Spectacular Auction Supports Tuition Assistance

ALUMNI CLIMB MT. KILIMANJARO

On June 13, 2021, Luke McLellan '00 led a group of 26 climbers to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. It stands at 19,341 feet and is the highest point on the continent. The accomplishment took six days following the Machame route.

Of the 26 successful summit bids, 14 members in the group were Rockhurst High School alumni, including: McLellan, Bob Hamilton '78, Jonathan Adriano '01, Tim Nendick '08, Robert Simons '10, Jon Zinser '12, Logan Hagan-McAnany '17, Griffin Dilks '20, Ray Hamilton '20, Ben Keefe '20, Jake Walters '20, Sam Boers '21, Luke Hamilton '21, and Howie Waldenmeyer '21.

Alumni Accomplishments

Gregory Joseph '64 was selected to participate in the Oral History Project of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which is dedicated to chronicling the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and presenting contemporary culture within the context of presidential history. Joseph, a retired journalist and television columnist who was a member of a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff while reporting for The San Diego Union-Tribune, met the future president when he was campaigning for office near Kansas City.

Greg Helm '65 is a 50% owner of Hot Rod Charlie, an American Thoroughbred racehorse that placed 2nd at the 2021 Kentucky Derby. It also took 2nd in the 2021 Belmont Stakes and 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Hot Rod Charlie was the winner of the 2021 Pennsylvania Derby and Louisiana Derby.

Jerry Reardon '69 announced his retirement from the Thomas McGee Group after 48 years with the insurance broker. Reardon wrote: “I would have never thought and dreamed of the fantastic life God had in store for me at McGee’s. The people I worked with, the clients I partnered with have all been treasures that I will cherish always.”

Kevin Regan '73 was selected as the Grand Marshal of the 2022 Topeka St. Patrick’s Day Parade that took place on March 10. Regan was on the inaugural committee of the parade while he was in law school in 1980. He was joined in the parade by his four grandchildren, and noted that he was humble and grateful for the Irish honor.

Richard Mattione '74 economist and investor, published Follow the Money: Fed Largesse, Inflation, and Moon Shots in Financial Markets. The book dives into the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks over the last decade. It also looks into moon shot memes, SPACs, cryptos, and other digital currencies.

Richard Paradise '74 published his second book, entitled Growing Up in the OP: Tales of a Midwestern Baby Boomer, a memoir that will ring true with anyone who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. While it takes place in Overland Park, KS, it’s not as much about growing up in a place as it is about growing up in a time.

Art Chartrand '76 of the Chartrand Foundation has pledged to build “The Giving Gallery” in Olathe, KS. Think of a “WeWorks” or “Plexpods” coop office concept for entrepreneurs, but for charities. The goal is to have The Giving Gallery built by Fall 2022.

TOM JANTSCH

Tom Jantsch '77 was named the President & COO of Ronawk LLC, a company formed by a group of engineers and scientists interested in developing options for patients who need tissue and organ transfers but have limited options. They preserve primary stem cells from patients for later use in reconstructive surgeries.

Torre Nigro '77 was honored by Rockhurst University with the Xavier Medal of Honor. This recognition is for the alumnus who manifests the Jesuit tradition of “service to others”. Nigro has been a dedicated volunteer and board member for several major nonprofit and community organizations, including Don Bosco Center, Catholic Charities, and Rockhurst University.

David Cone '81 is joining the announcing booth for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. He pitched for 17 seasons in the majors, winning World Series titles with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Cone won the 1994 American League Cy Young Award while pitching for the KC Royals.

Gib Kerr '81, a longtime Cushman & Wakefield executive and prominent local commercial real estate broker, was tapped to lead the firm’s Kansas City office. Kerr, formerly the office’s director of capital markets, succeeded longtime Managing Principal Mike Mayer (RHS ‘82), effective March 22, 2021.

JIM COSGROVE

Jim Cosgrove '83 has written and published a book about the disappearance and murder of Frank McGonigle '74, titled Ripple: A Long Strange Search for a Killer. Cosgrove is known by many as the beloved, award-winning children’s entertainer, Mr. Stinky Feet. Allen Roberson '84 was selected as one of 16 CFOs recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal in its list of 2021 CFOs of the Year. Roberson has served as CFO at Rockhurst High School since June 2019. Prior to that he was Principal at AKR Consulting LLC, Vice President Finance and Administration at Sekisui XenoTech LLC, and CFO at Planet Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

Pete Browne '85 was chosen by the Kansas City Public Library’s board of trustees as its first new president in 17 years, succeeding Jonathan Kemper. Browne has served on the Library board since 2020 and chairs its building oversight committee. He is the co-founder and president of Kissick Construction.

Todd LaSala '89 partner and chair of Stinson’s real estate and public finance division, was named to Midwest Real Estate News’ Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. For nearly 25 years, LaSala has worked in commercial real estate and development, with an emphasis on public-private partnerships.

Mike Gates '90 was inducted into The Heartland Hall of Fame. Gates has worked as a Territory Manager at Heartland Payment Systems since 2014, helping customers cut costs with full-disclosure merchant advocacy approach to payment card processing and payroll processing.

Todd McCullough '90 acquired Prime Label KC, which offers custom label printing services for pharmaceutical, health care, veterinary, retail, food and beverage, industrial, and commercial clients.

Stephen Bessenbacher '92 was inducted into the Midwest Real Estate News' Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. In April 2021, Bessenbacher joined Crown MedRealty Partners, LLC as its Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner. Prior to that, he was a Sr. Vice President with Block Real Estate Services for 10 years.

