Bonaventure Magazine: Winter 2024

Vol. 16, No.1, WINTER 2024

BONAVENTURE The Magazine of St. Bonaventure University

10 Cover Story In February 1974, with the opening of the Warming House, seeds were sown for all of the social action and service programs that have blossomed at St. Bonaventure over the last five decades. The Warming House celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

32

Global Adventures In this issue’s Alumni Voices feature, alums share stories of their study-abroad adventures in Spain, China, England, Morocco, Ireland and France, and how those experiences continue to influence their lives today.

36

Impact Report: The Power of You Your generosity enables St. Bonaventure to build upon its proud Franciscan heritage. As we move closer to achieving the $125 million goal for the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history, we proudly share what you have made possible to date.

INSIDE Off the Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Alumni Event Photos . . . . . . .16 Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 COVER PHOTO Scarlet Vasquez (left) and Priscilla Contreras volunteer at the Warming House during the summer of 2017.

Editor, Beth Eberth Contributors Susan Anderson, ’11 Danny Bush, ’13, ’15 Tom Donahue, ’76

Tom Missel Jack Steger, ’22, ’23

Submit Class Notes: www.SBUmagazine.com Address changes: www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate Additional contacts: Office of Alumni Services www.sbu.edu/alumni (716) 375-2302

Bonaventure Magazine Office of Marketing & Communications 3261 W. State Road P.O. Box 2509 St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 (716) 375-2000 magazine@sbu.edu

Bonaventure: The Magazine of St. Bonaventure University is produced twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications.

2

Campus News

Jaylei Wagstaff carries the ball into contact with support from teammate Abbey Beres.

NATIONAL CHAMPS! Just one recruiting class later, she’s orchestrated a national championship.

“Based on where we were when I started, I can’t believe it. But I believed in this team’s heart and all of the effort they put in to get here,” Pyke said.

Beginning this spring, the Bonnies are moving up to the more competitive National Collegiate Rugby Division I.

Photos courtesy of National Collegiate Rugby

THE WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM held off WisconsinPlatteville, 22-17, Dec. 3 at SaberCats Stadium in Houston to claim the small-college Fall 15s Collegiate Rugby Championship.

It has been an amazing run for second-year coach Meredith Pyke. When she was hired in March 2022, Pyke inherited only nine players and had to fill the roster with campus recruits and incoming freshmen.

WINTER 2024

3

Pre s i d e nt’s Me s s a ge

So many threads tie Bonnies together

B

efore I was even offered the job as president of St. Bonaventure, I decided to make an under-theradar visit to campus with Betsy once I entered the finalist stage. I at least wanted to get a sense if this could be the right place for us, even if it was only a snapshot.

Being a former college basketball player and big college hoops fan, coming on the weekend of a Bonnies game seemed ideal, an easy way to blend in without really being noticed and an opportunity to see for myself if all I had heard about the Reilly Center’s electric atmosphere was true. The experience didn’t disappoint.

In my many travels across the country the last 18 months, to major donor events and pre-game alumni socials, it’s clear that Bonnies basketball is a strong thread tying generations of alumni together.

But now well into my second year as president, what I’ve learned is that the overwhelming sense of community we see on display in the RC begins forming long before a student goes to their first Bonnies game.

Why? Quite simply, the people, who are committed to building and nurturing relationships from the moment a student steps on campus.

I was honored to be able to speak at the ceremony, Dec. 9 in the Hall of Fame, dedicating the RC Ticket Office to the late Larry Ford, ’62. In a career spanning more than 30 years at the university, most notably as director of Reilly Center, Larry left an indelible imprint on hundreds of students, both as a friend and father figure.

The ceremony was scheduled to be held outside the ticket office but the outpouring of friends and family who wanted to attend turned it into a standing-room-only event in the Hall of Fame.

In Tom McElroy’s funny, heartfelt dedication speech, he mentioned how impressed he was with how quickly Betsy and I had embraced the mission and spirit of Bona’s.

It’s an easy thing to do at St. Bonaventure because of the legacies that existed before us. Bonaventure isn’t about big new buildings or major grants we’ve received. It’s really

about the people. The people are the legacies here and Larry is one of our greatest legacies.

So are Brian and John McAllister. Throughout distinguished teaching careers at St. Bonaventure totaling 65 years of devoted service, the brothers made a lasting difference in the lives of countless Bonaventure business students. Brian just retired last year after 45 years at SBU. Now, a Business Scholars Endowment created in their name will carry on their legacy, empowering students to acquire high-impact summer internships, better preparing them to meet the challenges of business in an ever-changing world.

Knowing the affinity so many students had for them, I’m confident the campaign will be a success. Even with their careers in the rear-view mirror, the relationships Brian and John established here will continue to have a remarkable impact on the lives of students they’ll never know.

For 50 years, Bonaventure students have been making a remarkable impact on the lives of the underserved members of our community.

As important as the Warming House (see page 10) is in addressing the concerns of food insecurity in our region, it’s just as important for the fellowship our students provide to people that society has often turned its back on. Students learned that lesson in 1974 from friars like Dan Riley and John O’Connor and they continue to learn it today from people like Alice Miller Nation, who oversees all the programing in our Franciscan Center for Social Concern.

Basketball will always matter at Bonaventure. People will always matter more.

Dr. Jeff Gingerich University President

St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees Michael Hickey, ’84 Board Chair Steven G. Barry, ’88 Board Vice Chair Carol A. Schumacher, ’78 Board Vice Chair Daniel Horan, O.F.M., ’05 Board Secretary

4

Michael A. Anderson, ’77 Judy Baumgartner, ’91 Norbert A. Bennett, ’62 Luke H. Brown, ’89 Donna L. Burden, ’84 Pikai Chiang, ’84 Joseph “Joe” Davis, ’79 Pat Doyle, ’80

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Larry Ford, O.F.M. Michael T. Fossaceca, ’88 Mark R. Gianniny Jeff Gingerich Gerry Helper, ’79 Linh N. Hoang, O.F.M. Laurie R. Krupa, ’82 Molly Kulesz-Martin, ’71

Margaret Magee, O.S.F. Kristan K. McMahon, ’97 Mark Mulhern, ’82 Kevin J. Mullen, O.F.M. Mark Murphy, ’91 Richard A. Penna, ’68 Susanna Stitt, ’99 James T. Walsh, L.H.D., ’70

Kevin Watkins Trustees Emeriti Robert J. Daugherty, ’77 John R. “Jack” McGinley, L.H.D., ’65 Charles Osgood, L.H.D. Leslie C. Quick III, L.H.D., ’75 John D. Sheehan, ’82

Campus News

Six named to university’s Alumni Council Six alumni spanning 50 years of St. Bonaventure history have been named to the university’s Alumni Council.

The new council members, pictured above from left, are: Fred Barthmaier, ’72 (Management Science), Malta, New York: A retired account manager with Iron Mountain, Barthmaier spent most of his career in the health insurance industry, most notably as vice president of marketing for Blue Shield of WNY. He is the leader of the Albany alumni chapter and has hosted several Bonaventure Days at Saratoga, arranged service days at the Regional Food Bank, and coordinated basketball watch parties in the Albany region.

Sean Savery, ’93 (History and Political Science), Cape Coral, Florida: The senior director of customer experience at Sonim Technologies, Savery was a vice president of SBU’s Student Government Association and president of the Campus Activities Board during his academic career at St. Bonaventure. He has extensive experience in organizing events at Sonim and is willing to assist alumni chapters in their event planning.

Eboni Preston-Laurent, ’08 (Journalism and Mass Communication), Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania: The director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Equipment Leasing and Financing Association, she also holds a master’s degree in education from Endicott College. A star goalkeeper for the women’s lacrosse team, Preston-Laurent was inducted into SBU’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.

She spoke virtually to SBU students in 2020 about the value of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their community and personal relationships.

Lorrie Cardwell-Panfil, ’08 (Sociology), Durham, Maine: The director of brand insights at BREAKTHRU Brands, Cardwell-Panfil also worked at the Chicago Park District, Bath Area Family YMCA, and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens,

driving strategy and operations with the well-being of children and communities in mind. She is certified as a Youth Program Quality Intervention Trainer and worked as an educator for the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago.

Denzel Gregg, ’17 (Finance), Syracuse, New York: A student at Duquesne’s Kline School of Law, Gregg is scheduled to graduate with his law degree in 2025.

He was a four-year player for the Bonnies, averaging 12 points and 7.7 rebounds a game his senior year. Gregg works with the corporate group at Dentons Cohen & Grigsby. Previously, he managed constituent services for the Of-

fice of the Mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana, and was an academic coordinator for the Syracuse University football team. He’s been active in fundraising, roster building and team logistics for the Bonnies team that has competed in The Basketball Tournament.

Lily Chittenden, ’21, ’22 (Marketing, MBA), Fairport, New York: An account relationship executive for ClinicalConnection Inc., Chittenden was the program leader for three years for Silver Wolves, a Franciscan Center for Social Concern program with local nursing homes, during her time at SBU. She was also active in fundraising for the FCSC on Giving Tuesday for four years.

WINTER 2024

5

Campus News

CORPORATE PARTNERS

ALUMNI SURVEY

Organizations’ employees receive discount on online graduate programs

Your opinion counts – please share it with us

St. Bonaventure couldn’t exist without the support of its alumni. A new way that alumni can support the university is also a way for alumni to support their employees — and it doesn’t cost a dime.

SBU’s Corporate Partners Program allows employees at participating corporations or organizations — as well as their spouses — to enroll in any of the following fully online St. Bonaventure graduate programs and receive a 15% discount on their tuition: • Master of Business Administration • Master of Science in Business Analytics • Master of Arts in Communication • Master of Arts in Digital Journalism • Master of Arts in Sports Journalism • Master of Arts in Leadership • Master of Science in Cybersecurity Thirteen corporations have already partnered with the university, including New Era, M&T Bank, Six Flags, Terex, Cutco, EnergyMark, Greenlight, Hewlett Packard, Rich’s, Toshiba, Upper Allegheny Health System, Merchants Insurance Group and Kaleida Health.

“We’d love to have more businesses or organizations with strong Bonaventure ties take part in the program,” said Dr.

Michael Hoffman, dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “The beauty is, there is no cost to take part so it’s a win-win for your employees and for us.”

As part of an organization’s participation in the program, all the university asks is for the ability to promote the partnership on SBU’s social media platforms and permission to use an organization’s name/logo on the university’s corporate partnership webpage.

To help facilitate the success of a company’s employees as they balance professional, academic and personal demands, each student receives a success coach, faculty adviser, access to online library services and the option of writing support services, Hoffman said.

Alumni who can speak directly about the potential for a partnership should contact Hoffman at mhoffman@sbu.edu or (716) 375-2530.

“If there is another member of your organization with whom I should speak, please let me know,” Hoffman said. “I’d very much appreciate an introduction.”

For more information about the partnership program and the master’s degree programs mentioned above, visit online.sbu.edu/corporatepartnerships.

Bonnies, as St. Bonaventure continues to evolve and grow, your opinion is very important to us. In March, alumni will receive an email and link to a survey. Please take a few minutes to fill it out.

Your response will be used to determine future alumni programming, how best to communicate with you, and give us a better understanding of your expectations of St. Bonaventure.

