLC.
Carmen Del Guercio ’87 of Baltimore, president and CEO of The Maryland Food Bank, was named by the Baltimore Business Journal as a Power 10 CEO for 2024. The distinction celebrates leaders whose contributions have significantly shaped the Baltimore region through leadership, innovation, and influence. He was formally recognized at the Power 10 awards ceremony in September 2024.
Julie Malloy Hildebrand ’87 of Millersville, Maryland, retired from the National Security Agency after more than 36 years of federal service. A mathematics major at PC, Julie completed certifications in cryptanalysis and computer science and specialized in cryptanalytic programming. She and her husband, Eric, have two children and two grandchildren.
Eileen Corr ’88 of Brewster, Massachusetts, graduated from Johns Hopkins University in the spring of 2024 with a master of liberal arts degree. Her thesis was titled, “How Heterosexual Female Maiden Name Abdicators Advocate Gender Equality Yet Perpetuate Gender Inequality.”
Heather Wessely Feeney ’88 of Meridian, Idaho, marked her 25th year of service with the federal government. Since 2004, she has been a public affairs specialist with the Bureau of Land Management in the U.S. Department of the Interior. Her first job in government was staff assistant to U.S. Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island, for whose 1988 reelection campaign she also served as communications director. She has worked in television news at the ABC News Bureau in Washington, D.C., and as a reporter-producer and on-air host for three member stations in the National Public Radio network.
Mindy Penney ’88 of Providence was appointed to the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee. The appointment was approved by the state Senate. Penney is founder and CEO of Lindon Group, Inc., a Rhode Island-based, woman-owned distribution and rebar manufacturing company serving New England. She is president of the Harmony Women’s Center and served on PC’s National Board of Overseers for a decade.
1990s
David Berard ’92 of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was named head coach of the men’s hockey team at Stonehill College in April 2024. He previously was the associate deputy athletic director for coaching excellence at PC. He also served as the sport administrator for men’s hockey, women’s hockey, and lacrosse during his tenure. While a PC student, Berard, a goalie, helped the Friars to two NCAA tournament appearances. He also was an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team for 15 years. He and his wife, Lynne Campbell Berard ’93, who played field hockey for the Friars, have two sons, Brett, now with the New York Rangers organization, and Brady, who played hockey for two years at PC.
Paul Byrnes ’92 of Knoxville, Tennessee, became senior vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in July 2024. He oversees finance and administration, including campus and auxiliary operations, facilities services, finance and administration, human resources, and public safety. He previously was vice provost for academic finance at Emory University. He has an MBA from Notre Dame University.
Peter Dujardin ’92 of Newport News, Virginia, a reporter with the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, was named the Virginia Press Association’s Outstanding Journalist of the Year for 2023. He was praised for his coverage of critical events, including a 6-year-old student’s shooting of his first grade teacher, and in-depth investigations into public safety concerns, including bridge tunnel safety and marijuana laws. He studied political science at PC and has a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Andrew Gazerro, DMD ’92 of Coventry, Rhode Island, was elected president of the Rhode Island Dental Association. He continues to serve as chair for the Council on Dental Benefits and completed his term as the New England representative to the American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Benefit Programs. In addition to maintaining his own dental office in West Warwick, he lectures on dental coding procedures and is active in the Rhode Island General Assembly, where he has promoted bills to improve patient access to care, including the Rhode Island Fair Share for Dental Care Act.
Jim Paquette ’92 of Lutherville, Maryland, was named chief development officer for the Friends of the Heights, the Name, Image, and Likeness collective serving Boston College athletes. He spent 16 years as an administrator at BC, securing more than $210 million in athletics fundraising commitments during his tenure. He also served as assistant vice president/director of athletics at Loyola University Maryland and general manager for IMG College at The George Washington University. He is the founder and president of JRP & Associates LLC, a boutique higher education and nonprofit consulting firm.
