CLASS NOTES: SUMMER 2021

Catch up on what fellow alumni are up to in this issue of Class Notes. Have some news? We’d love to hear from you! Submit your news online at assumption.edu/classnotes. Submissions for the Fall 2021 issue are due AUGUST 1

1963
Jim Prevet, a lecturer at the University of Southern Maine’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, gave a talk entitled “Moral Influences on Jane Austen.” During the lecture, Jim discussed how Austen’s characters, through their lives and actions, either exemplified or failed to live up to the principles outlined in Aristotle’s Ethics.

1968
Joseph Bialy is an educational service specialist for the Department of Defense in Boston and program manager for the department’s career exploration program. In this position, he works with high school guidance counselors to help students explore career options. Joe was recently honored by Southbridge High School where he served as principal for 20 years.

Lionel Lamoureux and his son, Marc P’11, owners of Lamoureux Ford in East Brookfield, were awarded the Ford Motor Company’s 2020 President’s Award for providing exceptional customer sales and service satisfaction. Lamoureux Ford has won the President’s Award 24 years in a row and 27 times overall.

1969
Paul A. Migliozzi, Jr., D.D.S., published his first book, We’re No Angels (Page Publishing), a children’s adventure story that takes place in Acadia National Park.

Jack DuBois, a veteran athletic director and longtime assistant director for the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), New Jersey’s governing body for high school sports, will retire from his post at the end of the 2020–21 school year. After graduating from Assumption, Jack was hired as the athletic director at St. John Vianney and held the same role at Manchester Township and Morris Hills before serving at the NJSIAA beginning in the early 2000s.

1970
Terrence William Macy, Ph.D., AP’66, ’70, HD’15 was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles. Terrence, a leader in the field of nonprofit management during his 53-year career, retired from the Delaware Division of Developmental Services after four years as the director of community services in 2019. He was recognized for his profes-sional achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he accrued in his field.

1972 50th Reunion
Paul Verderese ’72, G’74, was named to the Forbes’s Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for 2021. Paul is the owner of Verderese Financial in Auburn.

1974
Kevin McQuillan recently retired from a career as a safety management professional. Throughout his career, Kevin served as director of institutional safety programs in environmental health and safety management for Mount Sinai Medical Center/School of Medicine; director of safety and emergency management for St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City; and global safety director for North and South America for Deutsche Bank in New York City.

1975
Paul Lynskey recently retired from a career dedicated to increasing access to higher education. Paul, a resident of Hampton, NH, continues to be an avid reader and student of history, spending time in Myrtle Beach, SC.

1979
Madonna (McGahan) Oftring has been named residential mortgage loan officer for the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod.

Tom Bartholomew was named to the Forbes’s Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for 2021. He is president and CEO of Bartholomew & Company, which is head-quartered in Worcester and has branches in Bedford, Chatham, and Framingham.

1980
Kevin Carey is the coordinator of creative writing at Salem State University. His third book of poems, Set in Stone (CavanKerry Press), was published in May 2020, and his crime novel, Murder in the Marsh (dark-stroke), was released in October 2020. Kevin currently resides in Manchester-by-the-Sea.

1982 40th reunion
State Senator Kevin Kelly has been elected Senate Republican Leader by the Connecticut Senate Republican Caucus. Senator Kelly is an elder law attorney who previously worked as an investigator for the Department of Social Services for over 13 years. He has served in the State Senate since 2011 and is currently the ranking member of the Aging Committee, the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, and the Committee on Children. He also serves as a member of the Regulation Review Committee. Sen. Kelly has been an advocate for healthcare affordability and accessibility, supporting the needs of senior citizens, growing jobs, improving women’s healthcare, and advancing “aging in place” initiatives. He resides in Stratford, CT.

1985
Dennis House, a veteran television news journalist, returned to the Connecticut airwaves in January as WTNH-TV’s chief political anchor. Dennis also hosts a Sunday morning public affairs show and fills in as an anchor. In addition, he is a visiting fellow at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford where he teaches digital media.

1987 35th reunion
Frank Vana, Jr., won his first ever New England Golf Association event, the New England Senior Amateur Championship, in September 2020. Frank, who is a member of the Marlborough Country Club, has had an illustrious amateur golf career, which included a victory at the Lowery (Senior) Division of the Ouimet Memorial Tourna-ment earlier in 2020. In December 2020, he was also named Mass Golf’s George M. Cohen Senior Player of the Year, becoming just the third player ever to win the award for four consecutive years.

1988
Kenneth Cabral was named president and CEO of Harc, a Hartford, CT-based non-profit that empowers those with intellectual disabilities. Kenneth worked in the state’s Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Children and Families for 22 years, in addition to holding several posts with private providers of residential services for those with intellectual disabilities.