“I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to hear from each and every one of our Bonnies. Your opinions matter deeply to us, and we believe that your insights will play a crucial role in shaping the future of St. Bonaventure,” said Lindsay Retchless, director of Alumni Engagement. “By actively participating, you contribute not only to the growth of your alma mater but also to the strengthening of your shared bond as Bonnies.”

Need to update your contact information? Visit www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate.

Celebrating traditions new and old The university created a new tradition in December while celebrating an 800-year-old one. Dr. Jeff and Betsy Gingerich held an outdoor Christmas tree lighting Dec. 4 at the Marchiori Pavilion featuring music by the SBU Chamber Singers and celebrating the 800th anniversary of when St. Francis created the first crèche. Students in attendance received small wooden ornaments depicting a Nativity scene.

6

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Campus News

HONORS FOR DELTA CEO ED BASTIAN

Ed Bastian, ’79, recognized with two leadership awards October was an award-winning month for Ed Bastian, ’79, CEO of Delta Airlines.

On Oct. 12, he was honored in Atlanta, home to Delta, with the Four Pillar Award, a prestigious leadership award given to a philanthropic leader committed to economic development and the region’s quality of life. The award is given by the Council for Quality Growth, a not-for-profit trade association that promotes balanced and responsible growth.

The pillars are quality, responsibility, vision and integrity, the principles on which the Council was founded. SBU President Jeff Gingerich and Janet Glogouski, interim VP for Advancement, attended the event.

On Oct. 25 in New York City, Bastian received the CEO of the Year Award from Chief Executive magazine. Winners are selected by peers in the CEO community for their leadership skills and exemplary achievement in running vibrant companies. Past winners include Bob Iger, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Anne Mulcahy and Marilyn Hewson.

Along with Gingerich, several Bonaventure alums were in attendance to celebrate with Bastian, including Les Quick III, ’75, Dick Kearns, ’72, Sam Molinaro, ’80, and Tom Fleming, ’80. Bastian received an honorary degree from SBU in 2009.

Above, Ed Bastian (right) is honored with the CEO of the Year Award from Chief Executive magazine. Below, he is pictured with (from left) Les Quick III, Dick Kearns, Dr. Jeff Gingerich, Sam Molinaro and Tom Fleming.

WINTER 2024

7

Off the Shelf

David Goodwin, ’00, is the author of “Midnight Rambles: H. P. Lovecraft in Gotham,” a micro-biography of horror fiction’s most influential author and his love–hate relationship with New York City.

By the end of his life and near financial ruin, pulp horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft resigned himself to the likelihood that his writing would be forgotten. Today, Lovecraft stands alongside J.R.R. Tolkien as the most influential genre writer of the 20th century. His reputation as an unreformed racist and bigot, however, leaves readers to grapple with his legacy. “Midnight Rambles” explores Lovecraft’s time in New York City, a crucial yet often overlooked chapter in his life that shaped his literary career and the inextricable racism in his work.

Goodwin is the assistant director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University.

Matthew Cressler, ’06, has launched “Bad Catholics, Good Trouble” (https://badcatholics-comics.org/), an educational webcomic that brings true stories of Catholic racism and antiracism to life in an art form suitable for all ages.

The first story, titled “An Exception to the Rule,” is based on the life of Sr. Angelica Schultz, O.S.F., a Franciscan sister who was hit with a brick while she marched for civil rights in Chicago in 1966. The website comes with ready-made teaching, learning, and praying resources for those interested in engaging it and sharing it.

Cressler is the author of “Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migrations” and has written for America, The Atlantic, National Catholic Reporter, Religion News Service, The Revealer, Slate, U.S. Catholic, and Zocalo Public Square.

Michael J. Mulryan, ’98, is the author of “Louis Sébastian Mercier: Revolution and Reform in Eighteenth-Century 8

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Paris,” the first book in English devoted to Mercier in decades.

Mercier, a French playwright, novelist, activist, and journalist, passionately captured scenes of social injustice in preRevolutionary Paris in his prolific oeuvre, but today remains an understudied writer.

In this study, Mulryan explores Mercier’s unpublished writings and urban chronicles, “Tableau de Paris” (1781–88) and “Le Nouveau Paris” (1798), in which he identified the city as a microcosm of national societal problems, detailed the conditions of the laboring poor, encouraged educational reform, and confronted universal social ills. An outcast for his controversial views during his lifetime, Mercier has been called the founder of modern urban discourse, and his work a precursor to investigative journalism.

Mulryan is an associate professor of French at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

A few years ago, Dr. Will Elenchin, associate professor of sociology and criminology at St. Bonaventure, was granted a sabbatical to work on his fourth book on behavioral health.

The project took an unexpected turn when Elenchin’s son, Zac, a U.S. Army combat medic serving a deployment in Afghanistan, experienced PTSD after responding to a mass casualty event.

Zac Elenchin has since made healthy strides toward recovery, and father and son now share authorship on their new book: “PTSD & Post Traumatic Growth in the Warrior Class: A Tactical Primer for Students and Practitioners in Military, Police, and Medicine.”

The manual is not meant to replace counseling, medical intervention, support groups, or guidance by clergy, Will Elenchin said. “What this book does offer is an overview of PTSD and PTG by someone who’s been there and who can share with you tips to help avoid or at

least lessen the impact of trauma as well as ideas on ways to come out stronger on the other side.”

The book is a manual for understanding the trauma often experienced by members of what the Elenchins refer to as the “warrior class,” students and practitioners who work in high-stress fields such as the military, police and medical professions.

St. Bonaventure professors Dr. Benjamin Gross and Dr. Samantha Gavin have co-authored the book “Framing the Police on Twitter: Public Discourse on Abolishing Police, Defunding Police, and Community Policing.”

Their work delves into the multifaceted meanings attached to calls for police reform within the realm of social media.

Gross and Gavin, who teach in the university’s Department of Sociology & Criminology, provide readers with a comprehensive exploration of the assumptions, empirical claims, and rhetorical nuances that underpin the current dialogue surrounding police policy.

The rise of social media has transformed public discourse, making it an integral platform for debates on societal issues. The authors recognize the significance of Twitter as a key battleground for shaping public opinion on matters related to law enforcement and the role of the police in communities.

Helen Ruggieri, who earned a graduate degree from SBU in 1972, has authored a new book of poetry, “The Sapphires.”

Ruggieri has published close to 200 poems in magazines, academic journals and anthologies. She is the author of several books of poetry, chapter books, and two books of creative nonfiction. She taught for 20 years at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and led writing workshops for the Mental Health Association of Cattaraugus County, the African American Center for Cultural Development, and at

Off the Shelf

Olean Public Library, where she coordinated a reading series.

A new biography of Francis of Assisi by Fr. Michael Cusato, scholar-in-residence at St. Bonaventure Friary, represents decades of original research and reflection by the author, one of the leading historians of the Franciscan phenomenon working in the world today.

“Francis of Assisi: His Life, Vision and Companions,” was published by Reaktion Books in London, within the context of their “Medieval Lives” series.

Its originality consists in approaching the life and charism of Francis within the vision developed by Francis and his earliest friars in order to generate a spirit of both personal (individual) and societal renewal through the values of the gospel.

Cusato, a professor of Franciscan studies, served as dean of the former School of Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure and as director of the Franciscan Institute. His publications list includes some 125 articles.

Antonietta Tripodi Quinn, ’01, published her first children’s book. The book, “Andrew Conquers the Court,” launched on Nov. 9, 2023, and was awarded Amazon bestseller status. The book was inspired by the true story of her son’s journey playing his favorite sport, basketball.

It is a story of perseverance and grit, with the message that you can accomplish anything with hard work and by believing in yourself. The book can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Quinn’s website, www.atqauthor.com.

Dr. Tyrone Bynoe, associate professor of education and director of educational leadership (advanced school leadership preparation) at St. Bonaventure, is the lead author of a book released in August by Rowman and Littlefield, Inc. The book, “The Essentials of Finance for

School Leaders: A Practical Handbook for Problem-solving and Meeting Challenges,” is co-authored by Dr. Steve Bounds of Arkansas Technical University and Dr. David Martinez of the University of South Carolina.

“The Essentials of Finance” provides supervisory practitioners at the school building level with the vital tools of school finance literacy alongside an understanding of school finance policy that impacts the everyday operation of today’s public schools.

Kevin Horgan’s fourth book, “Bed Bug Stew: Tales and Poems on Roots, Revenge, Redemption, and Baseball,” is two books in one volume.

The first book is a compilation of short story fiction and poetry on a wide range of subjects: science fiction, messages from the heart, and a little terror thrown in. Readers will laugh out loud and shed a tear, and they will remember all the characters and their flaws, strengths, motivations, and sometimes the depths of their souls.

The second book is the author’s firstperson account of his attendance at the New York Yankees Men’s Fantasy Baseball Camp in January 2023.

Horgan, a member of the Class of 1979, says “Bed Bug Stew has something for everyone.”

Devin Murphy, ’01, ’02, has published his third book, “Unbend the River,” a collection of short stories about SBU and the region surrounding the university.

The linked stories in “Unbend the River” are set along a forested stretch of land between Lake Erie and the upper Allegheny River in Western New York. The characters, all of whom are tied to a modern knife manufacturing plant, illustrate all the ways love and longing shapeshift over the course of a long life.

A host of elderly hockey players, Franciscan friars, loser heroes, budding conmen, and unintentional historians are all wired to search for meaning. Each flash their creative genius when fighting off idleness, anger and disappointment. They build nightmare hotrods and race school buses; train wild dogs, homing pigeons, and dancing horses; and fight wildfires and grasshopper swarms.

They crash headlong into the chaos, confusion, and confluence of their homes, never losing their energy to seek out the essential miracles hidden all around them.

Murphy’s first two books, “The Boat Runner” and “Tiny Americans,” were national bestsellers and sold around the world.

>>> WE LOVE MAIL! We are happy to print brief summaries of new books, CDs and other multimedia works published by SBU alumni, faculty and staff. Send a copy of the book or CD and summary press release to magazine@sbu.edu or: Bonaventure magazine 3261 W. State Road P.O. Box 2509 St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 All books mailed to the magazine are shared with Friedsam Memorial Library for its collection.

WINTER 2024

9

U A Golden 4 2 0

2 4

7 9 1

Opportunity

This page: Students prepare meals in 2018 in the Warming House’s current site on North Union Street. Next page: Warming House guests and one of the Warming House’s early locations.

10

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

On its 50th anniversary, the Warming House eyes a more sustainable future

BY TOM MISSEL

I

n the early 1970s, the only social action that seemed to matter at St. Bonaventure was the years-long, acrimonious battle students waged with the administration over intervisitation rights in the dorms. Two presidents over a four-year period had asked friars like Dan Riley, John O’Connor, Ed Coughlin and Dan Kenna to come to campus to help heal the strife and move the university in a more positive direction.

But not until sophomore Bob Clark came back from a fall 1973 visit to a homeless shelter in Boston was the desire to make a difference in the lives of people outside the Bona Bubble conceived.

Just a few months later, on Feb. 6, 1974, in a shabby vacant store on North Union Street in Olean — long since bulldozed and replaced by a fast-food giant — the seeds were sown for all of the social action and service programs that have blossomed at St. Bonaventure over the last 50 years.

The Warming House, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, opened its doors.

“Coming back to Bona’s now, one of the things I find amazing is how many service programs the university does for the community,” said Fr. John O’Connor, O.F.M., guardian of the SBU Friary since last summer and director of Campus Ministry from 1974 until 1982.

