April 12, 2025
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
SPECIAL THANKS
CHAIRMAN OF THE BELEN HALL OF FAME
Peter Montadas '76
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Roberto Borbolla '56
Carlos Bravo '86
Jorge Muñoz-Bustamante '69
Felipe Fernández '94
Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., Ed.D. ‘87
José Garrido III '99
José López-Varela '87
Mariano Loret de Mola, DVM '58
Alberto Paradela '11
Francisco "Paco" Ruiz '73
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., Ed.D. ‘87
Felipe Fernández '94
José López-Varela '87
Peter Montadas '76
BEHIND THE SCENES
Roberto Borbolla '56
Johnny Calderín '92
Carlos Cristóbal '16
Tommy de Quesada, Ed.D. '94
Luis Fernández de Castro '54
Aida Fernández-Magariño
Carlos Jiménez '15
Rebeca Lowell
Eddie Macías '02
Teresa Martínez
Mirna Menéndez
Jorge Pérez-Alvarez '76
Ronnie Ramos '58
Leo Williams
PROGRAM
Invocation
Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., Ed.D. ‘87
Dinner Service
Presentation of Inductees
Tommy de Quesada, Ed.D. '94
Alumnus of the Year
José L. Toledo, Jr. '96
Closing Remarks
Tommy de Quesada, Ed.D. '94
INDUCTED MEMBERS
Class of 2022
Fr. Juan M. Dorta-Duque, S.J. '40
Fr. Jorge Sardiña, S.J. '45
Fr. Luis Ripoll Galán, S.J. '36
Fr. Felipe Arroyo Villar, S.J.
Fr. José M. Izquierdo, S.J.
Fr. Daniel Baldor de la Vega, S.J. 1919
Fr. Marcelino García Pérez, S.J.
Fr. Pedro Cartaya, S.J. '54
Roberto C. Goizueta '49
José Antonio "Tony" Garrido '46
Jorge J. Bosch
John R. Guiteras '48
Dr. Carlos J. Finlay
Tony Abella '59
Mariano Loret de Mola, DVM '58
José E. Cil '87
César R. Conde '91
Fernando S. Arán '75
Dr. José (Pepe) Armas '77
Don Antonio Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirvén 1880
INDUCTED MEMBERS
Class of 2023
Fr. Eduardo Álvarez, S.J. '63
Gloria Arazoza
Brother José Arrieta, S.J.
Roberto Borbolla '56
Luis J. Botifoll '1925
Otilio Campuzano
Eugenio Cosculluela '79
Manuel Carbonell '36
Armando Codina '65
Gastón Comas '75
José Garrido Jr. '72
Olga Goizueta
Jorge Hernández-Toraño '75
José Ignacio Rasco '45
Jorge Padrón '86
Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca
Carlos '67 and Olga Saladrigas
Gerardo Simms '69
Carlos Prío Socarras 1920
Fr. Benito Viñes, S.J.
INDUCTED MEMBERS
Class of 2024
Carlos Barquín
Carlos Batlle '80
Pablo Carreño '42
Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll
Fr. Richard Chisholm, S.J. '25
Carlos M. and Rosa+ de la Cruz
Manuel Díaz '73
Mike Fernández
Andrés '60 and Lucila Jiménez
Fr. Francisco Pérez-Lerena, S.J. '44
Raúl and Nidia Rodríguez
Dr. Eduardo Rodríguez '84
Francisco Ruiz '73
Bishop Enrique San Pedro, S.J. '41
Roberto Suárez '46
The 10 individuals being inducted into the class of 2025 represent the Jesuit values and traditions that have been the foundation of our school since 1854.
The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize members of the community who participated in, excelled in, developed, or supported the Belen community. Through their life endeavors, they have exemplified the Catholic-Jesuit values of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, El Colegio de Belén, and Jesuit schools of Cuba. The inaugural ceremony was held in 2022.
These individuals represent our core values - Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, Magis, and Cura Personalis. Throughout our extraordinary history, there have been so many who have helped shape the school into what it is today. Belen was built on the shoulders of giants, and through the Hall of Fame, we aim to highlight those individuals who have genuinely left their mark on the school.
For more information on all inductees, including tribute videos, visit www.belenjesuit.org/HoF.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Louis Aguirre '84
Louis was born in Miami, Florida, on November 12, 1966, and is a proud member of the class of 1984. He has a successful career in broadcast journalism and has worked around the country on national networks. He is an eight-time Emmy award-winning journalist and is currently the anchor of the WPLG newscast. Louis is also Local 10's Environmental Advocate and the face of the station's "Don't Trash our Treasure" campaign.