Fr. Michael J. Dolan, a native of Waterbury, CT, and parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, was appointed president of Northwest Catholic High School. Fr. Dolan was named interim president in November 2020.

Chris Pelosi has been nominated to a seat on the Connecticut Supreme Court. He is currently a senior assistant state’s attorney assigned to the Judicial District of Hartford, where he has served since 1999.

Katie (Schwartz) Bloom ’90

1990
Katie (Schwartz) Bloom recently wrote a children’s book called The Thank-You Game, which is based on the teachings of Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, who said, “It is not happiness that makes us grateful; it is gratefulness that makes us happy.” Katie, who has been a psychotherapist for 20 years, believes in the power of living a grateful life and shares this principle with her clients.

Michael Broderick has been named president and CEO of Monro, Inc., the nation’s third-largest independent tire dealership. Michael has more than 25 years of experience in the aftermarket parts and tire service industry, most recently serving as executive vice president of merchandising and store operations support at Advance Auto Parts.

1991
Todd Tallman has been appointed CEO of Cornerstone Bank. Todd previously held the title of president and treasurer of the bank and is a banking veteran with over 20 years of experience. With a passion for supporting communities and enriching the lives of others, Todd serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and is past president of the United Way of Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Charlton.

1993
Demitri Beekman recently authored Teaching in the Wilderness, a book that brings to light the challenges and struggles teachers and school leaders face, but reminds them they are never alone, using biblical principles connected with teaching strategies and leadership techniques. Demitri is an experienced school leader with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry.

Dina J. (Solitro) Rassias has been hired as a full-time faculty member at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as assistant teaching professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Dina has taught at WPI since 1994 and has broad project-based research and teaching experience. She earned a B.A. in mathematics at Assumption and has M.S. degrees in applied mathematics and mechanical engineering, and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from WPI.

Tracie Cascio Snow began her new position as the 19th president of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in November 2020. In her 26 years with the school, she has held many roles, including special needs teacher, second grade teacher, reading specialist, and director of curriculum and staff development within instructional services. She received her bachelor’s degree in social and rehabil-itation services and elementary education from Assumption and has master’s degrees in education from Gallaudet University and in educational leadership from the University of North Florida.

1994
Jen (Harbour) Grivers has been named the residential mortgage loan officer for the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod. She is active with the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity, and networks with business owners to help customers achieve a full-circle trusted financial relationship.

1995
Geoffrey Kromer ’95, G’97 was elected to a second three-year term on the board of directors of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is the third oldest in the world, founded in 1733, and has lodges throughout Massachusetts; in Panama, Chili, and Japan; and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

1996
Shaughnessy Rice has been named vice president of mortgage lending for Guaranteed Rate. Shaughnessy, who is based in Champaign, IL, has 24 years of mortgage lending experience.

1997 25th reunion
Mike Ferraresso was appointed chief commercial officer of AVEO Oncology. Mike joined AVEO in December 2017 and most recently served as senior vice president of business analytics and commercial operations. His wife, Ginger (Mroczkowski), is a principal for Fairwinds Consulting.

1998
Carl Cafaro and Derek Mohamed were named to the Forbes’s Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for 2021. Carl, who serves on the Assumption University Board of Trustees, is the managing director of The Cafaro Group at Merrill Lynch, a financial services firm with locations in Newton, Chicago, and New York City. Derek is managing director and wealth management advisor of Mohamed-Merola Wealth Management, based in Wellesley.

Matthew Ray ’99

1999
Matthew Ray has joined Murtha Cullina LLP as an attorney in the firm’s Business and Finance Department and Real Estate Practice Group. Matthew is a member of the Real Estate Finance Association, the New England Chapter of the Commercial Finance Association, and the USA 500 organization. After graduating from Assumption, he received both his MBA and J.D. from Suffolk University.

2000
Marianne (Tacito) Pasqual and her sister, Maureen Tacito, recently started a children’s book series based on a fun- loving seashell named Juno. Juno’s Island Adventure, Juno’s Day at Home, and Juno’s Merry Christmas are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.

2005
Elizabeth (Olds) Berthelette was one of 10 Boston women to receive Connect Media’s 2020 Women in Real Estate Award. This is the second consecutive year Elizabeth has been selected for this prestigious award. She is the research director for Newmark, where she has demonstrated her leadership, creative thinking, and adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is actively involved in fundraising for CREW Boston’s Education Foundation and also volunteers for the Bellingham Planning Board, reviewing projects and developments that will better her community.

2006
Charlie Rizzio joined Missouri Western State University as a linebackers’ coach in the spring of 2020. Prior to Missouri Western, Charlie worked at the University of Nevada as a defensive analyst, specifically with the inside linebackers, and has experience working with coaching administrations at Eastern New Mexico University, Southern Connecticut State University, Southern Illinois University, West Texas A&M University, Yale University, and Oxford High School in his home state of Connecticut.