Dina M. Mastellone, Esq. ’93 of Franklin Park, New Jersey, joined nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. as a principal in the Berkeley Heights office in March 2024. Dina conducts workplace investigations, counsels businesses on employment matters of all kinds, and advises on establishing and auditing human resources policies, handbooks, and procedures. She also trains businesses and human resources organizations on matters involving anti-harassment and diversity policy compliance; best human resources practices; and hiring, documentation, discipline, termination, and managing accommodations and leaves of absence in accordance with local, state and federal employment laws. Dina is a past president and co-nominations director for the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and a member of the Board of Trustees of George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.
Peter Wilcox ’93 of Providence worked as construction coordinator for the 20th Century Studios film, “Ella McCay,” which filmed in Providence from February to May 2024. Wilcox managed the budget and the workers who built sets, including Helen’s 445 Tavern, a fictitious bar on Broadway. He got his start in film as a student at PC, working on sets for Michael Corrente’s 1994 movie, “Federal Hill.” He credits Dean Sally Thibodeau, Ph.D. ’66G, ’22Hon. for “taking him from high school dropout to a proud PC grad.”
Amy Diggett-Wutke, Ed.D. ’94 of Springfield, Missouri, became president of the Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cincinnati in June 2024. She had been president of Cox College in Springfield, Missouri, since 2017, and served as vice president for academic affairs for three years. She studied history at PC and has a master’s degree in secondary administration from Southwest Baptist University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Tom Felke, Ph.D. ’96 of Naples, Florida, received a lifetime achievement award from the Florida chapter of the National Association of Social Workers in recognition of his dedication to meeting the needs of southwest Florida’s growing population of older adults. Felke works at Florida Gulf Coast University as associate dean of the Marieb College of Health and Aging and director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging. He studied elementary and special education at PC and discovered his interest in social policy while completing a practicum and internship at the Rhode Island Department of Public Health in the Office for Children with Special Needs.
Edward Giblin ’96 of Verona, New Jersey, served as Grand Marshal for the 89th anniversary of the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March 2024. He is the third generation of his family to hold the position. Christopher Kennedy ’96G of Florence, South Carolina, is vice president for student life at Francis Marion University. In July 2024, he also became director of the Honors Programs. He bolsters student engagement in scholarship, research, and service through creative course offerings, activities, and domestic and international travel opportunities.
Steven Napolillo ’98 of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and his wife, Beth, received the 2024 A Wish Come True Lifetime Impact Award from A Wish Come True, the oldest wish-granting organization in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for children with lifethreatening illnesses. Napolillo, vice president and director of athletics at PC, has been involved with A Wish Come True for more than two decades. The organization dedicated a playroom and relaxation center in its Coventry office in memory of his late father, Robert Napolillo.
Pietro Petrarca ’98G of Coventry, Rhode Island, is an assistant professor in the School of Business at Dean College. He has taught at Johnson and Wales University, Bryant University, and Rhode Island College, and worked in community policing for 25 years in the town of West Greenwich. He has an MBA from PC and a Ph.D. from California Coast University.
Delia Furtado ’99 of East Providence, Rhode Island, was promoted to the rank of full professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Connecticut. Colleen Tierney ’99SCE of Warwick, Rhode Island, became director of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, in May 2024. She previously worked in school and public libraries in both New York and Texas, most recently as director of library services in the Kyle Public Library. She has a master’s degree in library and information science from Syracuse University.
2000s
JP Teti ’00 of London, England, founder Passyunk Avenue, a Philadelphia-themed, London-based restaurant and bar group with locations in Fitzrovia, Waterloo, and Battersea, hosted Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce in Fitzrovia for the filming of the London episode of their New Heights podcast. The Kelces were in Europe for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Teti moved to London in 2008 to work for Xerox. A political science major at PC, he has an MBA from the London Business School.