Antonio “Tony” Argiz
Tony was born in Cuba on October 18, 1952. He is a board member and South Florida managing principal at BDO and is well-known for his community and industry leadership. Tony has been an excellent supporter and benefactor of Belen Jesuit for decades and served as a longtime member of the Belen Board of Advisors until 2019. His contributions to financial controls and risk management are the foundations of the financial stability that the school enjoys today.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Daniel “Dan” Baldor '91
Daniel was born in New York City on January 15, 1973, and graduated from Belen Jesuit in 1991. He is the Senior Managing Director & Florida Office Lead at Accenture and sits on the company's prestigious Global Leadership Council. Dan serves on the Belen Board of Advisors, helping shape and execute Belen's strategic plan through process and cost optimization initiatives. He is also helping to support Belen's new strategic objective of being a more data-driven organization that leverages business intelligence and other technologies.
Patrick “Pat” Collins
Patrick was born in Miami, Florida, on January 20, 1949. He began his tenure at Belen Jesuit in 1971 and served as chairman of the Social Studies Department for 45 years. He continues to teach U.S. Government at the school. In 1975, Pat initiated the Close Up program at Belen in Washington, D.C., and has taken over 2,300 students in the 50 years since. He founded and coached the varsity and middle school tennis teams and was inducted into the Belen Sports Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He also co-moderated the Overseas Study Program, and initiated the Founding of a Nation program for middle school.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Celso González-Falla '53
Celso was born on December 1, 1935 in Havana, Cuba, in December 1935 and graduated from El Colegio de Belén in 1953. In 1968, he became a founding partner of a law firm in Texas and held various executive positions in the oil, gas and banking industries from 1965 to 1986. Celso supports the arts; he is a member of the American Theatre Wing and votes for the Tony Awards. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of the Aperture Foundation.
Carlos A. Penín '73
Carlos was born in Holguin, Cuba, on July 14, 1955, and is a proud alumnus. He has contributed to the growth of Belen Jesuit by offering engineering services to many projects. Additionally, he has dedicated his time to mentoring students, serving on the Board of Advisors and as a class delegate. In 1989, he founded C.A.P. Engineering Consultants, Inc. and is seen as a pillar in the community by his peers. Over the years, he has received numerous awards, including recognition on the Congressional Record for his many achievements in engineering.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Carlos Rivera '89
Carlos was born in Washington, D.C., on August 18, 1970, and graduated from Belen Jesuit in 1989. He has a prolific career in the music and film industry, winning three Emmy Awards, a Grammy, and multiple other awards for his work in film and television. His centered approach brings a director's vision to life, often by scoring directly from the screenplay. He is the Chair of the Media Scoring and Production Department at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. His passion for education and mentorship is rooted in the Jesuit mission of fostering growth and contributing to the broader community.
Crescencio Ruiz '76
Crescencio was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on June 24, 1958. He leads by example and is an ardent supporter of Belen. He’s not just a successful businessman and a benefactor but also a collaborator and leader of the Belen Alumni Association. He has served as president of the alumni board of directors and chair of several committees. His devotion to helping the community is a testimony to the values instilled in him at Belen.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Enrique Sosa '57
Enrique was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on March 17, 1940. He led a successful career at Dow Chemical Company for three decades and then at Amoco Corporation before and after it became BP Amoco Chemicals. As a proud graduate of the University of Florida, Enrique was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1993. In 2008, he was inducted into the Belen Sports Hall of Fame. He also served on the Belen Board of Advisors for many years and is a generous benefactor.
Joseph “Joey” Zumpano '87
Joey was born in Schenectady, New York, on August 6, 1969, and is a proud member of the class of 1987 He and his brothers were members of the school's early swim teams. Joey became Belen's first All-American Athlete and held the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke for 36 years. In 2009, he was inducted into the Belen Sports Hall of Fame. Joey is the President of Zumpano Patricios. In its more than twenty years of history, the law firm has grown to six offices around the United States and has had over thirty members of the Belen Community work at the firm or its affiliates. He is a generous benefactor of the school and an active alumnus.
Submit a Nomination
The formal nomination process is now open for consideration for the class of 2026 Hall of Fame. We ask our community to collaborate with us by nominating people who correspond with one of the following five categories:
Alumni
Clergy and Religious
Faculty and Staff
Alumni Parents
Friends of Belen
The Belen Alumni Office will be able to help in the nomination process. The nomination form can be accessed online at www.belenjesuit.org/HOFNomination.
