THE TICKER FALL 2022 ST. THOMAS PEOPLE IN THE NEWS AND ON THE MOVE.

Doug Horn ’67 is the managing director at The Houstonian Estates. His four-decade career in the hotel industry includes area/ general manager for the 492-room Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel and the 400-room Marriott Greenspoint with annual revenues in excess of 53 million. These two assets are owned and operated by Sunstone Hotel Investors, LLC, a hotel company with 75 assets throughout the United States.

Michael Ragusa ’73 is the market director at BenefitMall headquartered in Dallas. Previously he was a director of sales at Humana and leader of the small business team in Houston, Dallas, and North Texas for nearly two decades. Ragusa also was a recognized sales representative for the New York Life Insurance Company. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston in 1979.

John Sicola ’73 is the lead consultant advisor at The Foundation for Financial Education and senior planner at The Lloyd Financial Group, LLC. He has led an acclaimed career as a certified financial planner for nearly a half century, specializing in retirement and asset allocation strategies, estate conservation, and philanthropic gifting. Sicola earned his Bachelor Science in Sociology from Texas A&M University in 1977.

Bill Hoppe ’75 is vice president for business development at Institutional Cash Distributors in Dallas. He previously achieved distinction as a vice president managing director at BNY Mellon and a specialist in investment management for treasury professionals with Arrowhead Financial Consultants. From 2004-11, Hoppe served on the St. Thomas Foundation Board including three years as president. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management/ Economics/Finance from Sam Houston State University in 1979.

Dr. Chris Hines ’79 is a deputy superintendent with the Conroe Independent School District. He earned his Doctor of Education from Sam Houston State in 2005 and his Master of Arts in English from the University of Houston in 1985.

John Dorrance ‘82 is a senior loan officer at First Centennial Mortgage with previous distinction at Homeowners Financial Group and Houston Capital Mortgage. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of St. Thomas in 1990.

Charlie Vatterott ’82 is the vice president of development for Aspen Heights Partners after serving as vice president for the Medistar Corporation and 10 years as a partner with Partner Commerce Equities. Vatterott earned his Master of Science in Finance from Texas A&M University in 1989 after one season with the NFL St. Louis Cardinals. He graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance where he was an all-conference performer and 1982 national champion.

Fabian Arista ’83 is a chief investigator at the Harris County Attorney’s Office after serving nearly three decades in the Houston Police Department.

Gabriel Bonacci ’87 is an associate general counsel at Cotton Holdings Inc. Previously he was a managing partner at The Bonacci Law Firm P.C. from 2006-12. Bonacci earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law in 1998 and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University in 1992.

Trey DeNina ’88 is a senior talent acquisition recruiter for Jacobs Engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of St. Thomas in 1993.

Steve Vazquez ’89 is a market manager at Green Mountain Energy Company with previous distinction as a sales manager with Tara Energy and business development representative with TXU Energy. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of HoustonDowntown in 1998.

John Rocha ’89 is the founding head of school at Ozark Catholic Academy in Bentonville, Arkansas with previous distinction as director of development at Western Academy in Houston. He earned his Master of Liberal Arts in Literature from the University of St. Thomas in 2003.

Christian Navarro ’90 was the recipient of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hispanic Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous). Following his St. Thomas experience, Christian attended the University of Texas School of Law and the University of New Mexico. He was a lawyer, restaurant owner, and community philanthropist.

While maintaining his law practice, Navarro promoted the legacy of his late mother, Yolanda Black Navarro. He served on the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans board, the Gus Wortham Park & Gold Course Steering Committee, and the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council. Navarro’s Villa Arcos was twice listed as a top 100 restaurant by Houston’s two-time James Beard Award winner for restaurant criticism, Alison Cook.

Jeff Madden ’92 is the major gifts development officer at Western Academy. He studied in the Rice University Graduate and Postdoctoral Program in 2016 and earned his Bachelor of Applied Science, Speech Communication and Rhetoric at Louisiana State University in 1998.

Trey Guzzetta ’94 is a business development manager at Georgia-Pacific, LLC after nearly two decades as a senior buyer with Academy Sports + Outdoors. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Merchandising and Industrial Distribution from the University of Houston in 1999.