Elizabeth Waterfall ’01 of Watertown, Massachusetts, returned to Providence to join Planned Parenthood of Southern New England as a donor relations office ’03 Katherine Vince Skidmore ’03 of Neptune Township, New Jersey, was awarded honorable mention in the Townsend Press Educators Writing Contest for an essay discussing her later-in-life autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and the perspective shift it caused. “Funny enough, the topic, ‘Three Life Lessons,’ was eerily similar to my PC application essay prompt, ‘What are your words to live by?’ I did not realize it until after I was notified I won — a coincidentally similar message, but with more life experience behind it!”
Troy A. Quinn, DMA ’05, ’24Hon. of Los Angeles has been named pops conductor of the Santa Rosa Symphony and Luther Burbank Center for the Arts beginning in February 2025. He also will conduct the Boston Pops New Year’s Eve Celebration concert with Bernadette Peters. He is pops conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and is in his eighth season as music director of the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky and in his seventh season as music director of the Venice Symphony in Florida. Quinn and the Owensboro Symphony were nominated for two Emmy awards for their PBS special, “A Night at the Oscars.”
Kerri-Ann DaFonseca Varela ’05 of East Providence, Rhode Island, was promoted to assistant director at Brown University’s Counseling and Psychological Services in July 2024.
Lisa Amanti ’06 of Boston was promoted to vice president, assistant general counsel at athenahealth. She also was nominated by athenahealth for the Rising Star Award from the Healthcare Business Women’s Association. The award recognizes outstanding performance, commitment to excellence, and valuable contributions to a company’s success. ’07
Jeff DuJardin ’07 of Marina del Ray, California, plays the lead villain, Marquis de Morès, in the period drama series “Elkhorn,” which premiered in April 2024 on cable channel INSP. Set in the 1880s, the 10-episode series follows a young Theodore Roosevelt as he journeys to the Dakota Badlands, where he discovers the notorious French financier standing in the way of his plans to establish a cattle ranch. DuJardin called the role “a blast.” He was an award-winning theatre major at PC who performed across New England before moving to California.
Lindsay Dumas Wittwer ’07 of Rochester, New York, was named assistant director, collections in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation at the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries. She manages the library’s extensive physical and digital archival holdings.
Christiane Darby Lynch ’09 of Winter Garden, Florida, began her new role as director of choral activities at Horizon High School in Winter Garden in August 2024. She has dedicated the last 15 years to teaching middle school chorus.
2010s
Francine Chi Hannan ’10 of Wilmington, Massachusetts, completed the Level 2 OrtonGillingham Certification through an accredited program with the Orton-Gillingham Academy. Orton-Gillingham is a multisensory approach to teaching reading to students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities. Hannan is a special education teacher at Fiske Elementary School in Lexington, where she works with students with dyslexia who require a systematic, phonetic-based approach to reading. She was awarded a grant to purchase a decodable text library for the school. The texts provide opportunities for students with dyslexia to learn and practice phonics patterns for reading and spelling.
Sarah Caputo ’12 of Washington, D.C., received a master of science in nutrition education degree from American University in May 2024.
Kelly Branham Smith ’12 of Maitland, Florida, was awarded tenure and promotion at Stetson University, where she teaches political science. She has a Ph.D. from Brown University, where she was a postdoctoral research associate on the education standards research team at the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy.
Robert Smith-MacDonald ’12, ’18G of Mansfield, Massachusetts, a history teacher at Mansfield High School, was awarded the James Madison Fellowship, representing Massachusetts. The program brings one history teacher from each state to Washington, D.C., for a four-week summer institute on the American constitution and provides up to $24,000 for completion of a master’s degree. MacDonald, who has a master’s degree in education from PC, began his studies in the graduate history pro – gram in September 2024.
Megan Hyland ’14 of Dryden, New York, earned a Ph.D. in public policy from Cornell University. Her dissertation studied the effect of healthcare information in hospital outpatient, nursing home, and pharmaceutical settings. She has joined the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as an economist.
