CLASS NOTES

’91

’92

COL Bernie Harrington, USA ’93, LTC Joe Degliuomini, USA, MAJ Ron Grandel, USA (Ret.), and LTC John Giordano, USA

’96

Joe Tully ’96 with Dr. Robert Bruno and Kevin Corbett

John Koch with his wife, Amie, and daughters Stella and Juliet

’96 Matt Hickey and his wife, Brigitte, lead a busy life in Montclair, New Jersey. They are parents to Theodore, 3, and Anderson Pierre, 1. Charles Stuart recently founded Ambedo Hospitality, a consulting group based in Columbus, Ohio, that helps hotel owners, operators, and brands unlock opportunities to drive revenue, build loyalty, and ultimately maximize profitability. He is currently an Allied Member of both the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OH&LA) and serves on the Allied Council and Membership Committee of the OH&LA. 1995 Malik Benjamin recently left academia to focus on economic development full-time. He is a senior associate at RW Venture and business development manager at Elevate Energy. LTC Geoffrey Cole, USA relinquished command of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment in South Korea on June 12. 1996 Christian Delgado-Scalercio shared memories of his time in the Xavier Regiment. “I always say some of the best times I have had were at Xavier. In September 1992, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of the JROTC program. I particularly knew I wanted to compete on the X-Squad for the coveted National Drill Team Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida,” he writes. “The Regiment

taught me so much. Through my Army instructors, MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.) and MSG James Jones, USA (Ret.)†, I was instilled with discipline and motivation to succeed—not just on the drill deck but in the classroom. The best friends that I have today, I made at Xavier. I am the man I am today because of the values instilled in me by my parents and my teachers on 16th Street.” In June, Bowdoin College history professor Dr. Brian Purnell lectured at a Catholic university in Brazil. “I wore the summer dress code,” he said, referring to his Xavier polo shirt. Purnell is a member of the Xavier Board of Trustees. John Koch lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Amie, and their daughters, Stella and Juliet. He is an attorney with Weisbrod Matteis and Copley, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, where he focuses on environmental law and insurance recovery. He typically works out of the Times Square office on Mondays. “After many years I am reconnecting with this fine institution,” he writes. “I look forward to seeing old classmates and meeting alumni in the near future.” CDR Timothy Sommella, USCG relinquished command of the USCGC Dauntless at Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 27. 1997 Stephen Ferdinando and Anthony Cozzolino recently founded a general contracting business, Halo Construction Group, which has

been awarded a community project owned and run by ArchCare, the continuing care community of the Archdiocese of New York. “We are thrilled to be able to work together and continue our friendship that started 26 years ago on West 16th Street,” Ferdinando writes. Jamel Robinson recently wrote his first screenplay, a short film that was read at one of New York’s oldest cold reading series. He also celebrated six years as a professional fine artist in April. “I have been focused on a new body of work that I believe is God’s loudest use of His voice in my practice to date,” he writes. He welcomes fellow alumni to follow him on Instagram (@IAMJAMELROBINSON). Michael Rybicki relocated to Washington, D.C. in January to take a job as an engagement director for the country digital acceleration program at Cisco Systems. In this capacity, he helps state and local governments improve their operations and services by leveraging technology. Any Sons of Xavier in the area are welcome to email him at michael.rybicki@aol.com.

Dr. Brian Purnell, left, in Brazil

’97

Jamel Robinson

’99

1999 Dominick Cognata works at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at New York University and also serves as a director for the Downtown Giants, a nonprofit youth sports program. 2000

Dominick Cognata

Davey Ron started a multimedia company, jdastudios.com, where

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