Nicole (Romer) Triola ’06, G’08 has been a probation officer in the Dudley District Court since November 2019. Nicole has two daughters, ages 17 and 6.

2007 15th reunion
BIRTH: Jillian (Cordiner) Alberti welcomed daughter Giuliana Idelous on July 3, 2020.

Brian Burlas wed Alanna Richard on December 31, 2019. Alumni in attendance included: Jen (Favulli) Arguello ’06, Mike Burlas ’76, Dave ’77 and Ann (Warner) Carboneau ’77, Tim Clapes ’06, Don Collins ’75, Marc Dupuis ’85, Claire (Collins) Flynn ’79, Kyle ’06 and Katelyn (Gallagher) Fontaine, Bill Hatten ’77, Casey Hatten ’06, Dan Hickey ’08, Neil Hennessey, Tim Hussey, Jon Kinhan, Jeff ’76 and Sue (Daley) Lagarce ’80, Sean Lubin ’08, Jeremy Madow, Paul Phillips ’76, Denis Richard ’75, John Richard ’08, Paul Ruane ’77, Jonathan and Lisa (Bordage) Sparling G’09, Eric ’08 and Jen (Paglio) Thanas ’09, George Tyburski ’77, Dr. Anthony Ursoleo ’70, Joe Ursoleo ’76, Mike Ursoleo ’08, and Nick Veltri.

2008
Kristyn (Perron) Chevalier ’08, G’10 adopted two children, Emma and Sophie, in September 2020. Kristyn has been working as a school adjustment counselor in the Marlborough Public Schools for the past five years, during which time she earned a second master’s degree in special education administration from Bay Path University in 2019.

Ryan Collins is the founder of My Fishing Cape Cod, a website he created in 2011 stemming from his passion for fishing. Through his website, Ryan has built a community of thousands of fishing enthusiasts whom he teaches about fishing on Cape Cod by providing information, advice, and fishing reports.

2009
Melissa (Bowman) Geraci has been working in the medical sales field since 2010. She is currently the regional sales manager for Tactile Medical in Minneapolis, where she covers a region between New York and Maine and coaches over 40 people. The company’s mission is to take care of lymphedema and wound care patients with at-home devices. Melissa has two children: Isabella, 3, and Gino, 10 months.

Julia Kilgore has joined the staff of the Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, privately funded research and policy organization dedicated to empowering Worcester Public School graduates.

BIRTH: Shannon (Plasski) Perkins welcomed Benjamin Thomas Perkins, Jr., on May 19, 2020, in New Bedford. Benjamin was welcomed with love by his parents and big sister, Madelyn, 2.

2010
BIRTH: Jeff Alderson welcomed his first child, Travis Declan Alderson, on August 6, 2020. Jeff recently celebrated two years working as a project manager at Cold Chain Technologies in Franklin, which is a temperature-sensitive packaging company supporting the global COVID-19 vaccine response and deployment.

2011
Nathan Kuffrey was sworn in as a police officer for the City of Marlborough in December 2020. Nathan has been a small business owner in Marlborough since 2015 and has experience in marketing, fitness, and business management.

Bianca Ravida celebrated five years of work at Bynder, a digital asset manage-ment company, where she was recently promoted to senior finance admin

2012 10th reunion
BIRTH: Elaine (Bowman) Mancini welcomed son Cole into the world on December 15, 2020.

Lauren Milka married James Thibeault ’10 on October 24, 2020. Alumni in attendance included Alison (Marinelli) Cetin, Corey ’10 and Theresa (Taylor) Flanagan ’11, Jared Manteuffel ’09, Jeremy Rathbun ’10, and Erin Sullivan.

Andrea Moniz married Dr. Zachary DeLoughery on December 27, 2019. The ceremony was held at St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence, RI, followed by a reception at the Atlantic Resort Newport. Alumni in attendance included: Cristina DeFabritiis, Dr. Meaghan Farnam, Jonathan Howley, Elizabeth Johnson, Emily Marino, Crismel (Calderon) Monigan, Marcus Nichols ’11, Gregory O’Rourke, Justin Pugliese, Dr. Abby Raposo, Andrew Smith, Jeffrey Starr, and Anna Veytser-Hunt.

2014
Athena Garbarino was recently hired as an assistant instructor at Michigan State University’s College of Nursing. Athena also works as a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit of McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital.

Stephanie (Plotkin) Murin married John Murin on August 15, 2020, at the Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland. Alumni in attendance included: Alysa Chiarolanza, David ’12 and Meaghan (Kearney) Jennison ’12, John McVey, Jenna (Wilson) Packard, and Katie (Reynolds) Weed ’12. Other alumni attending the wedding in spirit due to the COVID-19 pandemic were: Lauren Johnson Batchelder ’15, Marisa Berti ’15, Andrea (Kolodziej) Spano ’15, and Rick Turvey.