Giselle Bonilla ’16 of Boston is a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts with her own practice, Holistic Wellbeing Counseling. She co-founded a nonprofit in Massachusetts, Time of Butterflies, to provide a supportive community for women of color. In addition, she founded Centro Bonilla, a nonprofit in the Dominican Republic that offers workshops, events, and clinical and holistic therapies to help create a more just society for those experiencing social vulnerability, violence, and economic, educational, or cultural precariousness.
Brooke Coderre Cooper ’16G of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is executive vice president/general manager of the Worcester Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. She has worked with the club for a decade and most recently was senior vice president/assistant general manager and vice president/marketing. Blending her talents in merchandising and marketing, she spearheaded the rebranding when the club moved from Pawtucket to Worcester. She has an MBA from PC.
Pedro Alemán ’17 of Silver Spring, Maryland, moved from San Diego to Silver Spring in the D.C. metro area for a career change. He is a policy advocate for Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., known as CLINIC. Along with PC alumni, friends, coworkers, and family, he celebrated his wedding ceremony on May 17, 2024.
Vincent P. Baccari III ’17, ’24G of Johnston, Rhode Island, was named operations director at Rhode Island Restoration, a full-service commercial and residential property restoration services company that recognizes the stress clients experience when dealing with property damage emergencies. Baccari oversees the mitigation department and works with the president to optimize company performance in a cross-functional role within the company’s operational departments. He joined the firm three years ago and was project manager prior to his promotion. He studied management at PC with a minor in finance and also earned a master of business administration degree and a graduate certificate in business analytics.
Felicia C. Baccari, R.N. ’18 of Johnston, Rhode Island, was promoted to general surgery team leader at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, where she works with surgeons and other management specializing in colorectal cancer, bariatric, and robotic surgeries. Felicia studied health policy and management at PC, then furthered her education at Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. During the COVID pandemic in 2020, she passed the National Council Licensure Examination, NCLEX, to become a registered nurse. She attended the perioperative nurse training program offered by Miriam, co-sponsored by the New England Institute of Technology, and has been an operating room nurse ever since. She also earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Jacqueline Michels ’19, ’21G of North Providence, Rhode Island, a history teacher at Lincoln High School, was awarded a 2024 James Madison Fellowship, representing Rhode Island. The program brings one history teach er from each state to Washington, D.C., for a four-week summer institute on the American constitution and provides up to $24,000 for completion of a master’s degree. Michels studied history and secondary education in the Honors Program and received a master’s degree in education through the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers, or PACT, program. She now is studying for a master’s degree in history at PC.
Kayla Steeves ’19 of Medfield, Massachusetts, was named assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Brandeis University in January 2024. She was a four-year midfielder for the Friars and earned All BIG EAST honors as a junior and senior. She has coached since graduation, guiding Natick High School to a Divi – sion I State Championship in 2021 and Needham High School to the Division I Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023.
Four ordained to the priesthood
Three Providence College alumni were among 11 men ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap. in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on May 25, 2024.
Rev. Matthew J. Harrington ’17 from Peabody, Massachusetts, is assigned to St. Edward the Confessor parish in Medfield and St. Jude parish in Norfolk.
Rev. David W. Joanis ’20 from Franklin, Massachusetts, is serving in Brookline at Saint Mary of the Assumption parish.Rev. Christopher J. Letizia ’20 from Natick, Massachusetts, is assigned to St. Catherine of Siena parish in Norwood.
Rev. Joseph Brodeur ’20 was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Providence by Bishop Richard G. Henning, D.D. in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, 2024. Father Brodeur, from Westerly, Rhode Island, is in Rome for post-graduate studies.
2020s
Justin Andries ’23 of Brooklyn, New York, is studying for a master of public health degree, with a concentration in global health, at New York University. He is an intern at MHKAFE, a nonprofit that seeks to decrease the stigma surrounding mental health disabilities in Africa. He created an individualized study major in global health equity at PC.