Photos courtesy of University Archives

“Back then, I don’t think we really did anything in terms of community outreach until we started the Warming House.”

Clark’s experience in Boston was the spark.

“That visit to the Pine Street Inn really had a strong effect on me,” said Clark, Class of 1976. “I came back to the Campus Ministry staff and wondered if something like that in Olean might work.

The Warming House was a combination of many people’s thoughts and dreams, a real desire to reach out to folks on the margins. Fr. Dan (Riley) and Janet deserve a lot of the credit for getting it up and going.”

Janet (Zajac) Shartle and her roommate, Gail Crowe, would often read Psalms to each other in their Shay-Loughlen room.

Inspired by those passages and Bob Clark a desire to bring Clark’s idea to life, Shartle approached Fr. Dan. “They had a deeper notion of what God wants us to do, a beautiful intuition to want to care for the elderly,” said Fr. Dan, who went to town with Shartle, looking for a home base for their outreach.

WINTER 2024

11

p Above, from left: Sophomores Kevin Eberth and Abby Docos, Warming House coordinators; University Archives file photo; Haley Sousa greets a guest; Alice Miller Nation talks with a guest during the pandemic; the December 2018 truckload of donations from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo.

Olean businessman Peter Sawaya owned an empty store next to his Watch Shop.

“Mr. Sawaya said to me, ‘Does this have anything to do with the Franciscans?’” said Shartle, Class of 1974. “I said yes, he said OK, and it was as easy as that. I was very surprised when he said yes.”

More than two dozen student volunteers led by Shartle, Clark and Mike Luft, ’75, spruced up the place with donations of paint from Sherwin-Williams and supplies from the university’s maintenance department.

The kitchen didn’t need any attention. There wasn’t one.

The vital service the Warming House provides today to address food insecurity in the community — serving more than 23,000 meals in 2023, a 300% increase from just five years ago — didn’t get added to the plate until 1984.

The original idea for the Warming House was to be nothing more than a drop-in center for the disenfranchised elderly, a place to get coffee, a doughnut and fellowship from Bonaventure students. Only a few days had passed after the doors opened when volunteers realized the need was much greater.

“We discovered that it wasn’t just the elderly, but mothers and their young children, and folks with mental health needs who were either overflow from agencies or who didn’t know how to access those agencies,” Fr. Dan said.

Bill Jahn, ’72, graduated two years before the Warming House even opened, but in 1974 Fr. Dan encouraged him to look at St. Bonaventure for graduate school and invited him to take on the role of coordinator of Social Bill Jahn Action, the precursor to today’s Franciscan Center for Social Concern.

“Coming out of the ’60s, undergrads from the early ’70s were eager to make a difference,” Jahn said. “Groups of kids would come to me wanting to volunteer at a local prison, wondering if they could do that. And we made that happen. We created a 12

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

tutoring program with the local schools. There wasn’t Bona Buddies yet, but we had Big Brothers Big Sisters. There was an enthusiasm to want to be involved in something.”

BY THE TIME Fr. John left for a new provincial assignment in 1982, more than 400 Bonaventure students were involved in social action programs. One student became involved before her first class.

At the freshman orientation activities fair in 1977, Mary Trinity signed up to work at the Warming House. As a teen, Trinity often visited an older neighbor who was afraid to be alone so she had no reservations about engaging with the elderly.

“At the time, I didn’t really know anything about (social activist) Dorothy Day or the notions of hospitality from a Catholic or Franciscan perspective, but I grew up in a family where there was a great emphasis on welcoming people wherever they are and that was the Mary Trinity Warming House. It was this great mishmash of people. It was so much more than a drop-in center for the elderly,” Trinity said. “It was also people coping with mental health or substance abuse issues, and also kids who would come in right after school who didn’t have any place else to go.”

Trinity, ’81, went to graduate school at Rutgers after graduation, but was lured back to Bonaventure in 1983 when she saw a job posting for the director of Social Action.

“I was in charge of all the Social Action programs, but the Warming House had my heart,” Trinity said. “And it took the most work because it was operating six days a week.”

During her time as a student volunteer, Trinity would make grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes on an old griddle one of the patrons brought in, but regular meal service didn’t start until 1984 when the Warming House began serving a meal six days a week.

Forty years later, after a pandemic revealed a new way to satisfy the demand by also offering takeout service, the community need has never been more apparent. At the end of each month, as money becomes tighter for many local families, the Warming House serves an average of 125 meals a day, four times more than in 1984.

“The exact definition of food insecurity is that you have to

make choices about how your money is spent, especially in times of high inflation,” said Alice Miller Nation, director of University Ministries. “We serve a lot of the working poor, people who might have cars or might have a job, and they have to make a choice between putting gas in the tank or buying food. One of the biggest services we provide is taking the edge off for people so they can make those choices knowing that they’re going to have a nutritious meal for themselves or for their family, and still be able to put money in the gas tank.”

THE NEED TO OPERATE the kitchen on a much larger scale these days hasn’t diminished the ethos of what the Warming House set out to be 50 years ago. Miller Nation insists that the students engage with the patrons, “helping them to practice our Franciscan values in an everyday kind of way.”

But the practical lessons students are learning at the Warming House are equally valuable, she said.

“It’s not just about serving a meal and making sure that people feel welcome when they walk in the door, as important as that is,” Miller Nation said. “It’s giving students day-in, day-out experiences about how to use the gifts of the people around them to make sure that they can pull off this meal. The Management 301 class comes every year and it’s usually the first time they’ve implemented the theories of management from conception through evaluation.”

Hiryu “Mike” Waseda, ’21 and ’23, the person who’s now in charge of the Warming House’s daily operations as the assistant director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, could never have imagined six years ago he’d be overseeing one of the university’s most mission-centric initiatives. He had no idea then what a Franciscan was, which wasn’t surprising because he hails from suburban Tokyo.

After a summer visit to his uncle’s parents in Allegany, Waseda became enamored with St. Bonaventure and started studying practical English — unbeknownst to his parents — 10 hours a day for eight months to qualify for admission to SBU. “One of the most awkward days of my life was telling them I wasn’t going to college in Japan,” Waseda said with a smile, because today his parents are happy that he’s “doing something he’s passionate about.”

When COVID struck in March 2020, sending students home with some hope they might be back by final exams, Waseda was allowed to stay in Devereux Hall on a floor by himself.

“Mike came to us as a volunteer when the university shut down,” Miller Nation said. “He was just trying to give back to the university, who chose to keep him on campus instead of saying ‘go find another place to live.’”

Volunteers (from left) Jenna Langley, Betsy Gingerich and Will D’Agostino.

Cue the confetti!

The university will host a number of events in 2024 to celebrate the Warming House’s 50th anniversary.

Some celebrations are still in the planning stages. For updates throughout the year, please visit the Franciscan Center for Social Concern’s webpage at www.sbu.edu/FCSC. Details will be posted there as they are confirmed.

• January 2024 – Birthday celebration at the Warming House for guests and Warming House coordinators/volunteers • February 16, 2024 – Warming House Birthday Party with Dr. and Mrs. Gingerich, multi-purpose room and Freshens Café, Francis Hall • June 7-9, 2024 – Alumni Reunion Weekend, campus • September 26, 2024 – Empty Bowls Dinner, campus • October 2024 – Francis Week community programming/education focused on food insecurity, campus WINTER 2024

13

Waseda admits he was in unfamiliar territory. “I had no idea what a soup kitchen even was,” he said. But he took to it immediately, noting that after only a week of volunteering, “Alice told me, ‘You’re going to be leading the team.’”

“The Warming House isn’t just a meal service. It’s more about establishing relationships,” Waseda said. “We listen to what our guests are trying to say because they often aren’t feeling supported by government or society or their families or friends. We’re just trying to make the dining room a place where they feel comfortable, with no judgments, allowing them to share their experiences.”

“

The Franciscan charism of connecting to people on the margins grew on me, and the friends I made at the Warming House had similar values.

– Bob Clark, ’76

”

SHARTLE GRADUATED just three months after the Warming House opened so she didn’t have much opportunity to see how it evolved over the years. She was moved when she saw a video of students at the Warming House on the university’s website a few years ago. “I was so touched to see those students and how they still understood, as we did, that the most important thing was how you treated and welcomed people when they came in.”

Like many of the people who have frequented it over the last 50 years, the Warming House has had a nomadic existence, housed at six different locations on Union or State streets in Olean, occasionally battling community fears of the type of Janet (Zajac) Shartle clientele a soup kitchen might attract.

“It’s so meaningful that it’s survived all these years. My tenure wasn’t that long but it always felt precarious, almost catastrophic each time we moved, like we would never find a permanent home,” Trinity said. “It’s wonderful that it’s still there — a treasure that most universities don’t have.”

Their Warming House experiences proved to be foundational in the career paths of so many students who worked there.

Jahn is retired after a 37-year career as a school counselor.

Shartle still works as the clinical director of a women’s addiction treatment center in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

Trinity has devoted much of her professional life to advocacy for battered women, working with coalitions in Rhode Island, New York City and New Jersey to combat domestic violence. She was honored in 2016 with the university’s Gaudete Medal for service.

Clark worked for Catholic Charities for a year, spent four years in formation as a friar (but opted out before final vows), and became a priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City before embarking on a long career as a social worker.

“I always wanted a spiritual life, but at Bonaventure I saw how having a spiritual life and a life of service were so intertwined,” Clark said. “The Franciscan charism of connecting to people on the margins grew on me, and the friends I made at the Warming House had similar values. I don’t think we were so much interested in climbing the ladder of success as we were in trying to make some kind of a difference in the world in our own unique way.” nTom Missel is chief communications officer at St. Bonaventure. t At left from top, University Archives photos of the Warming House’s storage room and serving line; and 2011 student interns.

14

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Future funding Endowment fund would ensure a sustainable budget for Warming House

BY TOM DONAHUE

C

runch the Warming House numbers and it reveals a growing need for the program’s daily work to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in the Olean community.

The student-run soup kitchen served 5,922 meals in 2019. Three years later, that number more than doubled, to 13,306. And during 2023, the Warming House served more than 23,000 meals.

As the need increases, so does the strain on a Warming House budget dependent solely on grants and donations.

Now, a new endowment fund established by the Office of University Advancement at SBU will help ensure that as long as there are people in need of food and friendship, the Warming House doors will be open.

The Endowment for Warming House Sustainability aims to raise $1 million, which would generate approximately $50,000 in yearly operating funds and provide some much-needed fiscal stability.

“I realized shortly after I arrived on campus five years ago that if all our funding dried up, we didn’t have enough money in our reserves to keep the Warming House going for one year,” said Alice Miller Nation, director of University Ministries. Among her duties is oversight of the Francis-

p Hiryu “Mike” Waseda, ’21, ’23 (left), led the day-to-day Warming House operations during the pandemic as an undergraduate student. He has since joined the university staff and now serves as assistant director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern.

can Center for Social Concern (FCSC) and its student-run outreach programs, including the Warming House.

The Warming House’s annual budget is approximately $150,000, but the funding stream is uncertain from year to year. Grants expire and donations fluctuate, making balancing the books a matter of “thoughtful and intentional budgeting and spending,” Miller Nation said.