This award is given to the alumnus who best demonstrates dedicated service to Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, lives a life of moral virtue, and is a leader spiritually, ethically, and financially for the betterment of his Alma Mater and community.
José Luis Toledo, Jr. ‘96 has been named Belen Jesuit’s 2025 Alumnus of the Year. He started at Belen as a sixth grader in 1989 and immediately felt at home. “Belen is more than my alma mater it is the foundation of my character. It’s a brotherhood that extends beyond the classroom and has taught me to have a lifelong commitment to service,” Toledo says.
José embraced every aspect of Belen's life sports, friendships, and detentions. Never one to follow a straight path, he embraced both triumphs and trials, learning invaluable lessons in and out of the classroom. He played football and baseball for four years and even one year of golf, managing to letter three times in that single season. He also learned some hard lessons, including accountability, consequences and dealing with lost opportunities.
Teachers such as Fr. Sardiña helped him take responsibility for his actions. It was coaches like Coach Stuart and Coach Aparicio who helped mold him into a man of discipline, pushing him to do things he never thought possible Brother Gerry, who ran Gerry’s Farm, showed him that service wasn’t about obligation it was about giving of oneself for the greater good. While he had many strict teachers, no department challenged him more than Spanish, where he quickly learned that “no excuses” meant precisely that.
Grounded in the principles of Ignatian Spirituality instilled by the Jesuits at Belen, José grasped the profound meaning of life: to praise, revere, and serve the Lord, and made it the cornerstone of his life. “I don’t go a day without offering up all of God’s gifts and giving gratitude,” said Toledo. “Every decision I make, every challenge I face, I reflect on through God and His teachings. My faith has taught me that I am not in control all I can do is make choices through the lens of God’s wisdom and trust in His plan.”
His connection to Belen deepened in 2007 when his wife, Loli, joined the faculty, giving José new perspectives as both a husband and soon-to-be Belen parent.. All three of their children are Jesuit-educated one Belen alumnus who is now at North Carolina State University, one current Belen student in ninth grade, and one Our Lady of Lourdes Academy alumna currently at St. Louis University.
Over the past 13 years, José has served as the cook for Belen Youth Missions, ensuring each participant is nourished both physically and spiritually. He also coaches football, mentoring student-athletes on and off the field As a delegate for his class and an active member of the Alumni Professional Section for Accounting, Finance, and Enterprise, he continues to support the growth of the Belen community
“I have known José for many years and can attest to his love and commitment to Belen,” said Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., ‘87. “At no point in time did he ever wander too far from Belen Jesuit, but always served his alma mater faithfully. Most outstanding has been his 20 years of service to Belen Youth Missions. During that time, he has fed and cared for thousands of Belen students who have experienced working with and for the poor of the Dominican Republic. While not formally a teacher in the classroom, he has helped educate these young men to be true men for others.”
“When I heard that I had been selected as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year, I was overcome with emotion and brought to tears by the unexpected honor,” said Toledo. “The true giants of Belen are the men who came before me—mentors like Eddie García ‘87 and José González ‘91. These are men I respect deeply for their unwavering values, moral integrity, and commitment to service. To stand among them is an overwhelmingly humbling experience ”
His greatest hope is that the young men he mentors will continue to carry the torch, leading the next generation in the spirit of service and faith. “Be humble, never procrastinate, and take care of the tasks that require no talent. Surround yourself with people who make you better morally and spiritually. That is what Belen taught me, and that is what I will always carry forward.”
In honor of this recognition, a digital billboard will be on display showcasing José on the Palmetto Expressway & Bird Road from April 14 to May 4, 2025.
CELSOGONZÁLEZ-FALLA
FROM YOUR LOVING
FAMILY
Dad,
Congratulations on your induction into the Belen Hall of Fame! We couldn’t be prouder of you! This honor is so well deserved You truly represent what it means to be a Belen alumnus, always giving back to the school and supporting the Belen community whenever needed For as long as we can remember, you have taken us to Belen events and shown us the importance of serving others Your generosity and commitment to others are truly inspiring But most of all, thank you for being such an incredible husband, dad and friend to all of us. We love you and are so grateful to have you in our lives!
Love,
Mom, Cristy, Andy, John, Maria, and Mari
Your support makes an immediate impact, changing the lives of Men for Others and their families.