2015
Tracy Baldelli began teaching a course entitled Youth in Philanthropy through the Foundation for MetroWest, an organization that connects philanthropic opportunities in the MetroWest area, in the fall of 2020. The semester-long course, focused on nonprofit education, allowed students to serve as a board of directors, receiving grants, conducting site visits, fundraising, and ultimately awarding grants to non-profits in the MetroWest area.

Lauren Pepi completed her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Georgia in December 2020 and started a new position as a postdoctoral research associate at the university’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.

Eduardo Rivas ’15, G’17 has started a new position as assistant professor of accounting at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester.

Patrick Tyler ’15, G’16 has been pro-moted to vice president of USI Insurance Services New England. USI is one of the largest privately held insurance brokerage firms in the nation. As AVP of USI New England, Patrick spent the last three years growing the small commercial book of property and casualty clientele and looks forward to continuing to build the company while helping businesses reduce total cost of risk.

2016
Julianne Armstrong married Eric Kneeland on June 27, 2020, at the Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor, ME. Eric is the director of programs and operations for the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, an organization for which he interned as a student and was hired shortly after graduation; and Julianne is a speech-language pathologist in a local school district.

Shanell Cartagena ’16, G’17 married Dylan Dopson ’17, G’19 on August 8, 2020, at Zuka’s Hilltop Barn in Spencer. Alumni in attendance included: Erik Abramson ’14, G’18, Nicole Bongiovanni, Arianny Diaz ’15, Dan Donovan ’15, Rachel Duncan, Kathryn Graydon, Billy Griffin ’15, Sherliz Henriquez ’15, Ciara Lambkin, Kayley Millard ’18, G’20, Beatriz Patino G’07, Robert Ravenelle ’86, G’02, Peter Serencsics ’17, Kiara Serret ’17, Mario Silva-Rosa G’96, Tyron Thompson ’18, Tyshawn Thompson ’18, and Nathalie Vega.

John “Seamus” Kennedy of Reading has joined Classified Realty Group as a residential real estate agent. He joins a network of more than 40 real estate colleagues serving home buyers and sellers in communities throughout Greater Boston, Merrimack Valley, and southern New Hampshire.

2017 5th reunion
George Battle has been promoted to district sales manager for the US-West Region at Dell Technologies in Austin, TX.

2018
Rebecca Galib and Zachary Sneeringer ’19 were engaged in February 2019. The couple plan to marry in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in spring 2022. Rebecca is an associate brand writer for Hasbro in Pawtucket, RI, and Zachary is a graduate assistant hall director at Providence College.

Makana K. Gionet has been appointed assistant national bank examiner at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent bureau of the U.S. Treasury.

Alexis Levine was recently awarded the Rare Champion of Hope Rising Star Award by Global Genes, a global nonprofit advocacy organization for those fighting rare and genetic diseases. Alexis is a clinical research coordinator in the Neu-romuscular Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, working on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) clinical trials. SMA is a rare and devastating genetic disorder, characterized by global and degenerative muscle loss.

Alexandra Orlandi, a mental health specialist at McLean Hospital, continues her collaboration with Assumption Professor Paul Piwko, a professor in the Grenon School of Business at the University, educating others and shining a light on mental health issues in the U.S. Alexandra and Prof. Piwko founded the National Museum of Mental Health Project, Inc. (NMMHP) in 2019. Initially focused on researching and publishing the benefits of mental health exhibitions, the NMMHP was recently incorporated as a nonprofit organization with an expanded mission to develop virtual exhibits that transform society’s understanding of mental health.

2020
Hayden Butler is working as the marketing and public relations coordinator for Lowell Catholic High School.

Tess Haller has been hired by U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine to serve as a staff assistant in her Washington, DC, office. Tess, a political science major from Cape Elizabeth, ME, previously served as an intern in Sen. Collins’ DC and Portland offices in 2019 and 2020.

Alie Schreck is working as an operations assistant and social media marketing manager for the Laboratory Safety Institute in Natick, a nonprofit educational organization for safety in science, education, and industry. She graduated with her MBA from Assumption’s Grenon School of Business in May.

CONTINUING EDUCATION
CE’12
Ana Clara (Carpi) Blesso is the new MBA program manager for the Toigo Foundation. In this role, she supports diverse business students entering and thriving in the world of finance.

GRADUATE STUDIES
G’91
Kathleen Randall retired in 2015 after working as a psychotherapist, both clinically and in a private practice, for 24 years. She and her family reside in Hudson.

G’20
Natalya Fater has joined Pet Food Experts in Warwick, RI, where she is focused on building strategic, people-first human resource strategies.

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