In recent years, the university’s annual Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign has benefitted FCSC, providing funds to the Warming House and other programs. “Giving Tuesday has been a game-changer for us,” Miller Nation said, but, she added, it does not eliminate the need to raise substantial additional Warming House funding.

And while Warming House revenues have remained essentially the same over the past five years, costs have not, said Hiryu “Mike” Waseda, ’21, ’23, FCSC assistant director, who runs dayto-day operations at the Warming House.

“We’re serving more and more guests, so we needed to hire more student coordinators,” Waseda said.

“Wages are going up and food is getting more expensive, so it’s hard to get what we used to get for the same amount of money.”

Donations of food and money, and help from volunteer workers remain the firmest pillar supporting Warming House operations, Waseda said. “Food donations are huge. We’re able to survive because we have such a strong relationship with St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, which donates a truckload of food every year, and with so many individual donors.”

So the Warming House is staying afloat, but it’s treading water in an uncertain fiscal sea.

“It’s working for us right now, but we want to make sure it’s working 10 years from now, 15 years from now,” Miller Nation said, adding the Endowment for Warming House Sustainability will do just that.

“We want to have systems in place that are going to offer consistency and stability into the future. I just want to take the edge off, to make sure that the Warming House is here for 50 more years.”

To donate to the Endowment for Warming House Sustainability, go to www.sbu.edu/donate and search for the endowment in the drop-down menu of donate options. n Tom Donahue, ’76, is director of print and electronic publications at St. Bonaventure.

WINTER 2024

15

FACES & PLACES ALUMNI EVENTS 1.) Presidential Happy Hour in Saratoga – August 4, 2023 2.) Pittsburgh Chapter Service Event at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank – October 6, 2023 3.) BOLDVisions: Rochester – October 18, 2023 4.) Legends Classic Post-Game: Brooklyn – November 16, 2023 5.) One Year Bolder & Counting: Boston – November 30, 2023

www.sbu.edu/AlumniEvents

16

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

CLASS NOTES

4 4 SHARE YOUR CAREER NEWS WITH THE BONA NATION! To submit professional news for the next issue of Bonaventure magazine, fill out an online form at www.SBUmagazine.com or email magazine@sbu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length.

1962

1975

Bob McCully spent 59 years as a classroom mathematics teacher, five of which were at St. Bonaventure. He has been retired from the classroom for two years, during which time he has continued to coach varsity tennis. In the 2023 season, his undefeated Falmouth High School team won a 13th Maine Class A Championship. His career record (as of September 2023) is 607 wins and 167 losses.

Alfred “AJ” Morini Jr. retired after 42 years of practicing dentistry. Retired Col. Frank G. Romano was awarded the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for serving as the coordinator and safety officer for the United States Army Support Activity at Fort Dix during its command inspection in which it was commended for completing the inspection with no shortcomings or deficiencies.

1964 Modesto “Mo” Argenio, at 82, is still practicing some law and doing some writing, but is mostly playing pickleball.

1967 David Owen retired from the practices of law and mediation.

1969 Matthew J. Cary has joined the Rockland Consulting firm as a senior adviser.

The firm is located in Washington, D.C., and Maryland and specializes in government relations advocacy, international marketing and sales. Cary was recently appointed to the Board of the National Club Association of America after completing a successful four-year term at the National Democratic Club of Washington, D.C.

1971 Paul Iaconis has retired from practicing law. He is a former president of the Madison County (N.Y.) Bar Association. He is a 45-year member of Chittenango Lions Club, where he is a past president and the current treasurer. During retirement he is enjoying playing golf, frequent visits with four grandchildren, and loves upstate New York year-round. Buffalo native Kevin Lester was among the featured speakers at the official opening of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Gloversville, New York, on July 29. Lester, a star catcher for the Bonnies, was inducted into the state Hall of Fame (HOF) in August 2021 along with his former SBU

Photo by Chris Carola, '81

coach and friend, Fred Handler. At the opening, Lester donned the jersey he wore as an extra in “The Natural” when it was filmed in Buffalo in 1983 and brought along one of the “Wonder Boy” bats he fashioned for actor Robert Redford for use in the movie. Lester is shown above standing in front of his HOF display featuring photos from his playing days and scenes from “The Natural.”

1972 Dr. John Lamanna, a licensed marriage and family therapist and an approved clinical supervisor, still maintains a part-time private practice following retirement as CEO of Timber Ridge Residential Treatment Facility after 45 years.

During his work career he served on the Frederick County (Va.) School Board for 18 years, including eight as chairperson. Following retirement Lamanna served as interim superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools. He was recently honored as the 2023 Citizen of the Year by the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber of Commerce of Northern Shenandoah. Lamanna lives in Winchester, Virginia, with his wife of 45 years. He has two children and four grandchildren.

1977 Jane (Cucinell) Solnick, the “face of Con Edison” in Westchester County, has won Con Edison’s Living Our Values (LOV) award, the company’s highest honor. Solnick is the director of Regional and Community Affairs for Westchester. For 15 years, Solnick has helped Westchester through major weather events, from the flooding caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021 to the devastation of back-to-back nor’easters Riley and Quinn in 2018, and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

On blue-sky days Solnick is out and about building and fortifying relationships with the diverse network of elected officials from Westchester’s 39 municipalities in its service territory, the county government and its business and nonprofit leaders. Solnick serves on the board of directors for agencies including the Westchester Parks Foundation, the Westchester County Association, the Business Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber Foundation. She lives in White Plains and has three sons and two grandchildren.

1980 Lisa (Barone) Wallace has been serving for two nine-week summer seasons as assistant innkeeper at the historic Carey Inn at Chautauqua Institution. She manages housekeeping and grounds staff, guest relaWINTER 2024

17

Class Notes

Rochester area highway named in memory of Norbert Rappl, ’52 A portion of the I-590 in Rochester was dedicated in memory of the late Norbert J. Rappl, SBU Class of 1952.

The Major General Norbert J. Rappl Memorial Highway, which stretches from Tryon Park in Rochester to East Ridge Road in Irondequoit, was dedicated on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to commemorate the service of veterans across the state by renaming portions of the state highway system in their honor.

Maj. Gen. Rappl was a Korean War veteran and a lifelong resident of Irondequoit. He was a charter member of Rotary Club of Irondequoit, and a founding member of Christ the King Church.

He also dedicated decades of service to veterans, service organizations, and industry groups. He was inducted in the first class of the ROTC Hall of Fame at St. Bonaventure. Rappl’s daughter Lois (Rappl) Morales is a 1982 graduate of St. Bonaventure and 2008 inductee in the ROTC Hall of Fame.

State Sen. Samra Brouk (D-Rochester) said, “Maj. Gen. Norbert J. Rappl had a lasting impact on the Greater Rochester area — through his 35-year career in the Armed Forces, his commitment to his faith and spiritual community, and through his consistent volunteerism with local organizations and veterans groups. His actions symbolized the best of what we can be when we are motivated by service to our community, state and nation.”

A correction – and one we’re happy to share We are happy to let you know that Jim Mauro, a good friend of many from the Class of 1983, is alive and well. He was glad to hear from those who reached out to him about his premature demise, which was unfortunately published in the Alumni Deaths in the summer edition of Bonaventure magazine. An alumnus with a very similar last name had passed away, but Jim’s file in our alumni database was the one that was mistakenly updated. Our deepest apologies for the error and any undue anguish it might have caused.

18

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

major at St. Bonaventure.

1985

Lisa Wallace (right) is pictured with some Carey Inn guests.

tions, and hosts weekly meet-andgreets. On Sundays, Wallace has enjoyed being a cantor and lector for Catholic Masses in the historic Hall of Philosophy and Hall of Christ. On Thursday evenings, she volunteers at the turkey dinner at Hurlbut Church on the institution’s grounds.

1983

Linda (Baumgartner) Kelly (at right in the photo above) had the honor and pleasure of celebrating 40 years of working with her Bona roommate Sharon Smith Boland and alumnus and CEO Ed Bastian “for the best airline in the world!” #keepclimbingDelta. Tom Williams was promoted to senior managing director of communications at Maryland Public Television. He recently celebrated eight years at the statewide public television network.

The youngest of Williams’ three daughters, Caitlyn, is a senior strategic communication

Paul J. Attea is the founder and managing consultant of Atcel Consultants, a new firm specializing in organizational development, strategic and business planning, and meeting facilitation for nonprofits. He has served on the Board of Directors of Alzheimer’s Disease International since 2020 and is a former chair of the Board of the Alzheimer’s Association (U.S.). Attea has been an active volunteer leader at all levels of nonprofit management, governance and planning for more than 30 years. A former practicing attorney, he was with the firm of Garnick & Scudder, P.C., in Hyannis, Massachusetts, from 1993-2013. Mike Swick, who dedicated more than 30 years to serving students as a career and school counselor at the college and high school levels, recently retired. He worked at Gannon University and Meadville Area (Pa.) High School.

After retiring, Swick and his wife,

Carla (pictured above), fulfilled their dream of traveling to Italy and their first stop was, of course, Assisi. During his undergraduate years, Swick made a promise to the campus friars that he would make it to Assisi one day. Mission accomplished!

1987 Cathy (Antonacci) Wilde was promoted to director of marketing and public relations with the Upstate New York Chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association. She co-

Class Notes

ordinates comprehensive communications plans for the Western New York, Rochester-Finger Lakes and Central New York chapters, including media relations, advertising, social media management, publications, websites, advocacy outreach and marketing for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and other development activities.

1988 Tom Berry completed the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8, 2023. It was his third World Marathon Majors race, having run the Boston and New York marathons in 2022. He took up running seven years ago and has since finished more than 120 longdistance races including five marathons and two ultramarathons. He encourages everyone to set their sights high, no matter their age, and stay motivated: “You never know what you can achieve until you reach for it.” Chuck Hayes was named chief development officer at Catholic Charities of Buffalo, where he is responsible for strategic leadership and planning for long-term support for Catholic Charities through the execution of year-round annual and major gift advancement programs, including the annual appeal. Hayes has more than 30 years of marketing and communications experience, most recently serving as vice president of marketing and communications for Elderwood Administrative Services, and before that as director of marketing and communications for Catholic Health.

Hayes also serves on HEALTHeLINK’s marketing and business development committee. He lives in Hamburg.

1992 Collette (Haraszko) Graham was named executive director of Transitional Services, Inc. (TSI). She has spent 28 years with the agency, progressing from counselor, supervisor and human resources manager to executive director.

The Buffalo nonprofit is a mental health agency providing trauma-informed recovery-oriented residential and care management services. Consumers are given the opportunity to acquire the skills and confidence necessary for recovery and independent living.

1993 Eileen Casey Gianiodis is an assistant vice president in the Office of Communications & Marketing at Texas Tech University.

1997 Timothy J. Travers joined Goldberg Segalla’s Transportation group in Los Angeles. Travers focuses his practice on a variety of civil litigation matters. He handles all aspects of the litigation process, including defense strategy, discovery, depositions, settlement negotiations, mediations and trials. Travers draws on his experience representing public entities, university sports programs, law enforcement, insurance carriers, and medical and dental practices.

2000

Tracy (Nytransky) McComb is a teacher and softball coach at Ichabod Crane High School in the Kinderhook Central School District. This year her team won its fourth New York State Class B softball state championship in seven years, including back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

2001 Dr. Christopher Barrie received a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University. The focus of his dissertation was how STEM can be successfully in-

tegrated into the elementary school setting.