Steve Coppinger '94 was appointed to the Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents. He is the President and Founder of Impact Interiors, a fullservice contract furniture dealer based in Kansas City with additional locations in St. Louis, Des Moines, and Chicago.

Stephen Holte '99 was announced as the founding president of Cristo Rey Orange County in California. The school is on target to open in 2023, and will be the 40th school in the Cristo Rey Network. Holte brings more than 15 years of leadership in Catholic education, including serving as Assistant Dean for Advancement at Arrupe College.

IVAN NUGENT

Ivan Nugent '99 was announced as a shareholder at Krigel & Krigel, P.C., a leading Midwest law firm. Nugent provides counsel to both corporate and individual clients on a variety of topics, and specializes in litigation of employment, commercial and consumer disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants. Nugent also serves on Rockhurst High School’s Board of Trustees and Educational Affairs Sub-Committee, as well as Rockhurst High School’s National Alumni Association Board of Governors.

David Hudnall '00 joined the Kansas City Star’s staff as a narrative writer in November 2021. He previously held a variety of positions at The Pitch, including editor, and was most recently editor-inchief of the Phoenix New Times in Arizona.

Paul Rohrer '00 Director of Ambulatory Patient Access at The University of Kansas Health System, was recognized by the national association “Patient Access Collaborative” as an Access Champion. This recognition was given for his commitment to improving access workflows, breaking down access barriers, and going above and beyond his job duties to ensure patients are seen in a timely manner.

Kevin Kane '02 was named the associate head coach/outside linebackers coach at the University of Illinois prior to the 2021 season. Kane spent the previous three years serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at SMU. Prior to SMU, he had coaching stints at Northern Illinois and the University of Kansas, where Kane also played linebacker, earning AllBig 12 honorable mention accolades.

Adam Pummill '02 was named the head football coach at Blue Valley North High School prior to the 2021 season. He joined the program in 2019 and served as the offensive line coach and the offensive coordinator.

JOSHUA KARLIN

Joshua Karlin, MD '05 completed his spine fellowship at the University of Missouri - Columbia and joined the Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance as an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon. Dr. Karlin’s area of expertise is surgical treatment of spine disorders. This encompasses degenerative disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, as well as spine trauma and metastatic disease affecting the spine.

Andrew Shepard '05 has been named Vice President – Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Advisors. Shepard has been a financial advisor at Wells Fargo since 2016, and in 2018 partnered with his mother, Margo Shepard, to form the Shepard Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors.

Seth Sinovic '05 announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sept. 23, 2021. Sinovic enjoyed an 11-year career in the MLS and played for Sporting KC from 2011-2019. He ranks seventh in club history with 257 appearances and sixth in both starts and minutes played. Soon after, he joined AREA Real Estate Advisors as a member of its Industrial Team.

JEROME JACKSON

Jerome Jackson '06 has published The NIL Book - A Complete Guide to Student-Athlete Compensation. The book is a great tool for student-athletes and business owners to understand the new world of monetizing NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights in college athletics. Jackson is a Technology & Entertainment attorney and founder of Extraordinary Insights, based in Miami, FL.

Charlie Regan '06 joined The Regan Law Firm, L.L.C. as a member. The firm was founded by Charlie’s father, Kevin E. J. Regan ‘73. Charlie has received the Pro Bono Champion Award from the Kansas Bar Association and has been a Super Lawyers designee for the last five years.

Scott Bluhm '07 achieved his full Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) designation. SIOR is the leading global professional office and industrial real estate association. With 3,600 members in 45 countries and 722 cities, SIOR represents today’s most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists. Bluhm is a managing director at Newmark Zimmer. Cornell Ellis '08 was included on Startland News’ list of six Kansas City changemakers out of more than 100 nominees. Ellis is the founder and executive director at Brothers Liberating Our Communities (BLOC), which has the goal of increasing the number of Black male educators in schools - starting with Kansas City.

Andrew Brain '09 CEO and founder of Brain Group, founded a start-up called Drone Wash to utilize drones for cleaning exterior building surfaces. Brain partnered with another local entrepreneur and acquired an industrial spraying drone, which connects via hose to a grounded rig that mixes and compresses a cleaning solution.

Daniel Brocato '09 was promoted to Vice President of Block & Company, Inc., Realtors. Brocato began his career at Block in 2013 as a Property Manager and Acquisition Manager. In 2017, he joined the Block & Company Sales team, working closely with local and national tenants for procurement of space in the KC market.

Max Kaniger '09 was included on Startland News’ list of six Kansas City change-makers out of more than 100 nominees. Kaniger is the founder of Kanbe’s Markets, which aims to give access to fresh and affordable food in communities experiencing food insecurity. Kanbe’s has created innovative food delivery systems that are more inclusive, enhance small businesses, and empower individuals to make healthier choices.

Brad Miller '09 was named to the Kansas City Business Journal’s list of 20 to Know in Insurance. Miller is the director of claims analytics with the Robert E. Miller Group, where he analyzes client claims data for trends and highlights how their claims compare with the average for others in the same industry.

Chandler Smith '11 is one of the top CrossFit athletes in the world, and in January 2022 secured a sponsorship deal with Puma. For every podium finish that Smith earns during competition, he selects a worthy charitable organization that will receive a donation from Puma.

Charles Brain '12 is the co-founder of Lubanzi, a wine company in South Africa rooted in social responsibility. Lubanzi’s 2020 Chenin Blanck was included on Wine Enthusiast’s list of Best Wines of 2021. The tasting panel annually reviews upwards of 22,000 wines, and Lubanzi’s was ranked #100.

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Alex Stubblefield '14 earned his way to a