Paul Hotze ’94 is the founder at Paris Texas Apparel Co. & San Cristobal Guayaberas as well as a principal in the Hotze Group, a video production and marketing strategy firm based in Houston. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Virginia Military Institute in 1999.

Mark Putnam ’96 is the vice president for philanthropy at Texas Children’s Hospital. Previously he served a series of roles at the University of Houston including assistant vice president for University Development-Student Success and University Initiatives and director of corporate relations. Putman was also the assistant director of development at the University of St. Thomas from 2002-05 after earning his Bachelor of Arts in English from Angelo State University.

Greg Gatlin ’98 was named a regional Best Chef: Texas semifinalist in the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards. Known as the “Oscars of the food world,” the honors recognize the best of American culinary excellence through its Restaurant & Chef, Media and Leadership Awards.

Gatlin’s acclaimed restaurant group includes Fins & Feathers in Independence Heights. The pitmaster/owner opened Gatlin’s BBQ in 2010, moved to its current location on Ella Boulevard in 2015, and earned honorable mention on the 2021 Texas Monthly list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints.

Chad Lyons ’99 is the Houston-area president of Benchmark Bank after three years as a vice president and banking relationship advisor for the Northern Trust Corporation in Houston. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003 and Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of St. Thomas in 2006.

Glenn Taylor ’99 is the president of Skybound Coaching & Training. He also serves the Rice University Doerr Institute for New Leaders, the Vanderbilt University Graduate School of Management, and is an Adjunct Professor in Arts Leadership at the University of Houston. Taylor spent more than a decade with the Houston Symphony, rising to chief marketing officer. He earned his Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and his Bachelor of Music from Loyola University New Orleans.

Sean Cronin ’04 is the superintendent of grounds and facilities at Western Academy. Previously he was the maintenance specialist at Circle Lake Retreat Center owned by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Cronin earned his Bachelor or Science in Political Science from the University of Houston in 2008.

Owner/chef Rafael Nasr ’10 opened his second Craft Pita location north of West University Place in Plaza in the Park, 5172 Buffalo Speedway. His Tanglewood dining venue was ranked in 2019 among America’s Top 100 Places to Eat according to Yelp! and later made Allison Cook’s 20 Most Interesting Restaurants list for the Houston Chronicle Nasr earned his degree in entrepreneurial management from the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University.

Javier Gonzalez ’13 is a litigation associate at Jackson Walker in Houston after serving as law clerk for the Longoria Law Firm. He earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law in 2021 where he received the Dean’s Outstanding Advocate Award and Outstanding Male Graduate. Gonzalez earned his Master of Business Administration, Accounting and Finance from the University of St. Thomas in 2018.

Drew Guidroz ’16 is an outside sales representative for Revolver Brewing after serving as an area sales manager for Arriba. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the Rawls School of Business at Texas Tech University in 2020.

Nolan Lundholm ’16 completed his scholar-athlete baseball career at American University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing at the Busch School of Business in 2020 and is finishing his Master of Science in Project Management.

Payton Pardee ’15 is the wide receivers coach for the XFL Houston Roughnecks. He joined Wade Phillips’ staff after two years coaching tight ends at Texas A&M University-Commerce under head coach David Bailiff. Pardee completed his scholar-athlete football career at the University of Houston where he was a multi-year American Athletic Conference All-Academic selection while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2019.

Charlie Vatterott ’16 is an assistant superintendent at Westchase Construction, Ltd after graduating from Texas State University.

Melvin Larkins ’18 is a food services manager with Aramark Sports & Entertainment after earning his Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston in 2022.

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of St. Thomas High School,

Once upon a time….

The classic opening for a fairy tale! I always love stories and have trained my ear to pay attention for a good story. As a college student, I studied Journalism and History in part because I love learning about the stories that make up our past while learning who to tell new stories going forward.

Joining the Basilian Fathers, I enjoyed a new collection of stories. Maybe not Aesop’s Fables, but just as important for the sharing of our collective wisdom. Stories about the 10 priests hiding from French troops, stories about the split between our community in Toronto and those still in France. I heard stories of legends like Fr. David Bauer who is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Fr. Henry Carr who oversaw incredible growth of our congregation in the field of Higher Education. Funny stories are still told of Frs. Pike Murray, E. Leonard Rush, Jack Spratt and more.