2004 Colleen (Stoneham) Creech (also 2005) achieved recognition as a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner. This credential recognizes Wilson Reading System Level I certified individuals as prepared to diagnostically teach students identified with a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia, at the beginning levels of reading and spelling. Creech is in her 10th year of teaching and also works as a reading tutor in the Portland, Oregon, area.

2006 Peggy Masters (also ’14) is the director of College Counseling at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama.

Randolph School is an independent, collegepreparatory school focused on preparing students for acceptance to the higher institutions of their choice. Randolph School has nearly 100 percent of the senior class going on to four-year institutions after graduation.

2007 Meagan Kolkmann, a producer at WBZ CBS News in Boston, won a New England Emmy Award for Breaking News.

2009 Nick Goodell is a partner at The Image Press in Cicero, New York, which provides large-format printing projects such as murals, vehicle wraps, outdoor signage, banners, illuminated and backlit signs, ADA signs, floor graphics and more.

WINTER 2024

19

Class Notes

2011 Blake Tarana opened his ninth Tim Hortons location. Tarana recently bought the two locations in Olean and opened a third location in Olean in November. As an SBU student, he worked at the Olean restaurants as a part-time employee.

2012 Aleece Burgio has joined Colligan Law LLP, bringing her experience in advising companies in the rapidly growing and changing cannabis industry to the team. She most recently served as general counsel and strategic adviser with MariJade Industries/MJI Solutions. Before that, she was the cannabis service team leader for Barclay Damon LLP, where she oversaw 16 cross-disciplinary attorneys who represented individuals and organizations participating in or impacted by legal cannabis operations. Burgio began her career as an associate attorney with Green Light Law Group in Portland, Oregon, assisting businesses entering that state’s recreational and medical cannabis markets.

She serves on the Cannabis Advisory Council of Niagara County Community College; as a Policy Committee member of the Cannabis Association of New

Emily Sorokes, ’12, ’13, was representing the Bonnies in Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest!

20

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

York; as program executive chair of the New York State Bar Association Cannabis Section; and as a member of the Buffalo Cannabis Working Group.

Elizabeth “Izzi” Demara was named to Commercial Integrator’s 40 Influencers Under 40 for 2023. The annual list highlights individuals for their innovation and excellence in the audio visual (AV) industry. Demara is a marketing manager at meeting room technology provider RoomReady, where she leads and executes RoomReady’s marketing strategies and creates all content (videos, 3D models/renderings, graphics, case studies, blogs, etc.). She manages the RoomReady website, as well as social media channels and campaigns. In addition, Demara was one of three lacrosse officials selected to officiate the

Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Lacrosse State Championship in June 2023. (She is pictured second from right.) Kaitlin (Lindahl) Jackson was promoted to communications and digital manager in September 2023 at

Catholic Charities of Buffalo. Previously, her role was communications and public relations specialist. Jackson has worked at Catholic Charities for seven years.

2014 Mary (Best) Loliger took a job at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as a marketing communications coordinator.

2016 Becca Rehac is an admissions representative at National Heritage Academies, where she represents Buffalo United Charter School in the city of Buffalo.

2020 Jerry Nieves is the vice president of the American Advertising Federation, Broward + Palm Beach Chapter. Founded in 1905, AAF is the “Unifying Voice for Advertising.” The organization has more than 150 local clubs across the U.S., representing nearly 35,000 advertising professionals who connect and lead the industry. The AAF protects and promotes the well-being of advertising through a nationally coordinated grassroots network of brands, agencies, media companies, local advertising clubs and college chapters.

A number of alums gathered in May with Carl Szot, ’85, and his wife, Ann Fossaceca Szot, ’86, at their daughter’s wedding. Pictured in the front row (from left) are Jeannine O’Brien, ’86, Lisa (Voss) Palvino, ’86, Mimi (Reineck) Otiminski, ’86, Ann (Fossaceca) Szot, ’86, Maggie Szot (bride), Dallas Argueso (groom), John Motsay, ’65, Michael Fossaceca, ’88, and Joseph Szot, M.D., ’90. Pictured in the back row (from left) are Susan (Szot) McAuley, ’95, Gail (Hensel) Veideman, ’86, Lori (Flanagan) Moore, ’86, Pam Arnold, ’86, Thomas Szot, ’93, Carl Szot, M.D., ’85, and Jim McAuley, ’91, ’95.

Class Notes

Alums mark firm’s anniversary as top-rated digital agency in Denver

Bonnies hit the links Good friends from the classes of 1990 and 1991 met during the summer for golf. Pictured from left are Sean Mahoney, ’91; John Stevens, ’90; Tim Carlo, ’90, ’93; Pat Reynolds, ’90; Dan Mangan, ’91; Eric McClaren, ’90; and John Haar, ’90.

Swim alumnae reconnect with a visit to campus Four 1994 SBU varsity women’s swim alumnae gathered to connect and enjoy time back on campus. Seeing the campus improvements and going back to the Burton were among the notable highlights. Brandy Nettles Hugo (from left), Barb King, Becky Okoniewski Sapio, and Jeanne Kellachan Galimi helped start the women’s swim team on a path to A-10 success at that time. Becky and Jeanne are also two notable athletes now proudly inducted into the St. Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame. The alums are pictured in the renovated Rathskeller.

When Jonathan Georger, ’06, and EJ Ulery, ’05, graduated from St. Bonaventure, the concept of digital marketing was very new.

Today they’re proud to be running BLKDG, a top-rated digital agency in Denver that’s marked its 10th anniversary. BLKDG’s core capabilities are at the intersection of brand development and technology. They specialize in designing and executing custom website experiences on WordPress and Shopify for their clients while also supporting clients’ marketing objectives through SEO, digital advertising and CRM marketing.

Georger and Ulery, both marketing majors, became friends at SBU as teammates on the club lacrosse team and with a mutual interest in outdoor recreation.

They started working together in 2011 when they began moonlighting and designing social media applications for brands looking to engage with customers on Facebook. Ulery was teaching himself how to code apps and Georger was leading the strategy and creative of the campaigns. By 2013 they had saved enough to quit their day jobs and start BLKDG full time.

Before that, Ulery was an account manager for a Denver-based design and fabrication firm supporting national clients with trade show and experiential marketing displays. Georger worked as an account manager at a digital marketing agency specializing in web analytics and digital marketing.

As marketing majors, EJ Ulery (left) and Jonathan Georger they were introduced to the fundamentals of marketing, sales and advertising in their coursework.

“SBU prepared us in many ways, primarily in developing a strong set of ethics, which has been the core of everything we do in business and life,” Georger said.

BLKDG’s typical client is a medium-to-large business with a desire to transform its digital presence through creative design, modern technology and strategic marketing campaigns. Most of the agency’s work is in the outdoor recreation, travel and craft beer industries.

Looking back on the past 10 years, Georger said he and Ulery are particularly proud of two projects. One of their first clients was the nonprofit First Descents, which specializes in outdoor adventure programs for young adults impacted by cancer and MS; it remains an ongoing commitment. A more recent accomplishment involves pushing their limits with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., where they discovered new thresholds in website design and development, showcasing the possibilities of modern website building.

BLKDG has won dozens of national awards for website design, development and marketing campaigns, including work for Oskar Blues, Guess Jeans, Sierra Nevada Brewing, National Forest Foundation, Aspen/Snowmass, and others. The firm has also been consistently ranked by Clutch.co as a top-rated digital agency by client reviews and scoring.

WINTER 2024

21

Class Notes

Alumni Deaths

A directory of deceased alumni is available on Bona’s Online. Register at www.sbu.edu/alumni.

Paul P. Purta, ’48, Silver Spring, Maryland* Jerome F. Hogan, ’50, Horseheads, New York Irwin Meister, ’50, Plantation, Florida Donald J. Metzger, ’50, Rochester, New York Rosario T. Miller, ’50, Corning, New York The Hon. Joseph S. Pavlikowski, ’50, Las Vegas, Nevada John J. Reed, ’50, Cheektowaga, New York Robert P. Gallager, ’51, Auburn, New York Frederick P. Crespy, ’53, Westlake, Ohio Harry A. Dailey, ’53, Summersville, West Virginia James F. Julian, ’53, Tonawanda, New York Msgr. Dino J. Lorenzetti, ’53, Tonawanda, New York* Richard “Dick” Murphy, ’53, Syracuse, New York Rev. Urban M. Tomczak, ’53, Tonawanda, New York Dr. Bernard L. Zakrzewski, ’53, Charlotte, North Carolina Charles G. Hajduk, ’54, Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania Angelo D. Lomanto, ’54, Gloversville, New York Gerald V. McMahon, ’54, Syracuse, New York Msgr. J. Thomas Moran, ’54, Youngstown, New York John J. Zajac Jr., ’54, Durham, Connecticut Rev. Joseph M. Byrne, ’55, Queens Village, New York Arthur T. McQuillan, ’55, North Bellmore, New York* Paul P. Mooney, ’55, Germantown, Maryland Paul A. Pastor, ’55, Flagstaff, Arizona Dr. John N. Veronesi, ’55, DuBois, Pennsylvania Raymond D. Viacava, ’55, New Rochelle, New York* Joseph A. Zimmermann Jr., ’55, Stuart, Florida Col. Richard W. Konz, ’56, Pittsford, New York Rev. Leon T. Muroski, ’56, Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania Roberta (Mountain) Mahar, ’57, Olean, New York Vincent C. Martina, ’57, Wilmington, North Carolina John R. Gavin, ’58, Rochester, New York Louis P. Korchak, ’58, Sayre, Pennsylvania John W. Meng, ’58, Pylesville, Maryland Walter F. Piff, ’58, Clearwater, Florida William K. Sprague, ’58, Olean, New York Dr. Orlando A. Marra, ’59, Niagara Falls, New York Frederic E. Fenton, ’60, River Edge, New Jersey James W. Griffin, ’60, Arkport, New York David C. Maslyn, ’60, West Kingston, Rhode Island Rev. William Rice, ’60, Fryburg, Pennsylvania David A. Busch, ’61, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Dr. Thomas E. Johnston, ’61, Painesville, Ohio Rev. J. Roger McGuinnesss, ’61, West Chazy, New York James R. Ross, ’61, Delhi, New York Irma Schoeppner, ’61, Easton, Pennsylvania Paul A. Blazejewski, ’62, Allegany, New York Samuel J. Granata, ’62, Binghamton, New York Maj. John P. Hoffman USAF (Ret), ’62, Scranton, Pennsylvania Mary A. (Evans) Scott, ’62, Sun City Center, Florida Rev. Thomas O. Speier, O.F.M., ’62, Cincinnati, Ohio James A. Gainey, ’63, Cheektowaga, New York Brian R. McRedmond, ’63, Mason, Ohio John D. Vetrano, ’63, Wilton, Connecticut Richard A. Delaney, ’64, Horsham, Pennsylvania James J. Del Mauro, ’64, Jupiter, Florida Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dennis A. Haraszko, ’64, Buffalo, New York Rev. Daniel W. Herzog, ’64, Sauquoit, New York William H. Morrison, ’64, Northvale, New Jersey Barbara A. (Miller) Ostarch, ’64, Corpus Christi, Texas Very Rev. John M. Felice, O.F.M., ’65, New York, New York Albert C. Horton, ’66, Louisville, Kentucky Philip E. Johns, ’66, Orchard Park, New York

