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Honorees

At the Xavier High School’s Nineteenth Hall of Honors Mr. Chris Smith ’76, Mr. Bob Guere ’81, Mr. and Mrs. William McKenna Sr. and Sister Mary McCarthy were honored for their outstanding support of the Xavier community. Mr. Richard Feitel was also presented with the Xavier Lifetime Service Award that evening.

2015 Xavier Hall of Honors & Lifetime Service Recipients

avier held its Nineteenth Hall of Honors Induction and Dinner on October 9th at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, CT. Those receiving the St. Francis Xavier Award this year were: Alumni Mr. Chris Smith ’76 Mr. Bob Guere ’81

Faculty/Staff Mr. and Mrs. William McKenna Sr. Friends Sister Mary McCarthy Xavier Lifetime Service Award Mr. Richard Feitel

the magazine Xavier High School

The awards were presented at a formal reception and dinner with music and dancing. This prestigious event included a cocktail hour, dinner, Hall of Honors and Lifetime Service Awards 2015 and live entertainment. The Xavier High School Hall of Honors has been held since 1987 and has over 140 past recipients. The selection criteria for Hall of Honors nominees are: Xavier Alumni — Graduates whose achievements have brought honor to themselves and to Xavier High School. Alumni

become eligible for induction ten years after they have graduated from Xavier Faculty and Staff — Past and present faculty and staff members, who, through their dedicated service, have made a significant contribution to the students, the school, and the Xavier community Loyal Friends of Xavier — Individuals who have served Xavier in a very special way Xavier Lifetime Service Award nominees are chosen from previous Hall of Honors recipients who continue to demonstrate their support of Xavier High School.

Bob Guere grew up in Middletown and Durham, the son of Richard and Marilyn Guere. After graduation from Xavier in 1981 he attended Western Connecticut State University, earning his degree in Business Administration in 1985. After graduation he joined the management training program of Union Trust Company in Stamford, where he rose to Vice President and Area Manager. In 1992 he joined Fleet Bank in Keane, New Hampshire, as a Market Manager, returning to Connecticut and working as a Vice President for the First Union Private Bank from 1994 to 1998. Since 1998 Bob has worked as a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch in New Canaan. Bob and his wife Mary Ellen have three children: Ryan of El Paso, Texas; Maura, of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Patrick. Bob has served on the Xavier High School Board of Directors since 2008 as a member of the Finance and Advancement committees, and has recently been appointed as the chairperson of the board. He also served as the co-chair of Xavier’s Sustaining Excellence Campaign along with his good friend Brian Hetherington ‘81.

Sister Mary McCarthy, R.S.M., accepted the position of Dean of Students at Mercy High School in 1975. Since 1979 she has served as Principal and currently President of Mercy. The faculty and staff at Mercy find Sister Mary to be an innovative and scholarly leader, and students describe her as amazing, hardworking, and devoted to her school and students. Sister Mary has contributed service and advice to many boards of trustees, including chairing St. Augustine’s school board in Hartford, and serving as a member of the board of St. Joseph University and St. Bernard School. In addition, she is co-chair of the Network for Mercy Education, was a founder and

member of the Mercy Secondary Education Association, and a member of the Committee for the Evaluation of Ministries for the diocese of Norwich. Her fellow Sisters of Mercy know her best, recognizing her as a dedicated religious figure whose vocation manifests itself in commitment to family, her religious community, and all those whose lives she touches. Beginning in September of 1964, Bill McKenna would spend a total of 37 years (19641999) at Xavier as a teacher, coach, and administrator. After their four children were in school, Patty McKenna joined the Xavier staff in 1974 as secretary in the M-X Advancement Office. After serving Xavier for a combined 62 years, they retired from Xavier. Patty remains active as director of the annual production of the Mercy-Xavier Broadway Musical. Patty and Bill are especially grateful to Xavier and Mercy for their educational and spiritual influence upon the lives of their daughters, Colleen Cudgma, Cathy McKenna, Erin DeToro, and son, Bill. Their Xavier and Mercy legacy began in 1964 and continues today as they remain life long members of the Xavier-Mercy Community. A 1976 graduate of Xavier High School, Chris Smith attended Providence College, graduating cum laude, and the University of Connecticut School of Law. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Antoinette L. Dupont, Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court, and then went into private practice where he has specialized in land use and environmental matters for the past thirty-one years. Professionally, Chris has been named by Chambers USA on its list of America’s Leading Lawyers every year since 2007 and as

a Connecticut Super Lawyer for the past ten years. Chris is a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Association and served as chair of the Bar Association’s Planning and Zoning Section for three years. Chris has served the Xavier community with distinction. He was appointed to the Xavier High School Board of Directors in 2004 and has been its Vice-Chair since 2008. Chris and his wife Emily have two grown sons, Christopher and Brendan, both graduates of Xavier. Xavier Lifetime Service Award Richard Feitel is currently a senior development consultant for Catholic School Management, Inc., a full service financial, management, educational, marketing and development consulting firm serving Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses and religious communities. He specializes in comprehensive development programs and in the design and functioning of institutional advancement programs. In 1997, Richard Feitel retired as Director of Alumni and Development for Xavier High School after serving the school for more than 29 years. In his position at Xavier, Mr. Feitel was responsible for organizing and conducting the annual fund drive; planning and managing all fundraising events and reunions for the Xavier High School Alumni Association; publishing a quarterly newsletter for alums, present parents, and parents of alums; preparing and publishing an annual report; and actively seeking additional revenues for Xavier High School through corporate gifts, grants, and planned giving programs. Mr. Feitel served the Xavier High School community in various capacities prior to assuming the position of Director of Alumni and Development. During his earlier years at Xavier, he served as a teacher and chaired the Social Studies Department from 1975 to 1981. Mr. Feitel also served Xavier as assistant track coach for 18 years.