A LEGENDARY PAST... AN EXCITING FUTURE

St. Pius X High School Inc. Board of Trustees

Dr. Noreen Duffy Copeland, President

Rev. Dr. Michael Demkovich ’72, Vice President

Robert Robeda, Treasurer

Marijo Rymer ’64, Secretary

Msgr. Lambert Luna

SPX Real Estate Corp. Board of Trustees

Jerry Sais, President

Bob Arguelles ’74, Vice President

Rev. Rick Zerwas, Treasurer

John Menicucci ’70, Secretary

St. Pius X High School

Rev. John Trambley, President

Mike Deely, Head of School

Connections 1956 Magazine

Jennifer Maldonado ’91, Director of Publications

Ben Walden ’18, Graphic Designer

Matt Lopez, Digital Program Administrator

Jose Samora, Director of Technology and School Historian

Jean Marie Skipp ’87, Associate Director of Advancement and Alumni

Jim Cook ’83, Director of Athletics

Jeff Turcotte, Director of Student Activities and Enrollment

Mike Deely Head of School, SPX

We are excited to announce that St. Pius X is beginning a new strategic plan. With high school enrollment growing significantly and the successful addition of the eighth grade, our future is bright, and we need to collaborate as a community to map out the future of the school we love so much. Guided by the nationally renowned Leadership Roundtable and facilitated by our respected Assistant Principal Orlando Rodriguez, we have gathered representatives from the alumni, current parents, faculty, and school leadership to start an ambitious reflection on how we can make St. Pius X the school of choice in New Mexico. This process will only work with your support. Expect the school to communicate with you over the summer to participate in a critical survey to seek your input into our plan. We want the school to make the alumni proud, serve the needs of our parents and students, and be in the best position for the future generations of Sartans. The school leadership promises that what we all finalize in the plan will happen. Your support this year with the purchase of the property and the Meitler Study for middle school shows that as a family we can do anything, so we want to plan big and go far. Thank you for your continued support. St. Pius X, pray for us and may the Holy Spirit guide us.

Fr. John Trambley President, SPX

When I was a newly ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, I had a spiritual director who helped guide my first steps in ministry. He had a favorite passage that he would share with me regularly. It is from Chapter 15, verse five of The Gospel According to John: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” This speaks about the importance of remaining rooted in Christ and His Church. It also speaks about the necessity to pray always without ceasing. This scripture passage also further explains the process and importance of pruning. It says in verse two, “He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” There has been some restructuring and pruning here at St. Pius X. This does not mean the school was not producing fruit, it simply means that this process will provide more fruit by exposing branches to more sunlight which stimulates growth. Emerging from the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Reorganization, the school will pay its debts and lay a foundation for future growth. You are a part of this. While you may not see an event like our annual gala, you will have an opportunity to grow our school in meaningful ways. This will ensure St. Pius X bears fruit for many years to come.

Marijo Rymer ’64 Secretary, Board of Trustees

In 1964 when I graduated from St. Pius X High School, I knew I’d had great school experiences, had learned a lot from good teachers, cherished my friends, and was eager to move on with my life. On that spring day, I did not know that my connection to SPX would be as strong, albeit different, sixty years later. Much has changed since then: the original campus is now the site of a shopping center, Fr. Falbo, Sr. Christopher, and Mrs. Green sing with the angels, and demerit slips and red plaid skirts languish in landfills. Yet, common threads remain strong. SPX will always be our school, filled with memories of lessons learned, friendships shared, and a deep tradition of faith and service that connects Pius alumni around the globe.

My daughters, Amy Fink McCarty ’86, Pam Fink Read ’88, and Becky Fink ’90, are SPX alumnae. My granddaughters, Lilly ’17 and Karina ’19 McCarty are SPX grads, and grandsons, Aidan ’24 and Bryan ’25 Thomas walk St. Pius X halls today.

Beyond the family connection, I’ve enjoyed a strong network of friends and acquaintances developed during my days at SPX and through Board service. Classmates gather for monthly lunches; we established an endowment for tuition assistance, and support each other through good times and sad moments.

I am grateful for the many gifts I received through SPX, and I thank God for the legacy of faith, curiosity, achievement, and resilience that characterize our school.

John Menicucci ’70 Secretary, SPX Real Estate Corp.

As a native of Albuquerque, I am very familiar with its history and growth. My knowledge of neighborhoods and properties is broad, putting me in a unique position to advise clients, so when I was asked to serve my alma mater on the SPX Real Estate Corp., I was honored.

I attended Our Lady of Fatima, Heights Catholic grade school, St. Pius X High School, class of 1970, and UNM, where I acquired Bachelor of Arts and MBA Degrees, graduating in 1979. I am the owner and Qualifying Broker for Berger Briggs Real Estate & Property Management, having worked at Berger Briggs for over 48 years.

I have been married to Muffin Kennedy Menicucci for 49 years, and we have four children who attended Annunciation Catholic School and St. Pius X High School. John Jr. ’94 is Senior Legal Counsel for Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, NE. John and his wife Betsy have four children. Janea ’96 is the Coordinator for NM Universal Design for Learning, Central Region Educational Cooperative, NM Public Education Department, and has a daughter. Joseph ’98 is a Contract Bond and Commercial Insurance Agent with Downey & Company. Joseph and his wife Nina Franchini ’00 have three children. Jason ’00 is the Director of Production Operations for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Division in Dallas. Jason and his wife Shaina have three children.

Since the early 1980s, my wife and I have been involved in many aspects of Catholic education and Catholic social services. I have served on the Annunciation Catholic School Board, the St. Pius X Foundation Board, the St. Pius X Athletic Booster Club, the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities, and the Finance Committee of Annunciation Church. I possess a strong desire to see Catholic Education succeed in Albuquerque as the means to raise our children to be outstanding young adults and future leaders in the Catholic Church and our community. I see the excellent education, values, and beliefs that my children learned manifesting in their lifelong success.