John H. Davie, ’67, Mount Dora, Florida Joseph A. McCarthy, ’67, Ogdensburg, New York Charles L. Hayes, ’68, Southington, Connecticut A. Daniel McCaffrey, ’68, East Aurora, New York Michael J. Retchless, ’68, Olean, New York Raymond M. Ripple, Esq., ’68, Hockessin, Delaware* Raymond J. Selover, ’68, Wilmington, Delaware Patrick J. Cullen, ’69, Cattaraugus, New York* Joseph F. Ginett, ’69, Savannah, Georgia Sr. Eileen F. Lambert, O.S.F., ’69, St. Bonaventure, New York Robert J. Salluzzo, ’69, Johnstown, New York Kathy (Elenz) Satalin, ’69, Onondaga, New York Robert J. Phillips, ’70, Allegany, New York Kenneth D. Franckling, ’71, North Port, Florida Kevin M. Grew, ’72, East Aurora, New York Victor N. Thomas, ’72, Clinton, Maryland Deacon Donald J. Germano, ’73, Fairport, New York Vincent T. McKelvey, ’73, Simsbury, Connecticut William L. Foster, ’74, Syracuse, New York Patrick B. Vallimont, ’74, Union City, Pennsylvania William H. Bogart, ’75, Emporium, Pennsylvania Jerry L. Garmong, ’77, Friendship, New York Joseph M. Gergela, ’77, Yaphank, New York Mark J. Pettenati, Ph.D., ’78, Dandridge, Tennessee Daniel P. Piccioli, ’79, Allegany, New York Thomas A. Bunce, ’80, Amherst, New York Kevin G. McLean, ’80, New York, New York Janet M. Privitera-Bonasera, ’80, Fredonia, New York Marilyn A. Hurley, ’85, Ontario, Canada Harriette E. (Neal) Fox, ’87, Odessa, New York Joseph E. Amoroso, ’88, Holly Springs, North Carolina Linda Burgess, ’93, Jamestown, New York Matthew R. Lamb, ’94, Sebastian, Florida Marc A. Goldleaf, ’96, New Paltz, New York Miles A. Bingham, ’01, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania Christopher K. Cayea, ’05, Red Hook, New York Chanel S. Freeman, ’13, New City, New York

Parents & Friends Marie A. Brennan, Troy, New York Theresa D’Aprix, Rochester, New York Kay (Cribbs) Farenga, Medford, Massachusetts Carolyn R. Flanagan, Binghamton, New York* Catherine Halloran, Charleston, West Virginia John Halloran, Coudersport, Pennsylvania Robert W. Olander, Olean, New York Peter R. Sprague, Esq., Jamestown, New York

In Memoriam Former Provincial Minister the Very Rev. John M. Felice, O.F.M., ’65, died July 31, 2023. Fr. John served as Provincial Minister of Holy Name Province from 1996 to 2005 and as a St. Bonaventure trustee from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1996 to 2005.

Al Horton passed away Sept. 4, 2023. A member of SBU’s Class of 1966, Horton served as a university trustee from December 2010 through May 2020 and was a major benefactor to St. Bonaventure.

Richard “Dick” Murphy passed away Nov. 15, 2023. A member of SBU’s Class of 1953, Murphy served as a university trustee from June 1996 through June 2005. *Member of Seraphim Legacy Society

22

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Class Notes Bi r th s / Adoption s

Welcome, Baby Bonnies!

Bianca Jean to Pamela and Mark Battaglia, ’04, ’11 Conor David to Kelley and Patrick Gill, ’04

1985 classmates celebrate turning 60 This group of 1985 classmates got together in the Finger Lakes in October 2023 to celebrate their 60th birthday year. The women had invited all of their classmates who were freshmen together on 3rd Dev East to attend. Pictured are (front) Ann Michele Wieczorek; (middle row, from left) Denise Sawyer, Mary Beth Johnson, Kerri Cantin, Maggie Shay and Theresa Hanfin; and (back row, from left) Wendy Mann, Sue Lyons and Linda Limina. Not pictured: Lynn Pechulis.

Jemma Michelle to Chrissy and Patrick Noel, ’05 Cormac Artem to Meghan Moran Wilson, ’06, and Crispin Wilson Elliott Ryan to Ashley (Borrelli), ’06, ’07, and Greg Biryla, ’06 Frederick Steven to Kristie (Scipioni), ’06, ’07, and Tim Ball Kira Henahan to Deandra (Danch), ’09, and Patrick Henehan, ’09, ’10 Brady Joseph to Ashley (Schinzing), ’10, ’12, and Brendan Tydings, ’10, ’11 Riley Kathryn to Kelley (Burke), ’13, and Daniel McDonald Daisy June to Casandra (Nguyen), ’15, and Robert Updike Lucy Bernadine to Emma (Zaremba), ’15, and Joseph Phelan, ’15 Leo Anthony to Joelle (Kaczmarek), ’16, and Salvatore Montefiori, ’14 Cameron to Gretta and Andrew Garbacz, ’19

2005 classmates mark their 40th year with trip to Aruba These Class of 2005 friends celebrated their 40th birthdays with a reunion vacation to Aruba in November 2023. Pictured from left are Kelly (Boquard) Korzak, Corin (Lendway) Scharlock, Gina (Marsocci) Andoloro, Rochelle Zimpfer, Mary (Gzik) LaBrake, Katie (Hanvey) Barrett, Erin Mickam and Robin (Vittore) Viscuse.

Leon Rudolph to Sara and Scott VanDevere, ’20

WINTER 2024

23

Class Notes

Friends gather in Rhode Island Bonnies reunite in Iceland Nicholas Kibby, ’21, Kelly Fitzgerald, ’22, and Ashley Delvento, ’20, reunited in Iceland for a tour of the Ring Road and friendly encounters with some puffins.

These alums have been gathering for the past few years at the Rhode Island home of alumnus Joe Baker, ’66. Pictured at the 2023 mini reunion are (from left) Tom McElroy, ’74, Jim Satalin, ’69, Joe Baker, Gene Fahey, ’70, Barbara (Brennan) Fahey, ’69, and the late Kathy (Elenz) Satalin, ’69.

56 years of friendship!

Last summer, the ’71 Third Dev Bears gathered in Westport, Connecticut, for the Mac-Dirt Invitational Golf Tournament.

Participants were (front row from left) Vince “Dirt” DelaMontaigne and John “Super Mac” MacDonald, the tournament’s namesakes, and (back row, from left) Tom DiPaola, John Lapointe, Pete Lindsey, Peter Maloney, Jack Lucia, Ron Tobano, Davey Saccol and Dennis Sullivan.

Golfing for scholarship support The 22nd Peraza Memorial Golf Outing was held this past June. Alumni, family and friends gathered on the Dunwoodie greens in Yonkers, New York, to honor the memory of Rob Peraza, ’94, ’96, who perished on 9/11.

More than $300,000 has been raised through the outing, funding an annual scholarship in Rob’s name.

24

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

We d d i n gs

Kim Senecker, ’17, and Chris Wodeshick, ’17

Bonaventure Magazine Submission Guidelines To submit your announcement for an upcoming edition: • email magazine@sbu.edu • use the online form at www.SBUmagazine.com All photos must be of good reproductive quality. Pictures submitted electronically must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Original images from a camera or cell phone work best. Photographs that have been shared on social media or via text have likely been compressed and will not be large enough to reproduce in the magazine.

The university is prohibited from publishing copyrighted photographs, unless accompanied by written permission from the photographer.

Photos are published at the discretion of the editor. Photos that include banners or other insignia of the Brown Indian mascot will not be accepted.

Don’t forget to notify us of your new name or address!

Update your contact information at www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate or send an email to magazine@sbu.edu.

St. Bonaventure University takes pride in its alumni and joyfully shares the news of their lives and achievements.

St. Bonaventure is supportive of our Catholic Church’s teachings. Publication of announcements provided to us by our alumni does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the university.

Danielle Stiene and Joe Anello, ’17

Xenia Machado, ’14, and Djess Jacques WINTER 2024

25

We d d i n gs

Lucy Sauter, ’20, and William Delaney, ’20

Kaitlyn Munro, ’10, and Paul Kaczkowski

Ashley Simula and Toran Nigrelli, ’16 26

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Elizabeth Anderson and Joe Enoch, ’06

We d d i n gs

Julie Garner and Fran Solo, ’81

Cathleen Levato, ’21, and Jack Panek, ’20

Aidan Wilson, ’18, and Tristen Reid, ’20

Sara Horning and Scott VanDevere, ’20

WINTER 2024

27

We d d i n gs

Erin Miller, ’18, and Matthew Swansey, ’17

Sarah Waychoff, ’18, and Nick Podhorecki, ’17

28

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

We d d i n gs

Jennifer Boudreau and Bartholomew Lush, ’00 Kessler Thompson, ’18, and Jonathan Walsh, ’18

Mave Milligan and Bill Hanvey, ’84 Kristy Amato and Patrick O’Hearn, ’07

Justine Chiavetta, ’18, ’19, and Ryan Walker, ’19 WINTER 2024

29

We d d i n gs

Erin Hanna, ’15, and Bret Heath, ’14

Brooke Van Vleet and John Pearson, ’78 Jasmine Clasing, ’19, and Jacob Lichtl

Jessica Donahue, ’16, and Kevin O’Connor, ’15 30

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

We d d i n gs

Caroline Connor, ’16, ’17, and James Thompson, ’16

Mary Frac, ’18, ’21, and Doug Brady

Morgan Sadauskas and Mike Di Spigno, ’20

WINTER 2024

31

ALUMNI VOICES

Global Adventures In the summer edition of the magazine we asked alumni to share their study abroad experiences from their time as a student. A number of alums enjoyed the trip back in time and the excuse to dig through their photo albums. Enjoy their stories!

Andrew Mancuso (at left) in Morocco.

Andrew R. Mancuso, ’09

FOR THE NEXT EDITION: We’ve all heard the stories - alums running into each other in airports, concerts and at the beach. Where was the most unexpected place you’ve met a fellow Bonnie?

Share your story in 100 words & share a photo if you have one: magazine@sbu.edu. We’ll print a collection of responses in the summer 2024 issue.

32

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point during college well before I enrolled at St. Bonaventure.

As I progressed through my studies at SBU, taking the newly offered Arabic courses (this was 2007), I realized I wanted to go somewhere different than Italy or Ireland (preferred destinations of students at the time). So, I put in a fair amount of research and effort to coordinate a program that would fulfill the SBU education requirements.

I ended up going to Morocco to study at the renowned Al-Akhawayn University in the Atlas Mountains of Ifrane.

Here, I took coursework in Arabic and Islamic studies, ate some of the best food I had ever tasted, and made lifelong friendships with people from around the world.

We took frequent trips to Fez, Marrakech, and went on an expedition into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. I will never forget the time I spent there, and all of the valuable cultural lessons I was taught still stick with me today. SBU helped me realize this unique experience and I am enormously grateful for that.

Theresa Doyle-Nelson, ’81 Though an elementary education major, I also took some French classes, and soon felt a pull to spend a semester in France. At first, my conversational French was wobbly and the culture took some adjusting to. Before long, however, I could carry on decent-enough conversations, grew to appreciate the French lifestyle … and was hooked on the pâtisseries!