When I came to St. Thomas High School in 2011, a whole new set of stories awaited my eager ear. I heard stories of the opposition to Fr. O’Rourke moving the school to Memorial Drive. “You can’t see the courthouse from there”, he was told. Alums from the ‘40s tell stories of the walk to campus and being taught by Basilians who would be out on the fields playing football or baseball. Stories of not having homework prepared for Fr. Wilson’s Spanish class. Getting notes from Fr. Magee about unpaid tuition. Then the stories would be about Fr. Cooper or getting in trouble and having to face the music with Fr. Schaeffer.

More recent stories talk of Frs. Glass, Belisch, Gaelens, and more. In January 2023, St. Thomas inducted two men into the Hall of Honor – Sam Listi ’60 and Andrew Linbeck ’83. That night more and more stories were shared. Every Man of St. Thomas has stories to tell. Like all stories, they can make you smile, laugh, cry, or shake your head in disbelief.

Everything that we do to strengthen the St. Thomas community is to ensure that current and future Eagles can have stories to tell when they gather for reunions and even when they are ready to join the Good ‘Ol Boys Luncheon. No matter how many times you tell your story – keep telling it. St. Thomas has a storied past and we look forward to hearing more stories going forward.

Thank you for being a part of STH and the story we continue to make come alive in our Eagles.

Bright smiles! One and all!

Fr. Jim Murphy, CSB

Dear Fellow Alumni,

It is hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the end of another exciting year at 4500 Memorial Drive. The Alumni Association continues to be busy with this year’s slate of alumni events, as well as making plans for next year.

In December, we welcomed over 130 alumni back to campus for the annual “Good ‘Ol Boys” luncheon. Classes from 1950 to 1987 were well represented as guests enjoyed Pizzatola’s BBQ while telling stories of their time at STH and reconnecting with classmates and friends. While the “Good ‘Ol Boys” luncheon was taking place in Cemo Auditorium, the competition was fierce on the hardwood in Reckling gymnasium as 12 teams representing the classes of 1995-2021 faced-off in our annual 3-on-3 Alumni Basketball Tournament. Thanks to Drew Donohue ’01 for organizing another great tournament and congratulations to Joshua Reece ’14, Jaren Murphy ’12 and Kirk Selexman ’14 for taking home the trophy!

As 2022 drew to a close, the St. Thomas Community gathered to celebrate the birth of Christ at the annual Christmas Eve Mass. This time-honored tradition is truly a sight to see and take part in as nearly 1200 members of the St. Thomas community came together to experience the magic of the Christmas season. I would encourage all alumni to consider making the St. Thomas Christmas Eve Mass part of your family’s annual Christmas celebration.

In January, the Alumni Association hosted over 120 alumni for our annual Casino Night. Our Casino Night committee led by Jeff Madden ’92 put on another spectacular event. If you have not attended a Casino Night before, I highly recommend you mark your calendars for next year because you don’t want to miss out on this fun-filled evening. Congratulations to Barry Smith ’50 for defending his title and becoming a back-to-back poker tournament winner!

It wouldn’t be Spring at St. Thomas without Round Up! At the time of this writing the students have been working hard selling their quotas as they look to shatter yet another record! As a reminder, Round Up is always the first Sunday in March, and as always, it promises to deliver a fun filled day for students, parents, alumni and their families. Join us as the Alumni Association will be hosting our annual Cornhole tournament and beer garden. Stop by and enjoy a great afternoon of fraternity and fun.

Everything the Alumni Association does in support of St. Thomas would not be possible without the hard work of our board made of up of a tremendous group of men who have a passion and love for St. Thomas. I want to personally thank each of them for dedicating their time and talents in support of our alma mater. If you are interested in serving STH, I invite you to join the Alumni Association and consider serving on our growing and dynamic board. If you haven’t been back to campus in a while, I would encourage you to attend one of our events and experience for yourself the spirit that makes St. Thomas such a special place!

EAGLE FIGHT NEVER DIES!

Tommy Schulte ’00 President, St. Alumni Association