This past fall, 44 years later, I returned to France for a month, to my favorite town: Lisieux, home of St. Thérèse. This time, I went with my husband, Chad Nelson, SBU Class of 1979.

And the pâtisseries still tempted me each day!

Craig Vicini, ’07, ’08 I had the privilege of participating in Bona’s summer Oxford program in the mid-to-late 2000s.

The experience of living and learning at the University of Oxford was truly revolutionary, opening my eyes to a broader worldview and stimulating a sense of intellectual curiosity that has not dissipated.

The conversations shared and the memories formed with my fellow Bonnies, our outstanding program directors and our University of Oxford tutors, all amid the charm and the beautiful Gothic architecture of Oxford, were truly unforgettable.

From my first arrival at Somerville College (then home to Bona’s program) to our day trips to London to the feeling of using “cheers” properly for the first time, I will always remember my time with the Oxford program as some of the very best moments of my college years.

Above, left, Theresa with her husband, Chad, in France last September. At right she is pictured in a youth hostel in Paris during her SBU study abroad experience. Note the painting on the ledge behind her. Theresa purchased it from the artist who painted it at Montmartre (northern Paris); she has treasured and displayed it since her semester abroad.

Below, Michelle Burke and Don Swanz are pictured on the Great Wall of China. When taking photos with the SBU banner or flag (such as at left), the group had to take it out and put it away quickly due to its religious nature.

Michelle Burke, ’99 My business law professor, Don Swanz, and his wife, Mary, took students to China in the winter of 1997.

It was an amazing experience! We toured the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and took classes at BIT (Beijing Institute of Technology).

I’ve always had a passion for traveling, but this launched it to a new level.

I’ve been fortunate to continue my love of traveling through hiking adventures in Iceland, Italy and Norway (this summer).

I’m also a co-adviser of our travel club at our public high school and it’s a joy to pass this excitement to young people.

WINTER 2024

33

ALUMNI VOICES

Chris Michel, ’08, ’10 In the fall of 2006, I fulfilled my dream of studying in Ireland in the same city where my ancestors came from – Galway.

I wasn’t the only one at the University of Galway trying to get in touch with his roots. That same semester, Martin Sheen was studying there, too.

Fresh off of the last season of “The West Wing,” Sheen was returning to the land where his mother had immigrated from.

I ended up striking up a bit of a friendship with Martin, and had dinner with him and his family a few times. I also got to interview him for The Bona Venture. As a third-year journalism major, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Follow the arrow to John Kennedy in the back row.

John R. Kennedy, ’06, ’08 I studied in the summer 2005 Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program. The classroom education was great, but the experience outside the classroom was truly exceptional.

I had a life-threatening illness at the end of the program and was “stuck” in England for an additional six weeks, as I could not fly. I was shown that the Franciscan values taught at St. Bonaventure were real. Two former Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism professors (Barbara and the late Alan MacKenzie) ran a new bed and breakfast nearby and gave me food, shelter and care as I recovered.

We had never previously met.

SBU provided the books I needed to be caught up in my studies when I returned. Cards and emails of well wishes poured in from all over the world, many from professors and alumni I had never met. There are no adequate thanks I can ever provide to the Bonaventure family for helping me ultimately achieve a full recovery. Go, Bona’s!

34

BONAVENTURE MAGAZINE

Lorraine Frankola McConnell, ’71 There wasn’t a junior year abroad program at SBU in 1969 when I was a sophomore, but my philosophy professor, Fr. Stephen Brown, suggested that I might like an adventure in Ireland. I knew little about that country, but courses and credit transfers were approved, so, in August, I headed off to University College Dublin.

My experiences for the next 12 months were probably similar to those of most students who went abroad. I met many new friends, learned another language, hitchhiked through Europe, and got engaged. In fact, a few years later, Bona’s chaplain, Fr. Hugh Eller, officiated at our wedding in NYC. Two wonderful children and a terrific career in public relations followed. During many visits back to my husband’s family, near Derry in the north of Ireland, I experienced firsthand the ongoing war that continued in that part of the country. In the States, I often participated in nonpartisan initiatives to promote peace in Northern Ireland.

Flash forward to November of 1995, when the real importance of my initial trip abroad became apparent to me. President William Clinton finally negotiated a peace treaty with England’s Prime Minister John Major and he was coming to Northern Ireland. Proud that I had participated in a small way to end such a long, violent conflict, I agreed to be part of the group welcoming the president to Derry. Although I met him a few times after that in the coming year, nothing compared with that celebration in Northern Ireland. I don’t know how I wound up there, but Fr. Brown was right: I did like that adventure! n McConnell is pictured above with the Clintons and Turlough McConnell.

Emily Sorokes, ’12, ’13 I studied abroad in Seville, Spain, when I was a sophomore and it was truly lifechanging. My roommate and I lived with an older Spanish woman who was like a grandmother to us. She made authentic Spanish breakfast, lunch and dinner and taught us all about Spanish pop culture as we watched the morning talk shows and evening news. I still make her recipes often.

Throughout the semester, I blogged for Bona’s study abroad office, which was extra fun for me as a journalism student. Today I work in marketing at TelevisaUnivision, a Spanish broadcast company. My time abroad was key in helping me learn the Spanish language and culture that I apply in my job every day.

Bridget Quinn, ’04

From left, Bridget Quinn, Colby Krug, Erin Holzerland Mansour and Erik Bohen are pictured on their roof overlooking Galway Bay.

In 2002, I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, with Colby Krug, Erin Holzerland and Erik Bohen. We all lived together in a flat overlooking Galway Bay and were totally immersed in Irish culture.

We also made new friends abroad, including fellow Bonaventure student Anne Tully. These continue to be some of my most cherished friendships to this day. I am incredibly thankful I had the opportunity to go!

Cisca (Sugiro) Peszynski, Ph.D., ’93

n Megan Kane, ’12, (left) and Sorokes flamenco dancing.

Above, the participants of the 1992 Oxford program. Below, the entrance to Edinburgh Castle during the coach tour.

In the summer of 1992, I participated in the Francis E. Kelley Oxford program. That year was truly special because it was the first for everything. It was the first time we stayed at New College instead of Somerville College. It was the first time Ramapo College students joined us in our program.

Thirdly, we had a five-day coach tour to Scotland, Keswick and York after the six-week program.

We were immersed in British language, art and culture. We learned crisps (potato chips), chips (french fries), pavement (sidewalk), etc. The reason we made this trip was to experience something different than we were accustomed to. We visited many palaces, castles and museums.

My sincere gratitude to the program directors who became our moms and dads: Dr.

Tom Schaeper and his family, Dr. Chuck Walker and his family, and Dr. Mike Russell and his wife, professor Barb Russell. I often refer back to this trip, especially when I meet a Brit in the U.S. WINTER 2024

35

2022- IMPACT REPORT 2023 The Power of YOU St. Bonaventure’s heritage began in the 1850s with a boldness of spirit. Devoted men and women met formidable challenges with energy, resourcefulness and sacrifice to create a Franciscan college in Western New York. Your present-day generosity enables the university to build upon this proud Franciscan heritage. As we move closer to achieving the $125 million goal for the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history, we proudly share what you have made possible to date.

Dennis R. DePerro School of Health Professions On time, on budget, and delivering on our promises. Thanks to St. Bonaventure donors, this describes the process of opening doors to the popular school’s $18 million home of hi-tech labs and care-based learning, named for the late Dr. Dennis R. DePerro, the university’s 21st president Located in the iconic Francis Hall, the DePerro School is a vibrant hub on campus, offering in-demand graduate and undergraduate health care programs.

36

IMPACT REPORT

What do Bonnies do?

Bonnies GIVE

Campaign Impact Data Total Raised June 1, 2018 - December 31, 2023

$105,244,674*

Amount Raised Per Campaign Pillar (as of December 31, 2023): Plassmann Hall Students have been gathering on the steps of Plassmann Hall since its dedication in June 1959. Moreover, nearly every student, regardless of major, has moved through its corridors and learned in its classrooms.

Now, thanks to the Bolder Bonaventure campaign, Plassmann is being refurbished and retooled, becoming a showcase of education and collaboration.

Renovations are already underway, kickstarted by a million-dollar gift from the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province. A new elevator and new windows have already been installed. Other plans include redesigned classrooms with state-of-the-art furniture to encourage collaboration, relocating faculty offices from the basement level to upper floors, creation of large multipurpose spaces, expansion of the Student Success Center, and new HVAC and ventilation systems.

$19,896,985 $15,614,933 DePerro School of Health Professions

Athletics

$6,797,764

$17,553,213

Jandoli School of Communication

Bonaventure Fund

$43,032,600

$2,349,179

Academic Mission and Student Experience

Franciscan Mission and Ministries

Includes

$5,978,000 in legacy gifts

Capital Projects School of Health Professions

$19,029,586

Department of Athletics

$6,783,786

School of Communication

$5,000,343

*unaudited figures June 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 IMPACT REPORT

37

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY It’s no secret that Bonnies are leaders in generosity. This past fiscal year is further proof of that statement. More than $20 million was raised overall for the university, including more than $2.9 million for The Bonaventure Fund.

Your tremendous generosity allows Bona’s more than 2,600 students the opportunity to pursue their academic and athletic goals while learning to be service leaders. You help them put their hearts and minds to work for our world.

Thank you!

Fiscal Year 2022-23 Gifts (June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023)

$20,362,990 Total Amount raised

4,969

167

Alumni donors

Faculty and staff donors

26

936

Trustee donors

Parent donors

966 University friend donors

38

IMPACT REPORT

EMBRACING POSSIBILITIES

F

or Lisa (Rosner) Melton, ’91, venturing beyond what is familiar has led not only to personal success, but also to a place where she can empower and inspire others.

Her penchant to push beyond the status quo nudged Melton at a young age to relocate for a job opportunity with a company she knew little about. That bold move led to living in eight different ZIP codes over the next several years, accepting lateral moves as well as receiving numerous promotions.

Raised in the Buffalo area, she met her husband, Andy, in North Carolina, where they welcomed their two sons, Andrew and Will, into the world. Soon after, the family headed to the New England states.

Melton has worn many hats in life and regretted none.

“I have very much lived outside of my comfort zone. It is the place I learned to grow the most,” she said. “It’s not always easy. But I believe that every experience each of us has helps us grow personally and professionally.”

Today, as chief marketing officer of AAA Northeast, Melton leads a dedicated team of approximately 150 people who serve 6.5 million members in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. She often shares with her colleagues her philosophy that saying “yes” holds a whole lot of opportunity.

Melton credits the “wisdom, independence and compassion for others” she gained at Bona’s for providing a strong foundation in her life.

She transferred here in the second semester of her freshman year, encouraged by a friend who thought the university would be a good fit for her.

Turns out, it was a perfect fit.

“I feel there was a reason I landed at Bonaventure. To this day, the university and the people I met there remain such a large part of my life. It’s remarkable. I can’t think of a better place than Bonaventure.”

Melton gravitated to the School of Business and the management science area. Of the many professors who inspired her, Dr. Kathleen Murphy stands out because of her passion and dedication. She became a role model for Melton, her lessons about leading and developing teams resonating years later.

“The people I met at Bonaventure and the friends that I made have been a very significant influence in my life and work,” Melton said.

Her best Bona memory is the September morning she headed from her room in Rob to her first class of the day in Plassmann Hall, spying a massive, tie-dyed sheet hanging from the windows facing the quad.

Emblazoned across the front of the banner in large, spray-painted letters were the words, “Happy Birthday, Lisa Rosner!”

As someone who absolutely loved to celebrate her birthday, this was the ultimate gift.

Melton now laughs at the memory. “Who does that?” she asked, while the emotion thickening her voice seemed to add, Bonaventure friends, that’s who.

Lisa (Rosner) Melton

Giving back to the place that has given her so much has always been a priority for Melton.

Through the years she has served as a volunteer for Admissions and The Bonaventure Fund, has been a leader in residence for the School of Business, and is a member of its Advisory Council.

She has also been a longtime donor to the university, beginning in the 1990s and continuing today with her family’s gift to the campaign for A Bolder Bonaventure.

“What you give back doesn’t have to be big,” she said. “And it doesn’t have to be money. It can be time or talent. It’s anything you can do to help support the university. Just start somewhere and see how you can grow your involvement.”

For Melton, her connection with Bonaventure is deep and lifelong.

“I am one of those people who believes everything happens for a reason. I feel there was a reason I landed at Bonaventure,” she said. “To this day, the university and the people I met there remain such a large part of my life. It’s remarkable. I can’t think of a better place than Bonaventure.” n By Susan Anderson Director of Fundraising Communications

IMPACT REPORT

39

THANK YOU FOR

ST. BONAVENTURE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

EMPOWERING STUDENTS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS

Academic Year 2022‐23 SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS AWARDED

$1,888,079 307

Jonny Walker, ’24, Rochester Sports media While finishing his last few months at Bona’s, Jonny Walker has had the chance to reflect on some of his once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. He is the editor-in-chief of the Bona Venture and sports director at WSBU 88.3 FM “The Buzz.” Last February, Walker had the chance to travel to Arizona and attend Super Bowl LVII Radio Row.

David Scibilia, ’26, Syracuse Strategic communication & marketing

SCAN ME! Scan the QR code with your smart phone for a special message from scholarship recipients.

n Content by Rebecca Schneider, ’24 40

IMPACT REPORT

Endowed scholarships created

4

512

Annual scholarships created

Students received awards

“It’s nice to know that you’re wanted here, that you’re being supported, and people are recognizing some of the work you do.

Even more, to know they are going out of their way to make sure you can stay here and do the best you can.”

As a student leader for BonaResponds, David Scibilia knows that challenging work is not hard when you are surrounded by good people. During the winter of 2023, Scibilia had one of the best experiences of his life when he travelled to Pine Island, Florida, to help repair homes and clean up the damage from Hurricane Ian. When his time at Bona’s comes to an end, Scibilia plans to follow in his parents’ footsteps and attend law school.

“When looking at schools, I considered which ones would give me the best education for the least amount of money.

When it came down to the final two schools, receiving a scholarship is what helped me pick Bona’s.”

8

Number of scholarships awarded

Jaeline Valdez, ’24, Bronx, New York Sports media

Ella Smith, ’25, Portland, Oregon Sports management Travelling from Oregon to study at SBU does not seem like an easy thing to do, but Smith does it every year with a smile. Her love for sports goes undeniably deep — she is a goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team and a member of the Sport Management Club and Team Bona’s, a sports marketing club.

“Receiving a scholarship shows me that the alumni really care about the students, and that I am a student they believe is worth investing in. My scholarship impacted my decision to stay at Bona’s, a place I now love very much.”

Jaeline Valdez is no stranger to the world of sports. Growing, up she played basketball and volleyball, but she found her spark within baseball, and that led her to pursue an education in sports media.

Valdez’s confidence opened many doors for her at Bona’s, where she is the copresident of the Black Student Union (BSU) and Latin America Student Organization (LASO). She also hosts a podcast for SBU-TV Sports and participates in Her Campus and the American Advertising Federation.

“Because of a scholarship, I get to pursue my education knowing people believe in me. It is a confidence boost knowing they want to see me succeed in life and are willing to help.”

STANDING STRONG IN HER OWN TRUTH

E

mily Ciraolo, ’08, ’09, will proudly tell you that she “learned how to do hard things at Bonaventure.”

The reason?

“Because I had wonderful mentors around me who helped reframe how I was thinking about the world and my place in it,” she said.

The Buffalo native earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication in three years while also competing as a Division I student-athlete on the women’s swim and dive team for two of those years.

Though she maintained a 3.9 GPA overall, which landed her on the dean’s list, academic excellence list and the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the challenges of excelling in the classroom while competing in the pool were many. She credits Dr. Denny Wilkins, professor of journalism, and Dr. Lee Coppola, then dean of the Jandoli School, for helping her stay strong.

“How many schools are there where your professor helps pull you out of a pit of despair and your dean helps advise you on day-to-day decisions? It was huge for my mental health,” she said. “I ‘retired’ from swimming — and I use the word retired because of Denny Wilkins. He said, ‘You’re not quitEmily Ciraolo ting, you’re retiring and pursuing new things.’ And that’s what I did.”

She amped up her service with BonaResponds, volunteered with Bona Buddies, and held several positions in the Student Government As“From the day I graduated from sociation, among other things. What she didn’t do was look back.

Her senior year saw her lauded with the Dr. Mary A. Hamilton Bonaventure, I always had the mindset Woman of Promise Award and the Heather Lohr Student Governof being able to pay it forward. I want ment Association Cabinet Member of the Year Award.

“By making that decision, I feared I might be losing out, but I didother students to have the experience I n’t. Instead, I gained a ton more,” Ciraolo said. had — or better.”

After earning her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from SBU, she immediately landed a position with National Fuel Gas Company in Buffalo. She had interned there for Julie Ciraolo continues devoting her time, mentorship Coppola Cox, ’88, thanks to a tip from one of her professors at the time, and money to the Bonaventure mission. She has Dr. Chris Mackowski. She went on to spend a dozen years with the comserved on the Alumni Council since 2017, which pany, eventually being promoted to director of corporate communicashe credits for teaching her more about her own tions. leadership style and how she can work with oth“I feel so fortunate to have had that opportunity. I learned a lot, and I ers. She also helps organize alumni events, menam forever grateful for the Bonaventure connections that led me there,” tors swim and dive students, and has been a she said. consistent donor, with her latest gifts earmarked Today, Ciraolo serves as a communications manager for CX global comfor the Jandoli School pillar of the Bolder munications at Cisco, a position she took a leap of faith to find. Hungry Bonaventure fundraising campaign. for a reimagined work/life balance following the pandemic, she resigned “I’m so excited for the Jandoli School, and I love from National Fuel in 2022, without another job lined up.

Murphy. It holds this gritty place in my heart,” she Ciraolo wasn’t worried. Instead, she recalled that moment of retiring said. “To have it transformed would be amazing. I from swimming and how it broadened her horizons. She naturally want other people to experience it.” reached out to the Bonaventure alumni LinkedIn group for potential job Due to Ciraolo’s devotion, more students doubtleads and reconnected with an old classmate who worked for Cisco. After less will. she applied, her classmate proactively sent a recommendation letter “From the day I graduated from Bonaventure, I about her to the hiring manager. always had the mindset of being able to pay it for“I’m convinced that because of that email, they flagged me for the inward,” she said. “I want other students to have the terview process,” Ciraolo said. “In hindsight, I see all these little webs that experience I had — or better.” are connected, helping me get from point A to point B, and I appreciate them so much more. It’s like all roads lead back to Bonaventure.” n By Cassidey Kavathas, ’24

IMPACT REPORT

41

STRENGTHENING OUR PILLARS Leveling the playing field As a founding member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, St. Bonaventure is committed to intercollegiate athletics at the highest level, NCAA Division I. But the playing field is not level.

We are answering this challenge with a $35 million plan that begins with the creation of the Athletics Performance Center. This focal point will hold the state-of-the-art, 10,000-square-foot strength and conditioning space that will be utilized by every student-athlete as well as a basketball practice court, new locker rooms for both basketball teams and new men’s and women’s basketball offices.

Our student-athletes are among Bona’s best and brightest. We must provide them the facilities that mirror their desire to compete and to win. Through preparation of mind and body, our 19 NCAA Division I teams will be equipped for the rigors of competition.

The transformation changes that are planned will also position our coaches to recruit and develop championship-level student-athletes and help prepare these young men and women for a lifetime of achievement through lessons learned in competition.

UPPER PHOTO: A view of the planned Strength and Conditioning Center. AT RIGHT: A rendition of the future exterior of the Reilly Center.

Boldness is imperative

Transformation of the Murphy Building will begin in 2024.

42

IMPACT REPORT

Journalism, media and communication are changing rapidly. In fact, the only constant is change.

To properly prepare our students, we need the resources to move quickly to new technologies and approaches. Complacency is unacceptable. Boldness is an imperative.

As we celebrate 75 years of developing outstanding journalists and communications, we are also broadening the Jandoli School’s focus amid rapid change to remain relevant without sacrificing our ethical values and commitment to incisive writing.

The Jandoli School of the future is a center of collaboration and innovation built around modern facilities that will allow students to create the future of media.

The transformation of the Jandoli School will begin in 2024, with a communication center addition featuring a state-of-the-art broadcast production suite, digital newsroom and new homes for WSBU radio and the Bona Venture newspaper. Our students need you to help power this vision.

Reilly Center Ticket Office named in honor of Lawrence “Larry” Ford Sr. In December of 2023, the Reilly Center Ticket Office was officially named in honor of Lawrence “Larry” D. Ford Sr. A successful fundraising campaign was launched in late July 2023 which combined donations made at the time of Ford’s 2018 death and those made through May 2023 with new campaign gifts to raise more than $61,000 as of December 2023.

Ford, a proud 1962 alumnus, was a mentor and friend whose interactions positively influenced many lives during his 32-year career at St. Bonaventure. His administrative posts included assistant director of food service, director of the Reilly Center and ticket manager, and the university’s first personnel director.

But it was his Franciscan spirit of service, faith and hospitality, as well as his common sense and behindthe-scenes thoughtfulness that made him special.

Letters were sent to alumni, friends and family who enthusiastically responded to the $50,000 goal to make this endeavor a reality.

Four alumni friends and colleagues of Ford’s led the campaign, working in concert with the university Advancement and Athletics departments: MJ Telford, ’75, ’82; Tom McElroy, ’74 ’78; John Broderick, ’87 M.S.Ed; and Mary Piccioli, ’81, ’90.

The money raised will support renovations to the ticket office, with remaining funds allocated to the Athletics Performance Center, which is a top priority in the Athletics component of the ongoing Bolder Bonaventure fundraising campaign.

Thank you

This is an exciting time to be part of the Bona Family.

Together, we are building A Bolder Bonaventure, which is evident in the strength of the university’s academic programs, the caliber of our faculty, and the beauty and functionality of the campus facilities.

Your gifts to the university help students better afford Bona’s unique brand of higher education, allow our faculty to remain leaders in their fields, and provide a robust student experience — academically, socially and spiritually.

These pages illustrate what is possible because of you.

Thank you. It is my pleasure to work alongside you in service to the students and the mission of St. Bonaventure University.

Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D. University President Larry Ford’s wife, Sue, after President Jeff Gingerich unveiled the plaque.

IMPACT REPORT

43

3261 W. State Road P.O. Box 2509 St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 If the magazine is sent to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, drop us a note to magazine@sbu.edu.